Description
Princeton CarbonWorks PEAK 4550: A New Milestone in Performance Cycling Wheels
Exceptional Handling. Ultra Lightweight. King of the Mountain.
Princeton CarbonWorks announces their all new PEAK 4550, developed in conjunction with the top cyclists in the world; a lighter, stiffer, stronger, and more aerodynamic solution directly targeted at world tour and grand tour racing (and of course, ALL racing and riding…)
Available in every configuration, (tubular, tubeless ready clincher, rim and disk brake) the PEAK 4550 set weighs as little as 1071g in tubular rim brake guise, with standard tubeless ready clincher versions weighing 1297g for rim brake and 1348g for disc brake.
Development priorities were to create an all-around race ready wheel with exceptional aerodynamic characteristics and the strength and stiffness to transfer high wattages to the ground. The
performance characteristics of grand tour riding are perhaps the most difficult to synthesize in a single wheelset. Riders need a wheelset that is light and responsive for the climbs. On the descents, they need predictable and sharp handing. In the valleys, the wheelset needs to be aerodynamic and impervious to crosswinds. And above all of that, the wheels need to hold up to thousands of kilometers of full gas racing.
PCW’s standard non-drilled tire bed facilitates a stiffer outer rim and transfers some material away from the tire bed to other critical areas in the wheel, helping to keep wheel weight low while maintaining high stiffness values.
Internal width (hook to hook): 18.5mm
External width (max): 26mm
Launch Edition Hubs: Carbon Ti (16/24 Rim Brake, 24/24 Disc Brake)
Spokes: Sapim CX-Ray
Nipples: Sapim SecureLock Alloy
Larry Grossman –
Got these in Feb with White Ind hubs. Love them. Set up with 28’s and inner tubes. They don’t budge in crosswinds and they look awesome.
Jan –
I’ve been riding the Peak on my new Tarmac SL7 for three months now. The order here in Europe / Germany was not that easy, but with the help of Sander the order was possible.
I had an extra request, which was also realized in a short time. The wheels were delivered with red Tune hubs. PERFECT!
In the meantime they have rolled about 3000 km and I have to say that they are clean and fast. I live in the Alps and going up is almost as good as going down. The crosswind processing is particularly good.
With TPU tubes there were problems in the rim base, after that I switched to tubeless and it’s great.
Good work! Now expand the distribution in Germany 🙂
Carl Funk (verified owner) –
I purchased a set in late 2021 with the Tune hubs. My first experience with Tune components. Now months of riding and racing over a variety of courses, I’m noticing their true behavior starting to settle in. Frankly, for sprinting, give me my old Mavic Pro Carbon SLCs (the NON-ust version). And I think it’s the hubs. The response is just better. Which makes me curious about what these wheels would be with a different set of hubs… and changing tires? Mine are rim-brake first of all so no fitting 30’s or anything like that to them. I have ridden conti’s for years- they’re just predictable as tires go. GP5k 25s on these wheels are an exercise in utter frustration. I bought a set of the TL’s… forget it. Wife just sold them on Mercari 🙂 Staying with tubes…I did mount a 28 to the back a few days back- it went considerably better so apparently having a bit more casing to stretch makes things easier. Front 25 is about done so I’ll try 28 there too though looking at the back wheel, it would seem I’m likely to give up a little bit of aerodynamics. The wheels are VERTICALLY VERY stiff so a little less pressure is warranted for sure and the bigger tire size should help too if you need more compliance but I’m rarely bothered by it- cracks and bumps are what they are and being mated to a 2016 SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod might help too. When I’m not sprinting, these really outrun my old SLCs. They carry speed through corners unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. My first two times out I almost overcooked corners a couple times… into headwinds!!! I’ve now adjusted to it but what an awesome surprise- never realized just how much speed I scrubbed through turns! And then there’s the rolling hills. No real mountains near me- I’m sure lighter weight helps. But in the rollers, I just fly by people. Truly amazing. They are exceptional on rolling hill courses. So as all-arounders, excellent. But I think I’d give up a few grams and try the other hub options next time and see if they also turn out to be the sprinters I think they could be! The Tune’s do roll though.
Keith Vitkovich (verified owner) –
Wow! These wheels are great and I am not going to hesitate and I am ordering some Duals for one of my other bikes. These wheels never stop rolling and I feel like I am being pulled down the road. Marty is great to deal with and very responsive with any and all questions that I had.
Justin Bailey –
I purchased a pair of Peak 4550’s for my new Factor Ostro. They are AMAZING. I thought they would be good but they are far better than expected. They are fast, stiff and responsive. These wheels are as good if not better than the hype. I live in Wollongong Australia and the terrain is varied so they are perfect for the riding I do. I found they sit at speed very well as good as deeper wheels. I am so happy with them I am about to order a set of Wake 6560s. Also, the service from the team at Princeton is top notch.
JCarter (verified owner) –
Wheels are as advertised. Fast, light and seemingly impervious to cross winds. Only a handful of rides (rim brake set w/ Carbon Ti hubs), but I can already feel the magic. Looking forward to more rides. Team has been super responsive from a customer service perspective. Definitely getting another set on my next build. And they look amazing!
Herb (verified owner) –
I picked up a set of Peak 4550s (Carbon Ti) after riding for about 6 months on the Wakes 6560s. I have been able to put about 1500 miles on them and they are my preferred wheelset. They are easier to handle in winds and generally more agile. The trade off is about 5-15 watts of drag in the 18-25mph range. In similar rides with similar power output my average speeds are in the range of 0.2 to 0.5 mph less. Though, in rides with long climbs and descents, the difference in average speed is less. My Strava times have also been better on descents with the Peaks. They are easier to handle at speed, especially with swirling winds.
If trying to decide between the two, I recommend the Wakes if predominantly riding on flats and high wind (swirling or gusting) is typically not a factor. For more varied terrain, especially with larger climbs and technical descents, the Peaks are a better choice. Either way the wheels have a ride quality that sets them apart from other brands. I highly recommend both.