New Elitewheels Drive SL Hubs: As good as State-of-the-Art TACTICs?
Well, no... however Drive SL demonstrates how features once associated almost exclusively with boutique hubs are moving into far more accessible complete wheelsets.
Elitewheels
Founded as a carbon wheel manufacturer before launching its own brand, Elitewheels controls much of its production process in-house, including carbon fibre layup, rim manufacturing and hub development.
46, 57, 68mm rim depth, 30mm internal / 37mm external for 40 – 60c tyres.
Elitewheels
Drive Helix
46, 57, 68mm depth
Elitewheels Video Reel: Making wheels you can count on
Elitewheels Highlights: Tech, Riders, Product Lineup
The carbon wheel market can sometimes feel like a sea of lookalikes, with many brands simply putting their logos on open-mold factory rims. This is exactly where Elitewheels completely flips the script. Instead of outsourcing, they are a true engineering powerhouse that controls every single step of their manufacturing process in-house.
But a fast rim means nothing if the hub is sluggish, which is why Elitewheels machines their own hubs with CNC tolerances down to an absurd 0.02mm. They pair these with high-end ceramic bearings and stiff carbon spokes to ensure that absolutely zero watts are wasted when you put the hammer down. Before any of this hits the pavement, the wheels are subjected to a brutal gauntlet of testing. We are talking computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for aerodynamics, wind tunnel validations, vertical impact drop tests, and a loaded 20,000 km endurance run.
Source: Brand page
Pros, Semi-pros and Real-World Cyclist Community
Source: Brand news page
The pros are out there thrashing the flagship Drive and Drive Helix wheelsets in grueling races like the Tour of Slovenia and Strade Bianche, and the engineers are using that brutal, real-world feedback to constantly refine spoke tension, hub durability, and aerodynamic stability.
Elitewheels also maintains a close relationship with the wider cycling community through event participation, sponsored riders and partnerships with media organisations. Perhaps most notably, it serves as the official wheel partner of Global Cycling Network (GCN), helping place its products in front of a large audience of recreational and performance-focused cyclists.
What's New and Noteworthy?
The current lineup from Elitewheels is nothing short of exceptional, with the Drive series leading the charge. For the road, the Drive 50D and the newer, aerodynamically optimized Drive Helix series offer a masterclass in modern wheel design.
A detailed assessment from Cyclists Hub, updated in August 2025, rated the original Drive wheels highly for climbing, acceleration and stiffness, calling them among the reviewer’s favourite lightweight wheelsets.
Source: Brand review page
Slideshow
Elitewheels
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