If you’re shopping for carbon wheels in the £500–£1000 range, chances are the ICAN FL40/50 Max wheelset has crossed your radar. At £670 or $800 USD, they sit comfortably in the “premium, but not crazy” price bracket. But are they actually worth it?
I put these wheels through the wringer, checking every measurable aspect: trueness, hub smoothness, spoke tension, weight, dishing, and more. Plus, I compared them against nine other wheelsets I’ve tested. Spoiler: they finished second overall, only behind their sibling, the ICAN Aero 50s.
Let’s dig in.
Unboxing & First Impressions
The box proudly claims “Light and Premium Wheels.” Inside, you get the wheels themselves, tubeless valves, rim tape, and a foam-packed interior, reassuringly protective. Both front and rear wheels felt light in hand. No visible flaws in the carbon, though the rear decal was ever so slightly misaligned. If you’re the type that likes sticker symmetry, that might bug you.
Design-wise, you’ve got a 40mm front and 50mm rear rim depth. A nice combo of control and aero balance, especially useful in windy regions (so, the UK most of the time).
These are full carbon, disc-only wheels, with a claimed internal rim width of 23mm, designed for 28–32mm tyres but capable of fitting up to 45mm if your fork clears it. They’re tubeless-ready, and ICAN even includes a factory QC sheet listing spoke tensions and trueness measurements. Tidy.
Rim Measurements & Inner Width Discussion
Measurements:
Rear depth: 50.56mm average
Rear outer width: 28.62mm
Rear inner width: 23.28, 23.24, 23.29, 23.36mm
Front depth: 40.6mm
Front outer width: 28.42mm
Front inner width: 23.43, 23.35, 23.34, 23.39mm
Actual values slightly exceed specs in some areas, especially outer width. This is great for tyre support.
Narrow inner widths with wide tyres can cause the dreaded mushroom profile, sluggish cornering and poor support. A 23mm inner width works well with modern tyres, giving a better contact patch and more stability.
Spokes & Tension Testing
These wheels use Sapim CX-Ray bladed stainless steel spokes, light, strong, and known for their durability. 24 straight-pull spokes front and rear, in a 2-cross pattern. Yes, the spokes touch at the second cross. Some folks say that adds strength, others say it invites creaks.
Using my trusty (and occasionally temperamental) Park Tool Spoke Tension App, I found all the readings to be well within the 5% acceptable variance. That means consistent tension, which translates to better longevity and fewer unexpected wheel quirks.
Hubs & Bearings
ICAN’s D28 hubs are centerlock only. The front hub spun for an absurdly long time in the truing stand, long enough to make a coffee. It’s Shimano 11-speed compatible out of the box, but you can request SRAM XDR if needed.
The bearing test (aka “finger spin and feel”) came out smooth, no grittiness, no resistance. Even the thru-axle fit was satisfyingly snug. The rear hub has a little more drag due to the freehub, but the real fun comes from the sound. It’s loud, in a good way. Perfect if you like to be heard before you’re seen.
Trueness Checks
This is where my inner bike nerd really comes out.
Using a dial indicator:
Rear roundness: 0.16mm vertical deviation
Rear lateral: 0.16mm side-to-side
Front roundness: 0.15mm
Front lateral: 0.25mm
Average total deviation: 0.18mm. Out of the nine wheelsets I’ve tested, this places the ICAN FL40/50 Max in second place, just behind the Aero 50s. That’s pretty remarkable.
I also did the old-school “bring the stand arms in and listen for scraping” test, and both wheels passed with flying colours. Nearly silent where it matters.
Dishing Perfection
Wheel dishing ensures the rim sits perfectly centred between the dropouts. If it’s off, you’ll get rotor rub, poor handling, and general annoyance.
Using the Park Tool dishing gauge (which cost far more than I’d like to admit), I tested both wheels. You set the gauge on one side, touch the hub, lock it, then flip the wheel and repeat.
Result? Perfect dishing on both front and rear. Zero adjustment needed.
Weight
Claimed weights:
Front: 620g ±10g
Rear: 750g ±10g
Actual weights:
Front: 617g
Rear: 734g
That’s a total of 1351g for the set (naked, no tape or valves). For a 40/50mm profile, that’s genuinely impressive.
Verdict
The ICAN FL40/50 Max is a fantastic all-round carbon wheelset, light, true, quiet, and well-built. For £670, it punches above its weight. Add in reliable Sapim spokes, slick hubs, and standout trueness, and you’ve got serious value here.
Want to compare against the ICAN Aero 50s or other options? Check out my wheel comparison chart linked below.
ICAN FL40/50 Max Carbon Wheelset Review: Deep Dive Into Performance, Precision, and Price
If you’re shopping for carbon wheels in the £500–£1000 range, chances are the ICAN FL40/50 Max wheelset has crossed your radar. At £670 or $800 USD, they sit comfortably in the “premium, but not crazy” price bracket. But are they actually worth it?
I put these wheels through the wringer, checking every measurable aspect: trueness, hub smoothness, spoke tension, weight, dishing, and more. Plus, I compared them against nine other wheelsets I’ve tested. Spoiler: they finished second overall, only behind their sibling, the ICAN Aero 50s.
Let’s dig in.
Unboxing & First Impressions
The box proudly claims “Light and Premium Wheels.” Inside, you get the wheels themselves, tubeless valves, rim tape, and a foam-packed interior, reassuringly protective. Both front and rear wheels felt light in hand. No visible flaws in the carbon, though the rear decal was ever so slightly misaligned. If you’re the type that likes sticker symmetry, that might bug you.
Design-wise, you’ve got a 40mm front and 50mm rear rim depth. A nice combo of control and aero balance, especially useful in windy regions (so, the UK most of the time).
These are full carbon, disc-only wheels, with a claimed internal rim width of 23mm, designed for 28–32mm tyres but capable of fitting up to 45mm if your fork clears it. They’re tubeless-ready, and ICAN even includes a factory QC sheet listing spoke tensions and trueness measurements. Tidy.
Rim Measurements & Inner Width Discussion
Measurements:
Actual values slightly exceed specs in some areas, especially outer width. This is great for tyre support.
Narrow inner widths with wide tyres can cause the dreaded mushroom profile, sluggish cornering and poor support. A 23mm inner width works well with modern tyres, giving a better contact patch and more stability.
Spokes & Tension Testing
These wheels use Sapim CX-Ray bladed stainless steel spokes, light, strong, and known for their durability. 24 straight-pull spokes front and rear, in a 2-cross pattern. Yes, the spokes touch at the second cross. Some folks say that adds strength, others say it invites creaks.
Using my trusty (and occasionally temperamental) Park Tool Spoke Tension App, I found all the readings to be well within the 5% acceptable variance. That means consistent tension, which translates to better longevity and fewer unexpected wheel quirks.
Hubs & Bearings
ICAN’s D28 hubs are centerlock only. The front hub spun for an absurdly long time in the truing stand, long enough to make a coffee. It’s Shimano 11-speed compatible out of the box, but you can request SRAM XDR if needed.
The bearing test (aka “finger spin and feel”) came out smooth, no grittiness, no resistance. Even the thru-axle fit was satisfyingly snug. The rear hub has a little more drag due to the freehub, but the real fun comes from the sound. It’s loud, in a good way. Perfect if you like to be heard before you’re seen.
Trueness Checks
This is where my inner bike nerd really comes out.
Using a dial indicator:
Average total deviation: 0.18mm. Out of the nine wheelsets I’ve tested, this places the ICAN FL40/50 Max in second place, just behind the Aero 50s. That’s pretty remarkable.
I also did the old-school “bring the stand arms in and listen for scraping” test, and both wheels passed with flying colours. Nearly silent where it matters.
Dishing Perfection
Wheel dishing ensures the rim sits perfectly centred between the dropouts. If it’s off, you’ll get rotor rub, poor handling, and general annoyance.
Using the Park Tool dishing gauge (which cost far more than I’d like to admit), I tested both wheels. You set the gauge on one side, touch the hub, lock it, then flip the wheel and repeat.
Result? Perfect dishing on both front and rear. Zero adjustment needed.
Weight
Claimed weights:
Actual weights:
That’s a total of 1351g for the set (naked, no tape or valves). For a 40/50mm profile, that’s genuinely impressive.
Verdict
The ICAN FL40/50 Max is a fantastic all-round carbon wheelset, light, true, quiet, and well-built. For £670, it punches above its weight. Add in reliable Sapim spokes, slick hubs, and standout trueness, and you’ve got serious value here.
Want to compare against the ICAN Aero 50s or other options? Check out my wheel comparison chart linked below.