Take3 weeks ago
The XDS X-Lab RT9 has a 550-gram frame, the lightest production road frame on the market. But Velo's long-term test found the bike ships with 50mm deep Branta C50 wheels, and those wheels turn every descent twitchy and every crosswind into a fight.
The frame does what it promises: stiff, immediate power transfer, no flex on climbs. The wheel choice undoes it — the reviewer had to brace the front end on every descent just to hold a line, and paired with the stiff frame, the ride turns rough over any road imperfection. Swapping the C50s for different wheels was enough to make the RT9 a favorite, which says the frame was never the problem. XDS built the lightest climbing frame in production and then hung it with wheels built for a different job.
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