Princeton Wake 6560 EVO Disc Brake Wheelset w/Tactic TR01 Hubs - Special Color

The Princeton Wake 6560 EVO Disc Brake Wheelset with Tactic TR01 Hubs represents one of the more considered designs in modern carbon wheel engineering. The central tension in road wheel design has always been depth: deeper rims are faster in a straight line but add weight, catch crosswinds, and require a stiffer overall build to stay composed under load. Shallower wheels climb better, handle more predictably, and forgive rougher pavement — but they surrender aero efficiency on every flat or descent where it actually matters. The Wake 6560 EVO doesn't ask riders to pick a side. It's lighter than most wheels running a shallower rim profile and more aerodynamically efficient than most that run deeper — a combination that emerges directly from Princeton's proprietary rim geometry rather than from compromising one quality to serve another.

Princeton CarbonWorks has been refining the Wake 6560 concept since 2012, iterating on aerodynamic performance, weight, stiffness, and responsiveness through multiple generations. The 6560 designation refers to the pairing of 65mm and 60mm rim depths in an alternating-section design that is entirely Princeton's. Rather than using a uniform cross-section around the rim circumference, the Wake 6560 EVO alternates between deeper and shallower sections, with each high-tension spoke positioned at a deeper section where the geometry allows steeper spoke angles. That steeper angle reduces lateral flex at each spoke junction. The shallower sections, carrying lower-tension spokes, balance the overall spoke tension across the full wheel. The result is a more uniform structure: stiffer under power, steadier through turns, and more consistent in how it returns energy to the road. Under hard efforts — a sprint off the front, a sustained climb at threshold, a section of exposed road with a crosswind — the wheel holds its composure. This alternating geometry is unique to Princeton; no other production wheel uses it.

The EVO's rim profile is designed around 25-28mm tires, aligning it with where performance road tire sizing has settled. The wider external profile maintains airflow efficiency at the tire-to-rim junction — the zone where many deep-section wheels lose aero advantage as tires flare wider than the rim was designed for. Disc brake compatibility separates the braking surface entirely from the rim, so the wheel doesn't wear from use and braking performance remains consistent whether you're descending dry tarmac or riding through coastal fog. The disc variant pairs with flat-mount or post-mount calipers across any modern disc road frame.

Tactic Racing TR01 hubs pair with the Wake EVO in this build — Princeton's more focused hub option, designed to deliver fast engagement, quiet operation, and minimal maintenance without adding unnecessary weight to the build. They're not a budget compromise; they're a refined one. The TR01 disappears on the bike, producing no grinding or lag, just consistent hub performance across long days and hard efforts. Freehub compatibility covers Campagnolo, HG11 for Shimano and SRAM 11-speed systems, and XDR Driver for SRAM's 12-speed road ecosystem, making the Wake 6560 EVO a direct fit for any current groupset configuration.

The Special Color edition distinguishes itself from Princeton's standard offerings with four distinct finish options: Chrome, Gold, Gloss White, and Gloss Black. These aren't cosmetic tiers — the underlying wheel is the same Wake 6560 EVO regardless of finish. At $4,300, this is a wheelset for a rider who has decided what kind of riding they do and wants a single pair that performs at the highest level across all of it: fast enough on flat roads that leaving a deeper wheelset behind doesn't feel like a concession, light enough climbing that the wheel isn't working against the rider, stiff enough under sprinting that power goes exactly where it's directed. The Wake 6560 EVO earns its place as a do-everything race wheel by not doing anything halfway.