Miche Kleos RD Review: A Fast, Stable Carbon Wheelset That Keeps Things Simple

Introduction

Miche is an Italian name with more than a century of history in cycling. The company has spent most of that time making components and accessories such as chainrings, cranksets and seatposts, and it moved into wheels in the early 2000s. It is also one of a relatively small group of brands that keeps as much manufacturing as possible inside its own factory in Italy, outsourcing very little.

The Kleos RD is the newest wheel range from Miche, and it lands in a genuinely useful place. There are three rim depths, all built around a lightweight and aerodynamic brief, and the whole family is pitched as a fit-and-forget wheelset for road riders rather than a specialist tool for one discipline.

The most familiar option for most riders is likely to be the 50 mm version, which sits in the middle of the range and works for racing, sprinting, training and general riding. Riders who want the shallowest profile can look at the 36 mm, which weighs as little as 1,400 g, while the 62 mm version is aimed at maximum aerodynamic performance. Every depth shares the same engineering approach, the same hub design and the same price.

Who the Miche Kleos RD Is For

The Kleos RD range suits road riders who want one wheelset that can handle a mixed calendar. The 50 mm depth is the sensible middle ground if you are unsure whether to go deep or shallow. It is fast enough for flat roads and racing, light enough to keep climbing respectable, and stable enough for everyday riding.

The 36 mm option makes more sense for riders who spend most of their time on climbs and long days in hilly terrain, where low weight and quick response matter more than outright aerodynamic drag. The 62 mm is the choice for anyone chasing maximum aero gains on fast, flat routes.

Rim widths are worth noting here. Both the 36 and the 50 use a 21 mm internal rim width, while the deeper 62 measures 23 mm. That is wide, though not as wide as some of the most progressive options on the market. It is enough to run tyres all the way up to 35 mm, and Miche optimises the rims for tyres between 25 and 35 mm. In practice, the wheels have been run with both 30 mm and 32 mm tyres with no issues.

Main Strengths

The rims are built from a combination of T1000 and T700 carbon fibre, and they use external nipples. That detail matters more than it sounds: external nipples make a wheel easier to service and easier to true if it ever goes out of alignment.

Miche has also stuck with a hooked bead rather than going hookless. That choice preserves compatibility with almost any tyre, whether you prefer a tubeless setup or a standard clincher with an inner tube, and it allows a much higher maximum pressure. These wheels go up to 109 PSI, compared with the 72.5 PSI ceiling that comes with a hookless design. If you have been reluctant to move to hookless, this is a meaningful point in the Kleos RD’s favour.

The wheelset was also tested and validated in the Silverstone wind tunnel, which backs up the CFD work on the rim profile. Miche has not published aerodynamic figures, but the tunnel validation confirms the design has been checked against real airflow rather than simulated alone.

The most distinctive feature is what Miche calls the Aero Blade. It is a fairing that fits over the hub shell on the non-drive side of the front wheel only, smoothing airflow across that turbulent area. Miche claims it reduces drag by a few watts at wind angles of 0 to 4 degrees, which is effectively straight-on airflow. That is a very small gain, and it is fair to call it the most marginal of marginal improvements, but modern wheelsets offer little remaining scope for aerodynamic gains without going deeper, which brings its own stability problems.

The Aero Blade arrives pre-fitted when you buy the wheels. It simply pushes onto the hub flange, with the disc brake rotor sitting over the top to create a smooth transition.

Elsewhere, the hubs are Miche’s own design, machined from 7075 aluminium with tall flanges that place the spoke heads inside for a slight aerodynamic benefit. The spokes are bladed and the bearings are ceramic speed units, which should last a long time and spin efficiently inside the frame. The freehub is notably quiet, with no rattle or squeak on the move, and the hubs spin smoothly both in the workstand and out on the road with no lag.

On the bike, the wheels have performed very well across a demanding mix of terrain. That includes climbs with gradients reaching 20 percent, fast rolling flat sections and rough road surfaces, along with the gusty headwinds that come with exposed roads. They are not quite as reactive as a dedicated superlight climbing wheelset, but for a deep-section wheel they are strong. The real standout is flat-road speed, where they make the bike feel genuinely fast. Crosswind stability is also a highlight: they hold a line well and do not get pushed around the road the way lesser deep-section wheelsets can.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The biggest practical limitation is axle compatibility. The Kleos RD is through-axle only, using 12 mm axles, and there are no quick release adapters or swappable end caps. If your frame or fork uses quick release, these wheels will not work.

Aerodynamic data is another point to weigh up. Miche has not published drag figures for the range, so anyone who wants wind-tunnel numbers before buying will have to make a judgement based on the design and on riding impressions rather than a chart.

Rim width is also a consideration. At 21 mm internally on the 36 and 50, and 23 mm on the 62, these rims are wide but not at the leading edge of what some brands now offer. If you want to run the widest gravel-adjacent tyres or you follow the most aggressive modern width trends, that is worth factoring in.

The Aero Blade is a small gain and should be treated as such. A few watts at very low yaw angles is a marginal benefit, not a transformative one. It is a clever piece of engineering, but the case for the wheels does not rest on it.

Finally, weight is competitive rather than class-leading. The 36 mm version starts at 1,400 g, which is impressive for a carbon wheel of that depth, but riders chasing the absolute lightest climbing setup may still find dedicated lightweight wheels appealing.

Buying Advice

Every wheel in the Kleos RD range costs the same, regardless of rim depth. That is €2,349 whether you choose the 36, the 50 or the 62, which removes the usual temptation to pay more for a deeper rim.

That price sits at a specific point in the market. It is a clear step up from an entry-level wheelset in the 800 to 1,000 bracket, but it is well below the 4,000 to 6,000 wheels that sit at the top of the category. For a wheelset with carbon rims, ceramic bearings, a hooked bead, wind-tunnel validation and Italian manufacturing, it reads as a fair ask rather than an aggressive one. There is a lot of choice in this price band, so the decision comes down to what you value most.

Choosing a depth is the main decision. If you ride a mix of terrain and want one wheelset for everything, the 50 is the safest all-round pick. If your riding is climb-heavy, the 36 offers the lightest build in the range. If flat speed is the priority and you are comfortable managing deeper rims, the 62 is the one to look at.

Also check your freehub requirement before ordering. The standard option is Shimano, with Campagnolo and SRAM alternatives available. All versions use centre lock disc mounting.

Conclusion

The Miche Kleos RD is a well-rounded carbon road wheelset from a brand with deep manufacturing heritage. The combination of a hooked bead, a high maximum pressure, easy-to-service external nipples, ceramic bearings, a quiet freehub and notable crosswind stability makes it an easy set to live with day to day. The Aero Blade front hub fairing is a marginal gain rather than a headline feature, but it is an interesting piece of engineering from a company clearly still looking for small advantages.

The main caveats are the through-axle-only fitment, the absence of published aerodynamic data, and the fact that the rims are wide rather than the widest. Riders who can live with those points and want a fast, stable, low-hassle carbon wheelset at a mid-to-upper price point will find a lot to like here, with the 50 mm version the most versatile entry into the range.