Peter Maniaty
They may look like wheels. But as Peter Maniaty discovered, Black Inc’s 48|58 carbon racing rims are weapons, pure and simple.
Black Inc is the high performance component brand of Factor Bikes – and their race-ready 48|58 carbon road wheelset certainly lives up to the billing.
Originally developed to complement the aerodynamics of the Factor Ostro VAM frameset, the 48|58 has been the go-to wheelset for Israel Premier Tech for much of the UCI WorldTour in 2024, including helping Steven Williams seize the ochre jersey at the Santos Tour Down Under last January. Whilst they don’t come cheap, they have plenty to offer riders with pockets deep enough to afford them.
First impressions
These wheels look mad fast. Arriving direct from Factor’s manufacturing facility in Taichung, Taiwan, the asymmetrical rim sizes – 48mm front, 58mm rear – immediately caught my attention. Given the rims are far from shallow, they’re also impressively light, weighing just 1,357 grams for the pair, including pre-installed rim tape. It’s equally hard to miss the Black Inc decals which are large, silver and somewhat brash, contrasting boldly with the UD glossy clearcoat carbon rims. More understated black decals are also available.
Overall the finishing is superb, with Black Inc explaining every 48|58 wheel is hand-built before being electronically inspected to guarantee maximum performance and reliability.
Background
The 48|58 wheelset was developed in-house by Factor with extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations and wind tunnel testing, before being honed in the real world with input from their sponsored pro riders.
Given Factor also operates its own testing facilities in Taiwan, the development team was able to explore multiple iterations and prototypes without the need for third-party involvement or expense – something Factor says results in higher quality products with shorter development cycles.
Tech specs
The Black Inc 48|58 wheelset was born through an unashamed pursuit of aerodynamic efficiency in all riding conditions. To achieve this, differentiated rim depths have been specified with a shallower 48mm front and deeper 58mm rear.
Recommended for use with 28mm tyres (tubeless and clincher) the width is reasonably generous—23mm internal and 29mm external—and both rims are designed with an increased leading edge radius that creates an airfoil to optimise airflow and reduce instability in blustery weather, even at higher yaw angles.
The rim layup uses a combination of standard, intermediate and high modulus carbon (T700, T800, T1100). The 48|58 rims spin around silky smooth proprietary hubs with CeramicSpeed silicon nitride ceramic bearings designed exclusively for Black Inc wheelsets.
Factor claims these custom bearings help to reduce rotational drag by up to 20 per cent compared to its previous generation of wheels, a significant number. The hub itself uses a high-flange alloy body which allows for shorter spokes and an increased bracing angle, equating to impressive lateral and vertical stiffness. Fewer spokes reduces weight, but Factor insists durability is not compromised. That said, the maximum ‘rider plus bike’ weight tops out at just 100kg.
Shimano and SRAM compatible freehub options are available.
Installation
Having had my share of tubeless shockers in the past year or so, I’m delighted to report installation was remarkably straightforward. I predominantly ran Pirelli P-Zero 28mm tubeless tyres during the review with both front and rear tyres seating effortlessly first time, barely requiring tyre levers. The tubeless valves that arrived with the wheels were easy to install, nice and airtight, with no issues whatsoever. You can also run them as standard clinchers, of course. The brake discs are centre lock.
On the road
Rolling out for the first time, the 48|58 wheels felt every bit as light as they are and, as I quickly learned, choice of tyre pressure is critical. I initially had them a little over inflated at around 85 psi and they really did float about with extremely light handling. Easing the pressure down to 70-75 psi they were still super nimble, but far more to my personal liking. As always, experiment until you find what works for you. Unsurprisingly, given the generous rim depths and high-flange hubs, the ride feel was very much at the stiffer end of the scale and there was never any shortage of road feedback, especially when running standard butyl tubes.
If, like me, you prefer slightly more compliant days in the saddle, tubeless is the way to go, or at least a switch to TPU tubes. In terms of performance, the stiffness of these rims translates to top shelf power transfer with the 48|58 wheels accelerating brilliantly and then, just as importantly, holding their hard-earned momentum extremely well at higher speeds.
The result was typically a big smile on my face and an overwhelming feeling of efficiency as I hurtled along. Whilst by no means pure climbing wheels, you needn’t fear when the road points upwards either. I found the combination of light weight, excellent balance and silky smooth hubs made for way-above-average ascending, particularly for such deep section rims. They also descended fabulously well with impressive stability and confidence-inspiring handling through fast (and at times off camber) corners. As for the much-lauded performance claims in crosswinds? All I can say is I barely noticed any, despite riding through some reasonably challenging late winter weather.
Summing Up
Light, agile and blisteringly fast, the Black Inc 48|58 is a high performance road wheelset with a high price tag to match. Thrills and smiles guaranteed on virtually any terrain.
RRP: $4,799.
