Princeton Wake 6560 EVO Disc Brake Wheelset w/DT Swiss 180 Hubs - Standard Color

The Princeton CarbonWorks Wake 6560 EVO Disc Brake Wheelset w/DT Swiss 180 Hubs arrives from a simple but radical premise: a wheel rim doesn't need to be the same depth everywhere. Princeton CarbonWorks — a small Connecticut-based company that has been developing the Wake platform since 2012 — engineered a sinusoidal rim profile that oscillates between 60mm and 65mm around the circumference. The name encodes the geometry: 65mm at the peak, 60mm at the trough. Deeper sections deliver aerodynamic performance and structural rigidity; shallower sections relieve crosswind pressure and reduce the sail effect that makes high-profile wheels difficult to control on exposed roads. Princeton's wind tunnel testing frames the result directly: aerodynamically faster than deeper wheels, lighter and better-handling than shallower wheels. No fixed-depth rim can claim both. The sinusoidal profile achieves it by refusing to treat depth as a single-value tradeoff.

The rim geometry works in combination with Princeton's patented Radially Staggered Lacing system, and the two technologies are inseparable in practice. On the rear wheel, drive-side spokes — the high-tension side that transfers power from hub to rim — attach at the deepest point of the sinusoidal profile. On the front wheel, disc-side spokes do the same. When a high-tension spoke attaches to a deeper rim section, the spoke bracing angle flattens. A flatter bracing angle distributes load more evenly across the wheel, reduces spoke tension imbalance, and produces a stiffer, more uniform structure than conventional lacing on a fixed-depth rim can match. The EVO generation carries this proven geometry forward with an updated carbon layup that improves impact resistance and sheds 10g per rim compared to the previous generation.

The hub is the DT Swiss 180 EXP — a Swiss-engineered road disc hub built around DT's EXP (Expandable) internals that allow complete servicing without removing the axle from the frame. Consistent engagement, long-term reliability, and ease of maintenance make it a practical choice for riders who plan to use this wheelset seriously across thousands of miles. The build pairs the 180 EXP with 24/24 spoke lacing, a 28.2mm external and 21mm internal rim width designed for 25–28mm tires, a non-drilled rim bed that eliminates tubeless tape entirely, and SRAM XDR 12-speed freehub compatibility. At approximately 1,435g for the DT Swiss 180 EXP configuration, the Wake 6560 EVO delivers meaningful weight with the hub durability to match its performance credentials. Tubeless valves and padded wheel bags are included.

Design Benefits

1. Sinusoidal Rim Profile: The oscillating 60–65mm depth is Princeton's core innovation. Deeper sections optimize aerodynamics and structural stiffness; shallower sections reduce crosswind pressure. It's a geometric solution to the tradeoff that every fixed-depth aero wheel has to accept. Princeton's testing shows the result is aerodynamically faster than deeper wheels while handling better than shallower ones — a combination no conventional rim geometry achieves.
2. Radially Staggered Lacing: Princeton's patented system pairs high-tension spokes with the deepest rim sections on each wheel. The mechanical result is a flatter spoke bracing angle, more evenly distributed tension, and a stiffer overall structure. The rim profile and lacing system were engineered as a unit — each makes the other work better, and neither operates at full effect without the other.
3. Non-Drilled Rim Bed: No holes in the rim means no tubeless tape and no stress risers in the carbon structure. Tubeless setup is cleaner, the rim is structurally stronger than a drilled alternative, and one source of potential failure is removed entirely.
4. DT Swiss 180 EXP Hub: EXP internals allow full service without removing the axle from the bike. Consistent engagement, long-term reliability, and a fully serviceable design make it the practical choice for a race wheelset that also earns its keep in daily training.
5. 21mm Internal Width: The modern-standard internal width seats 25–28mm tires correctly — a rounder tire profile, proper tubeless bead engagement, and the ability to run lower pressures for improved grip and real-world rolling speed.
6. EVO Carbon Layup: The updated construction improves impact resistance and reduces rim weight by 10g per wheel compared to the previous generation, while maintaining the steel spoke reliability that makes the Wake 6560 EVO a wheelset for consistent use, not just race days.

Final Take

The Wake 6560 EVO with DT Swiss 180 hubs is Princeton CarbonWorks' most complete build for riders who want one wheelset that handles everything — fast on race day, reliable across thousands of training miles, and composed in crosswinds that would unsettle a conventional deep-section rim. The sinusoidal profile and Radially Staggered Lacing are genuine engineering innovations backed by real structural logic, and the DT Swiss 180 EXP hub brings the durability to match. At $4,100, it's a serious investment in a wheelset that earns it.