Review: Princeton Carbonworks Peak 4550 Rim Brake
The following review was written by Nico Sandi. Alto Velo would like to thank Princeton CarbonWorks for their generous sponsorship. If you’re not a 2023 Alto Velo member, join today and take 45% off any wheelset!
Hey Alto Velo,
I ordered a set of Peak 4550 (rim brake!!) with White Ind hubs earlier this year. I was hesitant to order expensive carbon wheels because I have had bad experience braking using carbon wheels.
These wheels have far exceeded my expectations! I rode them in all weather and road conditions, training and racing.
Winning the Elite Open Men at La Ruta del Lago aboard a set of Peak 4550s
The tubeless setup is super easy on these. No need for tape. Just put valves, tubeless ready tires (it can be a little bit hard to get them on), sealant and inflate. They also keep the tires inflated for a long time which means you don’t have to re seat them. My only problem initially was that air was escaping through one of the drain holes. I just put extra sealant, shook it up and it was good to go!
I also rode these wheels a lot in then rain. The braking track was better than expected when wet. It is still carbon and wet carbon is not wet disc brakes. You have to learn how to handle them going down steep wet roads. But I can say that I felt safe and the wheel braking was responsive.
These wheels are marketed as lightweight and that made me think they would be weak and breakable. The opposite. These wheels are indestructible. I rode them on chunky gravel and cobbles, bad pavement and potholes. No problem. I also traveled internationally with them and either the airlines were extra careful or I packed them well or they are just hardy wheels. No scratches or issues.
White Ind hubs can be a little tricky to service. But reading the manual and having the right tools let me fix some minor issues I had with them. Nothing huge. Just a little bit of play that was easily fixed.
And of course these wheels just perform amazingly! I feel light climbing, super aero on flats, they feel fast and responsive accelerating, and they provide snappy handling sending it down descents.
Nico
The Peak 4550s (and their White Industries hubs) can take a serious beating