A mate of Colin's (Joe, actually) suggested he talk to us about some new wheels to replace some Fulcrums he'd started to wear out. Colin's Fulcrums were starting to break spokes after about 15,000km. Not great mileage, but about what you would expect.
Colin needed some wheels for an upcoming trip to climb the Cols of Europe, and reliability and weight (and some added aero) were important. He was also keen to ensure more mileage from this set of hoops.
The XLR8 Rouleur Mk4 is the latest generation of alloy "all round" road rims from XLR8. Made in Taiwan from super high end aluminium, these rims are 35mm deep (= aero!), 24.5mm wide (= comfy ride on wider tyres), have a welded join and machined braking surface ( = smooth braking). All that, and tubeless capable as well!
Bitex hubs were selected due to their low cost, good performance, and excellent weight. Parts are easy to find (from us, or elsewhere), they are proven very reliable, and nicely understated.
Of course, we laced the setup together using Sapim Race spokes in black. We love Race spokes. They are light, but still have enough mass to ensure that the wheels remain super stiff (this cannot be said for super light exotic spokes - you have been warned!).