GRAVEL
ROAD
Written with ❤️ by
Hugo
The new Shimano Dura-Ace WH-R9370 wheel range hardly comes as a surprise. In recent months, several images had been circulating, notably on bikes used by Mathieu van der Poel. This time, the announcement is official: Shimano is revamping its entire high-end road wheel family, from all-round depths to time trial wheels.
The interest is not just about new graphics or a slight weight tweak. Shimano is overhauling the entire platform: rims, hubs, carbon spokes, differentiated profiles, and compatibility with current road tyres. The range now spans the C36, C50, C60, a C99 front, and a rear disc wheel.
🚀 In brief:
Shimano launches the new Dura-Ace WH-R9370 road wheel range.
Three main wheelsets: C36 at 1172 g, C50 at 1302 g, and C60 at 1391 g.
23 mm internal width, optimised for 700×28 to 30C tyres, with stated compatibility up to 700x45C.
The new Dura-Ace range is structured around three main road wheelsets: C36, C50, and C60. Shimano keeps a clear logic: the C36 targets climbing and punchiness, the C50 aims for balance, the C60 leans further into aero and sustained speed.
The C36 drops to 1172 g for the wheelset, versus 1350 g for the previous generation. That’s a 178 g reduction, significant on a wheelset meant for climbing, accelerations, and lightweight road bikes. The stated external width is 29.4 mm, with 18 spokes front and 21 rear.
The C50 comes in at 1302 g for the wheelset, 159 g less than the previous version. It’s likely the most versatile option in the range: deep enough to bring a real aerodynamic benefit yet still light enough to remain relevant on rolling terrain. External widths are 31 mm front and 32 mm rear.
The C60 is perhaps the most interesting to note. At 1391 g for the wheelset, it sheds 218 g compared with the previous generation. For a 60 mm profile, the weight is impressively low, allowing Shimano to offer an aero wheelset without limiting it only to flat courses.
All these wheels adopt a 23 mm internal width. Shimano optimises them for 700×28 to 30C tyres, while stating compatibility up to 700x45C. It’s important to distinguish the two points: the core target remains modern road use, with 28 to 30 mm tyres, not committed gravel riding.
Today, this 23 mm width makes good sense to get the most from a wide road tyre, improve tyre support, and stabilise behaviour at high speed. Some might have expected more, especially in a market where certain versatile or all-road wheels go to 24 or 25 mm internal width.
But Shimano is making a logical choice here for a Dura-Ace range: staying in a performance road brief, with aerodynamic optimisation around 30C.
Shimano reports up to 2.7 watts less drag in controlled testing at 48 km/h with 30C tyres. As always with this type of figure, it serves mostly as an indication of trend. The key point lies elsewhere: the brand has clearly designed these wheels around the modern road tyre, not around an older 25 mm standard.
The other major new feature concerns the carbon spokes. Shimano introduces two profiles: Aero at 4.0 x 1.1 mm for the C36, C50, and C60, and Super Aero at 5.2 x 0.8 mm for the wheels dedicated to timed efforts.
This choice matters because it’s not only about aerodynamics. Carbon spokes also influence stiffness, responsiveness, and feel during accelerations or sprints. We’ve already seen this on other recent high-end wheels, for example the Vision Metron 45 RS or the Newmen Streem Allround VONOA, where the balance between liveliness and stability depends greatly on the rim-spoke-hub system.
Shimano says it has adapted the type, number, and configuration of spokes to each model. The C36 gets 18 spokes front and 21 rear, the C50 21 and 21, the C60 21 and 24. Again, the reading is simple: the more the wheel targets speed and higher loads, the more Shimano reinforces the architecture.
Shimano keeps its adjustable cup-and-cone hub system. It’s a very Shimano choice, almost part of its identity. While much of the market highlights cartridge bearings that are simpler to replace, the Japanese brand still champions the benefit of fine-tuning bearing preload once the wheel is mounted on the bike.
The interesting new part concerns maintenance: the new Dura-Ace models integrate replaceable bearing elements, with stated improvements in sealing. That matters, because the cup-and-cone system can offer excellent smoothness but also demands a bit more care and know-how than classic cartridge assemblies.
Shimano claims 30 percent lower rotational torque compared with classic cartridge-bearing configurations, in its own tests with vertical loads, pedalling thrust, and thru-axle clamping force. Again, we’ll need to see how this holds up over time in real conditions, with rain, washing, miles, and more or less rigorous maintenance.
The WH-R9370 range isn’t limited to classic road wheels. Shimano is adding a C99 front and a rear disc wheel, designed for time trials and triathlon.
The C99 features a 99 mm depth, 16 Super Aero carbon spokes, an external width of 35.2 mm, and a claimed weight of 788 g for the front wheel. The rear disc wheel weighs 987 g and uses a fully lenticular construction.
The set clearly targets prolonged efforts at very high speeds, where managing drag takes precedence over versatility. Shimano says it worked with WorldTour athletes and professional triathletes, including Mathieu van der Poel and Kat Matthews, to refine stability, stiffness, and predictability in crosswinds.
The recommended retail prices in France clearly put this range at the top of the market. The C36, C50, and C60 front wheels are listed at €1,299.99, with the corresponding rear wheels at €1,499.99. A complete road wheelset therefore comes to €2,799.98 at recommended retail.
The C99 front is listed at €1,399.99, while the rear disc wheel reaches €2,799.99. The full time trial setup therefore clearly exceeds €4,000.
This new Dura-Ace WH-R9370 range arrives at the right time. The high-end road wheel market has evolved a lot: wider tyres, more stable profiles, lower weights, carbon spokes increasingly present, and strong demand for wheels that can be fast without becoming too exclusive.
Shimano responds with a modern range, well structured and technically ambitious. The 23 mm internal width may seem conservative versus some competitors, but it remains coherent with a 28-30 mm road optimisation. The C60’s weight, above all, makes us want to see what this wheelset can actually deliver on a current race bike.
| Riding style | Road bike |
|---|---|
| Frame | Carbon |
| Year | 2026 |
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