Review: Visions SC 30 AGX Wheels Are Versatile & Bombproof  - Bikerumor

Vision Wheels has slowly revamped its road offering over the past few years. The change has garnered wider tubeless ready rims, updated hubs, and overall versatility. With this change, the higher-end wheels received the update first, and then the tech slowly trickled down. The Vision SC (Service Course) 30 AGX wheelset is the latest on the receiving end of the tech updates. Vision didn’t change much from the higher-end SL version. However, they gave this wheelset its own path, with a deeper rear rim and gravel capability.

Vision’s newest low-profile carbon wheelset, the SC 30 AGX, offers nearly the same rim as the SL versions but at almost half the price. How? They swap out the PRS hub (reviewed here) for a less advanced (but solid) pawl-driven hub. If this sounds familiar, thats because it is. We reported on this at Sea Otter Classic, and the wheels even received a “best of” award.

The Vision SC 30 AGX Disc wheelset is the latest addition to the Vision AGX (gravel and all-road capable) line. It is the first to employ two different rim depths on the same wheel.

The front of the SC 30 AGX is 30mm deep, and the rear is a slightly taller 35mm. Both use the same 24 straight pull spokes and lacing pattern. The internal rim width is modern and measures 22.55mm with a solid hooked bead wall.

I’m new to the updated graphics package of the newest Vision wheels. It’s classic but with a modern twist of overblowing the logo. It’s subtle enough that it doesn’t call out much and won’t throw off your bike motif.

I was very excited when the Vision SC 30 AGX came across my desk. I am a fan of Visions wheels, having raced their tubulars for years in cyclocross and deep-section wheels on the road.

Most riders know Vision wheels and components, but they mostly come from various World Tour teams and OEM products that arrive on their bikes. I feel Vision sometimes gets a bad wrap, and riders write them off as the “gear that comes stock” on the bike they purchased, not as the upgrade gear that riders look at for a performance boost and speed. The new Vision SC 30 AGX wheels prove you can have performance, reliability, and rational pricing in an all-around wheelset.

So, are they gravel wheels? Good question, and the answer is… Sorta. The Vision SC 30 AGX fits that niche of all road and gravel that floats between categories. The rim width is enough to fill out a 40-45mm tire well without getting the lightbulb effect. The same applies to modern road tires; the SC 30 AGX works very well with a 26-30mm road tire. So, they have a progressive road feel and a slightly conservative modern gravel feel. For cyclocross and anything in the 33-40mm range, they are perfect (rim-wise).

For the road and all road portion of my time on the SC 30 AGX, I opted for a thicker casing Teravail Telegraph 30mm tire. It’s a tire I wouldn’t flat on gravel exploration and one that rolls pretty well on the tarmac.

My first impression of the SC 30 AGX wheels was, “These feel light.” When actually — they are not. At 1547g, they are closer to the weight of XC mountain bike wheels. However, the overall weight of the wheelset was in the hub. This is similar to my sensation when I recently reviewed the FSA KFX i28 MTB wheels.

The wheels feel nice and calm on the open road. They are only 30/35mm deep, so they don’t catch much wind. They do have a nice roll, slightly rounding out the rough spots and delivering a punch when needed on a steep climb.

The size of the 30mm tire paired with the 30mm rim boosts confidence in cornering without feeling dull, like some wider rims.

Regarding aesthetics, the SC 30 AGX adheres to a familiar style guide that the top-tier Vision wheel follows. The graphics are subdued, pale grey, and pop slightly in the sun. The rims have a matte finish, with UD carbon and a slight rise in the middle.

Most, if not all, of my time on the SC 30 AGX was spent riding gravel and cyclocross. Light gravel is where the wheels shine. The amount of abuse and power washing (cyclocross is excellent for your equipment) is worth noting. I’ve flatted several times while on the SC 30 AGX wheels but have yet to see rim damage. I’ve often thought, “There goes the rim,” only to find a sliced tire and an unscathed rim.

Some (most) flat tires occurred from experimenting with the lowest pressures I could get away with while training in our cyclocross course. The 30mm rim width allows for an excellent contact patch without lowering the pressure much to get the desired feel. Paired with the 30/35mm depth, the wheelset has some natural give that helps soften the roughest roads and grassy fields.

To me, the wheelset shines as a true all-arounder, allowing riders to roll from road to gravel as quickly as they can swap tires. The $1,298 price tag put the SC 30 AGX on the bubble of accessible performance carbon wheels.

The hubset on the SC 30 AGX is one piece that I both loved and have some gripes about. The bearings (six in total) are super trustworthy. After many washes, creek crossings, and mud baths — they came away rolling smooth. Plus, thanks to the hub construction, they are straightforward to service and access.

Where they fell short for me is engagement. Since I’ve ridden the Vision wheels with the new PRS hub many times, the engagement gulf between the PRS and the 3-pawl design on the SC 30 AGX is a bit much. It’s not bad, and those who don’t swap mountain bikes and road wheels often would have difficulty noting a difference. However, those who appreciate a high engagement hub will.

Is it enough to damage the wheels’ performance? No, but when you’re used to that instant engagement, it can feel like it is.

The Vision SC 30 AGX is a massive step in the right direction. It’s fast-rolling and reasonably accessible to those who want an all-arounder upgrade. The graphics are slight enough that they would pair nicely with any bike.

The longevity of the bearings and rims during my testing makes me think the SC 30 AGX would be great for anyone who is hard on gear. They are still running as smooth as I remember from opening the package, with only superficial scratches on the rims.

Would I change anything on the wheels? No, but I would love to see a higher-end version of the SC 30 AGX (SL30?) with the PRS hub. That would be a very popular gravel and cyclocross wheelset, especially now that tubeless cyclocross tires are performing at an all-time high. But one can dream.

Visiontechusa.com