Reviewed: Swiss Side Hadron Classic 800 Rim Wheel
We review the Swiss Side Hadron Classic 800 Rim Wheel as part of our 2020 wheel roundup.
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Swiss Side Hadron Classic 800 Rim
$1,290, 1865g, available in rim or disk, tubeless compatible
80mm deep, 28mm external width (23mm brake track)
swissside.com
Swiss Side was catapulted from a relatively unknown brand to the center of the triathlon universe thanks to their back to back appearance on Patrick Lange’s world championship-winning rigs in 2017 and 2018. The roots of the Swiss brand are embedded in F1 racing, so the leap to the carbon, data, and aero-centric world of triathlon was an easy one. Swiss Side has a great strategic alliance with DT Swiss, allowing them to manufacture to very high standards. DT Swiss not only provides the hubs for Swiss Side, they also manufacture Swiss Side rims in their Asian factory.
The Hadron Classic 800 is the little sister to the flagship Hadron Ultimate. The two models share the same exact rim but the classic uses different hubs and heavier gauge spokes to get the price down. This is an extremely affordable deep aero wheelset, especially when you consider all the tech that has gone into making them and the high-quality finish and looks. Swiss Side has cut out the middleman and only sells consumer direct, a large part of their very low price.
Mounting tires on the tubeless compatible rims was slightly challenging but still do-able. We were able to avoid breaking a sweat even when using an inner tube and without using carbon-damaging tire levers. The wheels include a set of Swiss Stop carbon-specific brake pads and skewers. Swiss Side recommends using a 23mm front tire and a 25mm rear tire for peak aerodynamics performance which is a bit narrow by today’s standards.
On the road, these wheels roll very smoothly, handle as well as any other deep carbon wheel in windy conditions, accelerate well, and have very predictable braking in dry conditions. These wheels are fairly stiff laterally and track well and predictably in high-speed corners. Our only significant complaint is that the braking abilities really suffer when the wheels get wet, but for the price, this is still a great wheelset to consider with world championship-winning pedigree.