Bánh xe cỡ nào trên 2023 BR

Once you’ve got a quality frame, a set of the best road bike wheels is arguably the best upgrade you can give your steed

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As the means to keeping you rolling, wheels must offer smooth and dependable hubs for drive; high stiffness for accurate tracking; be able to hold a tyre at great pressure; provide a surface for consistent braking if your wheel is rim braked; support ever-wider tyres; and achieve all of this while still being as lightweight and aerodynamically efficient as possible

Upgrading to a wheelset that hits these marks more accurately than what you’re currently riding can inject some serious new life into a road bike or gravel bike

Improvements can include improved ride quality, faster average speeds or just a lower weight – something that helps with both acceleration and deceleration

Furthermore, the switch to tubeless tyres and disc brakes has also shaken up the market substantially, with new designs pushing the boundaries of what was previously possible on road bikes. Wider rims support wide road bike tyres and gravel tyres a lot better and improve aerodynamics by smoothing the interface between the tyre and the rim

But with hundreds of bike wheel brands offering thousands of options, buying new wheels can be a confusing task. Fortunately, our expert testers put dozens of wheels through their paces every year so you don’t have to

If you’re weighing up aero vs climbing wheels, this list contains both types

For road and gravel, we’re generally talking about 700c wheelsets and to make things easier, we’ve split them up into disc brake and rim brake options. However, take a look at our round-up of the best gravel wheels for some 650b options

And while there are some phenomenally expensive wheels in this list, we’ve also included a few top-rated cheaper options

Best road bike wheels in 2023

Below, you can find the best road bike wheels in 2023, as rated and reviewed by our expert testers. While disc brakes are becoming increasingly common on road bikes, further down the list we have the

Below the best list is our , too. It will help you with what to look for in wheels, understanding the various features and what some commonly used terms mean

Best disc brake road bike wheels

Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50

The Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50 wheelset provides great performance for the price. Steve Sayers / Our Media

• £849/€1,029/$1,128/AU$1,533 as tested
• Noticeably comfortable
• High performance for a keen price

The Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50 wheelset will appeal to riders who value performance across road racing, triathlon and even gravel racing

The 50mm-deep rims are 28mm at their widest points with an internal width of 19. 1mm. This shows the wheels are at the leading edge of aerodynamics and ensures the tyre will form part of the aero profile

Despite the depth of the carbon rims, the wheelset has plenty of vertical compliance, making it comfortable to ride. This might lead you to think the wheelset would feel less than optimal when heading into turns, but in testing we found ourselves cornering with greater confidence

The wheels were true out of the box and come with Bontrager’s TLR Rim Strip so you can set them up tubeless

• Read our full Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50 review

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Zipp 303 Firecrest wheelset

At 640g for the front and 769g for the rear, the 303 is a light wheelset. Warren Rossiter/Immediate

• £1,600/€1,900/$1,939/AU$2,921 as tested
• Great ride quality from redesigned hookless rims
• Wide, fast and lightweight

The 303 Firecrests are a premium choice for gravel and cyclocross as well as a good 40mm-deep option for road riding, with a 25mm internal hookless rim that’s easy to set up tubeless with just a track pump. This latest version weighs just 1,409g with valves, tape and rotor lockrings

We really rated the ride quality, which is firm without flex, and the 66 engagement points on the freehub. Zipp’s price has come down too and you now get a lifetime warranty, while Zipp publishes a list of tyres it’s tested for compatibility

• Read our full Zipp 303 Firecrest wheelset review

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Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V TLR

The wheels are hand-built and very evenly tensioned with 24 spokes. David Caudery / Immediate Media

• £1,200/€2,200/$1,300  as tested
• Modern, wide design
• Great price for carbon wheels, relative to the competition

Measuring 37mm deep, 25. 2mm wide internally and a whopping 32. 6mm wide externally, Bontrager’s Aeolus Pro 3V TLR wheels are right on the cutting edge of road bike wheel design

Naturally, then, they’re also tubeless-ready, with Bontrager supplying tubeless rim strips and valves with the wheels

All you’ll need are tubeless tyres and some sealant, and our tester found it easy to set them up with Continental’s popular GP5000 TL tubeless tyres

They’re not cheap wheels by any means, but you can find plenty on the market at double the price that don’t offer this kind of spec or performance

• Read our full Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V TLR review

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DT Swiss ERC 1100 DiCut 45

The DT Swiss ERC 1100 wheels come with hybrid ceramic bearings as standard. Sam Challis / Immediate Media

• £2,300/€2,387. 80/$3,239. 8/AU$3,999 as tested
• High build quality and versatile design
• The 1400 version of the wheelset offers better value

DT Swiss updated its ERC wheels in 2022 and this version tops the new range

The wheels are suitable for riding on rough roads and light gravel and can be set up tubeless

The carbon rim is significantly wider than the previous version, internally and externally. DT Swiss says the wheels are more stable in crosswinds than before and, anecdotally, they feel faster than other wheels in this depth

The wheels have a high build quality. They are accurately machined and the bearings are well sealed but easily serviceable

DT Swiss specs the wheels with hybrid ceramic bearings, meaning ceramic balls in metal races. These are claimed to improve performance but some will question whether they are worth it

These ERC 1100 wheels are £500 more than the ERC 1400 wheels, with the main difference being the ceramic bearings. So if the advantages of these bearings are equivocal we reckon most riders will be just as having with the marginally heavier 1400s

• Read our full DT Swiss ERC 1100 DiCut 45 review

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Cadex 42 Disc

These are among the stiffest wheels we’ve ever tried. Dave Caudery / Immediate Media

• £2,500/$3,200 as tested
• Light and stiff for great performance
• Easy tubeless setup

At 1,327g, the 42 Disc wheels from Giant’s performance Cadex brand are light for deeper section carbon wheels. There’s outstanding stiffness and a very rapid ride feel with fast acceleration and the lack of weight making for fast climbing

The aero-tested rims are 42mm deep and the width is 23mm external/19. 4mm internal. The wheels are designed to work with 25mm or 28mm tubeless tyres, and Cadex sells tyres to match

• Read our full Cadex 42 Disc wheelset review

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Campagnolo Shamal C21 DB 2WF XDR Carbon

Campagnolo’s Shamal C21 DB wheelset works for gravel and for road bikes. Immediate Media

• £1,160/€1,299/$1,689 as tested
• Carbon gravel wheelset that’s tubeless-ready without taping
• Differential front and rear rim depths

Campag’s first carbon gravel wheelset, the Shamal comes with the N3W freehub body, so it will work with the Ekar groupset, and there are also Shimano/SRAM and XDR options. They’re 21mm wide internally, quick to set up tubeless and come with easy-to-service, super-smooth cup and cone bearings, which can cope with plenty of abuse.  

At 1,585g, they’re reasonably lightweight and come with differential 35mm front and 40mm rear rim depths to add firepower without sacrificing steering agility

• Read our full Campagnolo Shamal C21 DB 2WF XDR Carbon review

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ENVE SES 4. 5

Are these the best mid-depth wheels out there?Ashley Quinlan / Our Media

• £3,350 as tested
• Progressive rim designs and outstanding ride quality
• Massive price tag

The ENVE SES 4. 5 is aimed at achieving ‘real-world speed’ and our tester found the wheelset to be quite possibly the best-performing mid-depth carbon wheelset they had ever tested

The wheelset feels smooth and efficient. The wide rims make riding over less-than-perfect tarmac easy and consequently quicker. They also inspired confidence on descents because they help create a wider contact patch between your tyre and the ground

The rim profile seems almost impervious to crosswinds – even with the 55mm-deep rear wheel and 49mm-deep front wheel. The rear hub with its 40t ratchet system engages quickly, which pays dividends on climbs

Overall, the wheels are incredibly easy to ride. Unfortunately, they come at an eye-watering price

• Read our full ENVE SES 4. 5 wheelset review

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HED Ardennes RA Pro

The HED Ardennes RA Pro wheelset has alloy rims. Steve Sayers / Our Media

• £666/€792/$900/AU$1,239 as tested
• Versatile alloy wheelset that’s easy to live with
• Suitable for ‘all-road’ riding

The HED Ardennes RA Pro is a high-value alloy wheelset, suitable for less-than-perfect tarmac, cyclocross and all-road riding

The wheelset uses HED’s own hubs. These are easy to service if you’re so inclined, and the rear hub offers positive engagement, accelerating almost intuitively

The alloy rims mean these wheels aren’t as stiff as carbon wheelsets but they do have a sharper feeling than other alloy wheels we’ve tested recently

The slight flex in the rim pays dividends on rougher terrain and fast descents. you are able to take on bumps with greater confidence than with rigid carbon wheels. Rapid direction changes feel smooth and composed

• Read our full HED Ardennes RA Pro review

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Hunt 54 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc

The Hunt 54 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc promises great value and looks. Simon von Bromley

• £869 as tested
• Great-value and great-looking aero wheelset
• Easy tubeless setup

The Hunt 54 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc wheelset offers looks with performance to match at a competitive price and weight

The carbon wheels can be set up with clincher or tubeless road bike tyres and we found this to be hassle-free in testing. The rims have hooks, meaning you can use pretty much any tyre – even gravel tyres up to 50mm, according to the brand

The wheelset feels fast and responsive out on the road. Hunt’s own-brand hubs are fairly loud, but the noise does seem to have been toned down compared to the brand’s older wheels

At 54mm deep, you do have to be a bit more careful on windy days, should a gust catch your front wheel. However, we didn’t experience any problems with handling

The wheels are covered by Hunt’s 60-day return policy and a free lifetime crash replacement policy for the original owner

• Read our full Hunt Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc review

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Reynolds ATRx

The Reynolds ATRx wheelset can be used for gravel riding as well as road. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media

• £1,500/$1,699/€1,710 as tested
• Smooth all-road wheels
• High-quality construction

The Reynolds ATRx all-road wheelset offers a smooth ride, excellent handling and high-quality construction

The wheelset sits in the middle of Reynolds’ range, with upgraded spokes and hubs over the ATR wheelset. It has 40mm-deep hooked rims

While there are faster and lighter rims available, the ATRx is competitive and composed across different types of riding. It’s impressive when subjected to hard climbing and riding fast along the flat, with the rear hub’s 10-degree engagement angle providing sharp pickup

The ATRx can be used for gravel riding as well as road, but the 23mm internal rim width limits the size of gravel bike tyre you’ll be able to fit

• Read our full Reynolds ATRx wheelset review

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Roval Alpinist CLX II

The Alpinist CLX II is a great wheelset for any cyclist looking to improve the ride and handling of their bike. Josh Patterson / Our Media

• £2,500/€2,500/$2,650/AU$4,400 as tested
• Low weight with quality hub internals
• Great ride quality on rough roads

Now tubeless-compatible, the Roval Alpiniste CLX II wheelset weighs just 1,265g including tape and valves. Roval has shed weight from the original Alpiniste wheels with modifications to the hub, while reinforcing the 21mm internal width rims. These remain hooked for broad tyre compatibility and can be run tubed as well as tubeless

As well as the low weight, we were impressed with the ride quality of the Alpiniste wheels on rough Colorado roads. At 32mm deep, they’re not designed to be aero though. There’s only a two year crash replacement warranty, which lags behind other expensive wheel brands

• Read our full Roval Alpinist CLX II  review

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Roval Rapide CLX II

The Roval Rapide CLX II wheelset is fast, light and tubeless-compatible. Josh Patterson / Our Media

• £2,500/€2,500/$2,800 as tested
• Compliant ride
• Stable and fast

The Roval Rapide CLX II is a speedy aero disc-brake wheelset that now works with tubeless tyres

Hooked rims mean the Roval Rapide CLX II can accommodate a wider selection of tyres than its hookless rivals

The wheelset has a low weight of 1,520g including tubeless valves and tape

Despite the aerodynamic profile – the rear wheel rim is 60mm deep and the front is 9mm shallower – the Roval Rapide CLX II is among the most composed of its class in blustery conditions

Pace and poise come with comfort, making the wheelset suitable for longer road rides, as well as racing and fast training

• Read our full Roval Rapide CLX II wheelset review

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Swiss Side Hadron² Ultimate 500 Disc

These wheels are just under the £2,000 mark. David Caudery / Immediate Media

• £1,958/$2,288 as tested
• Decent weight and confident performance
• High price and alternative freehub bodies will cost you

The Swiss Side Hadron² Ultimate 500 Disc is a reliable, fast and all-conditions wheelset. But the carbon wheels do come with an impressive price tag, costing £1,958

The wheels have an internal rim width of 20mm, which the brand says is optimised for 25mm and 28mm tyres. The wheels are supplied with tubeless tape and we fitted 25mm Schwalbe Pro One tyres with no fuss

The DT Swiss hubs are reliable and provide rapid freehub engagement. The rear hub comes with a Shimano or SRAM 10- and 11-speed freehub as standard, but if you run an alternative groupset you’ll have to buy a compatible freehub body separately

While in the past 50mm-deep rims could be a handful in the wind,  we didn’t suffer any white-knuckle moments on gusty autumnal rides

For all-round riding, these wheels are an ideal blend of aero and efficiency with enough stiffness for sprinting and short, sharp climbs

• Read our full Swiss Side Hadron² Ultimate 500 Disc review

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Swiss Side Hadron² Ultimate 625 Disc

Swiss Side claims its new Hadron² Ultimate 625 wheelset offers maximum aerodynamic performance with the widest operational range. David Caudery / Immediate Media

• £1,961/€2,288 as tested
• More aero than Swiss Side’s original Hadrons
• Stable for a deep section wheelset

Swiss Side’s wind tunnel tested 62. 5mm deep section wheelset isn’t too heavy for its depth, coming in at 1,687g taped up. They’re 20mm wide internally and built up on DT Swiss 180 Dicut hubs with SINC ceramic bearings

More aero than the original Hadrons, they’re also more stable than many other deeper section wheels we’ve tested and their lateral stiffness makes for a keen ride

• Read our full Swiss Side Hadron² Ultimate 625 Disc wheelset review

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Zipp 202 NSW

Zipp’s 202 NSW disc offers a wonderful ride, but you’ll need deep pockets. Immediate Media

• £2,678/$3,200 as tested
• Lightweight
• Spectacular ride quality

With superlative ride quality, impressive levels of stiffness and wonderfully smooth hubs, Zipp’s 202 NSW wheels have a lot to offer

The tubeless-ready rims, with their 21mm internal width, offer a great tyre profile with the recommended 28mm rubber

This not only improves grip and smooths out the ride, but also apparently optimises the aerodynamic performance of the wheel/tyre combination

The relatively high price is likely to be a stumbling block for some, but our tester felt the 202 NSW’s excellent performance lived up to the billing

• Read our full Zipp 202 NSW wheels review

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Zipp 404 Firecrest Tubeless Disc

The Zipp 404 Firecrest wheelset has 58mm-deep rims

• £1,600/€1,899/$2,005 as tested
• Light, aero and stable for the depth
• Hookless rims may limit tubeless tyre choice

The Zipp 404 Firecrest wheelset is a superb wheelset for fast road cycling, offering low weight and a great ride feel that belies the 58mm-deep rims

The deep rims mean the wheelset is tangibly fast on the flat while still being controllable in blustery conditions. Weighing 1,527g on our scales, these deep-section wheels aren’t a disadvantage on climbs

The 404s have a hookless rim with an internal width of 23mm. The hookless rim can make finding compatible tubeless tyres difficult. But find a tyre that fits and the wide rim combined with the low pressures you can run with a tubeless setup means this version of the 404 is much more comfortable than its predecessor

These wheels are ideal for road purists looking for speed, but if you want something a bit more versatile you might want to consider the shallower Zipp 303 Firecrest wheelset

• Read our full Zipp 404 Firecrest Tubeless Disc review

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Boyd Prologue Series 44mm

Boyd’s Prologue wheel borrows the wind tunnel-optimised rim shape of the brand’s premium line, Podium. David Caudery / Immediate Media

• £762/€905/$1,050 as tested
• Well priced with 44mm-deep carbon rims
• A comfortable ride that’s not over-stiff

Available for either disc or rim brakes, the Prologue wheels are 44mm deep with a 27mm external/19mm internal rim with the same profile as the brand’s premium Podium wheels. There’s a 28mm-deep disc brake version available too. They’re tubeless-ready and laced with J-bend spokes to hubs with a 10-degree engagement freehub

At 1,745g, they’re not light but feel more lively than that, with enough give to be comfortable without dulling the ride

• Read our full Boyd Prologue Series 44mm wheelset review

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Cannondale HollowGram R45

The R45 wheels perform above their pay grade. Our Media

• £899 as tested
• High-quality carbon rims
• Overall mass may be a concern

The Cannondale HollowGRam R45 is an excellent carbon wheelset that defies its price tag

The wheelset shares its tubeless carbon rim with Cannondale’s pricier KNOT 45 SL wheelset – just with more spoke holes

While the wheelset might be just over 200g heavier than the KNOT 45 SL, it gains speed with ease thanks in part to the 21 points of engagement in the rear hub. Our tester found them to be quicker than expected when coasting

A 28mm tyre was easy to coax onto the rim and measured 30mm wide when inflated

• Read our full Cannondale HollowGram R45 review

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DT Swiss CR1400 Dicut 25

On the road, the CR1400 feels like a quality wheelset. Adam Gasson / Immediate Media

• £700/€827/$1,047 as tested
• Wide, robust alloy rims
• Excellent hubs and freewheel

DT Swiss describes the CR1400 as an all-road wheelset. It’s built around DT’s lightweight, aero 240s hub with its sophisticated freewheel ratchet. The 25mm-deep, 22mm internal/26mm external alloy rim works well with wider tyres

Tubeless setup is easy, with a secure seal to the rim, and the 1,746g a pair weight is good for a wide alloy rim. We rated the ride feel, it had no lateral flex under load and not too much rigidity for a comfortable ride

• Read our full DT Swiss CR1400 Dicut 25 wheelset review

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Easton EA90 SL Disc

Excellent rigidity means Easton’s EA90 SL Disc wheels accelerate and climb impressively. David Caudery/Immediate Media

• £1,050/$1,000 as tested
• Great performance and high-quality construction
• Hookless tubeless rims

These are pricey for aluminium wheels, but when you consider they have a similar rim profile and weight to carbon options, they start to look like much better value

Our tester found this wheelset to have excellent rigidity, meaning they accelerate and climb brilliantly

Tubeless setup was a breeze too, though the hookless rims [something that’s more common on MTB wheels] means you need to be careful in selecting compatible tyres

• Read our full Easton EA90 SL Disc wheelset review

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ENVE 65

The ENVE 65 is all about speed. Robert Smith / Immediate Media

• £1,850/$1,600 as tested
• ENVE quality at a [slightly] more affordable price
• Light and fast, although subject to cross-wind buffeting

ENVE’s 65mm-deep wheelset offers you the prestige brand at a [relatively] lower price than its SES wheels. Unlike the SES wheels, the ENVE 65s’ 21mm internal/28mm external width rims are identical front to rear. They’re tubeless-ready with hookless beads

The ENVE 65 wheels weighed 1,640g, which is only 160g heavier than the SES wheels and the hub internals are the same, just with steel bearings in place of ceramic ones. We reckoned that was a fair trade-off for the £1,500 saving

The wheels are really fast on still days, holding their speed well, although the depth makes acceleration slightly slower than shallower wheels. There was some buffeting once the wind got up, but ride comfort is good, particularly for such deep wheels

• Read our full ENVE Foundation 65 wheelset review

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FFWD Drift

The Drift is the brand’s first dip of the toe into the gravel world and it’s brought plenty of smart thinking to the design. David Caudery / Immediate Media

• £1,500/€1,399/$1,699  as tested
• Sturdily built gravel wheels with quality DT Swiss spokes and hubs
• Light and stiff, but fragile rim tape

Another first-for-the-brand gravel wheelset, the Drifts’ aero 36mm deep hookless carbon rims are 24mm wide internally to handle tyres up to 60mm wide. They’re easy to set up tubeless, although the supplied rim tape is fragile and we needed to replace it

They’re built up on DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs with extra-sturdy DT aero spokes for durability, but still weigh a respectable 1,525g

• Read our full FFWD Drift wheelset review

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Hunt 48 Limitless UD Carbon Spoke Disc

These wheels come with carbon spokes, saving weight and upping stiffness. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media

• £1,449/$1,669/€1,889 as tested
• Fast and very stiff
• Spoke adjustment ideally handled by Hunt

The 48 Limitless UD Carbon Spoke Disc is Hunt’s top-of-the-range aero wheelset, with the brand’s latest Aerodynamicist rim profile and carbon spokes for good measure

The wheelset is available with either 48mm or 60mm-deep rims. We tested the 48mm version, which proved wickedly fast and tipped the scales at 1,548g. The wheelset performed impressively in crosswinds and blowy conditions, meaning you don’t have to be too attentive to weather conditions

The wide internal rim maximises the nominal tyre size, and this improved descending and reduced road buzz

The carbon spokes help save weight and provide loads of lateral stiffness, which makes these wheels good for climbing, despite their depth. However, Hunt says it’s best to return the wheels for truing

• Read our full Hunt 48 Limitless UD Carbon Spoke wheelset review

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Hunt 60 Limitless Aero Disc

The Limitless is available in this 60mm-deep rim version and a 48mm model. David Caudery / Immediate Media

• £1,189/€1,539/$1,689  as tested
• Very fast on undulating roads
• Taut feel and fast-engaging, noisy freehub

Hunt has wind-tunnel tested its 60mm-deep [which we tested] and 48mm-deep wheelsets against its competitors and says it equals or betters their performance

Hunt uses special non-structural inserts to keep the weight down to 1,770g with tape, valves and lockring. There’s the option to upgrade to CeramicSpeed bearings

They feel super-fast and come with a 7. 5-degree engagement freehub for fast pick-up and noisy freewheeling. We loved the build quality and taut, responsive handling, although they are a bit twitchy in stronger crosswinds. Value is impressive too

• Read our full Hunt 60 Limitless Aero Disc wheelset review

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Hunt Alloy SL Disc

The Hunt Alloy SL Disc wheels provide great performance at a low price. Steve Sayers / Our Media

• £429/€559/$549  as tested
• Low 1,410g weight at a bargain price
• Snappy handling for alloy wheels

Hunt’s alloy wheelset is budget-priced, but still manages a competitive 1,410g weight. There’s a 25mm-deep, 19mm internal width asymmetric rim profile with tubeless compatibility. The 1mm trueness of the rear wheel was within tolerances, but a bit more than we’d expect out of the box

The Sprint SL hubs have straight-pull spoking and 7. 5 degrees of engagement. Their new design shaves 35g off the previous-generation Sprint hubs’ weight and they’re available for all different freehub standards

The Hunts felt particularly snappy for an alloy wheelset and blended stiffness and comfort, although climbing and compliance over rough roads aren’t quite the match of a carbon wheelset. However, they’re a lot cheaper than carbon

• Buy the Hunt Alloy SL Disc wheelset direct from Hunt Bike Wheels

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Fulcrum Racing 5 DB

The Fulcrum Racing 5 DB road wheelset belies its affordable pricing. Ross Grimmett / Our Media

• £399 as tested
• Ideal for your first wheel upgrade
• Ride feel of a more expensive wheelset

The Fulcrum Racing 5 DB has a £399 price tag but a ride feel akin to a far costlier wheelset

The build quality of the wheel is high, with laser-etched rims, fully sealed bearings and rim tape that has neatly punched valve holes

The wheelset uses the same two-way fit rim design as Fulcrum’s pricier wheels, making it compatible with tubeless tyres. The rims could be wider to future-proof the wheelset as road bike tyres get wider and wider

Out on the road, the wheelset feels sprightly, getting up to speed quickly and feeling very responsive to power input. It also tracked well in corners and avoided a vague feeling, which can be the downfall of other budget wheelsets

Having said that, the wheelset feels compliant enough to deal with longer rides where extra comfort is welcome

• Read our full Fulcrum Racing 5 DB wheelset review

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Fulcrum Speed 25

The Fulcrum Speed 25 wheelset is designed for climbing. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media

• £2,000/$2,586/€2,186 as tested
• Very lightweight and great handling
• 120kg total system weight

The Fulcrum Speed 25 wheelset is a disc brake climbing wheelset with ceramic bearings, the brand’s MoMog rim design and a very low weight of 1,336g

That low weight is achieved through the shallow rim depth as well as a finish that removes the need for any weight-adding extras such as protective lacquer. On the road, this helps the wheels accelerate quickly, with the stiff and responsive design responding quickly to your input

The wheelset is also impressive on descents. This is in part due to the 21mm internal rim width, which enables you to fit wide tyres. On the flat, the wheelset isn’t as fast as a deeper-rimmed alternative, but anyone looking at climbing wheels should be well aware of this

Despite the climbing ability, the Speed 25 would still be a great choice as an all-round wheelset, with the overall design and ceramic bearings providing a smooth ride. Just watch out for the 120kg rider weight limit

• Read our full Fulcrum Speed 25 wheelset review

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Parcours Strade

Parcours’ Strade wheels have different profiles front to rear. Simon Bromley / Immediate Media

• £999 as tested
• Premium looks and progressive design
• Fast, with good crosswind stability

The result of 12 months of development, including wind-tunnel testing, the Strade wheels have different front and rear rim profiles because Parcours’ research showed that front and rear wheels experience different average wind yaw angles

The 49mm-deep, 32mm-wide front wheel has a more U-shaped profile, while the 54mm-deep, 30mm-wide rear is more V-shaped to compensate for this. Weight is a claimed 1,520g

You can set up the Strade wheels tubeless, although they don’t ship with the necessary hardware. You can also upgrade from the standard steel bearings to ceramic and specify other custom options

The ride feels fast and they handle well for their depth, being relatively unaffected by crosswinds. They look smart too

• Read our full Parcours Strade wheelset review

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Prime Primavera 32

This versatile wheelset comes at a reasonable cost. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media

• £900/$960/€1,000/$1,450 as tested
• Good-value carbon performance upgrade
• Simple to set up tubeless

The Prime Primavera 32 wheels feel sprightly to ride on the flat and excel on climbs despite coming in a few hundred grams overweight at 1,436g against a claimed 1,272g. Although some of this is from the fitted valves and tape, there’s still quite a bit more unaccounted for

With 32mm-deep rims, they’re not the most aerodynamic, but they remain stable in gusty conditions. The hooked rims have an internal width of 23mm, which best suits 700x28mm tyres, according to the brand

The Prime Primavera 32’s performance impresses for a wheelset at this price. However, if you use a SRAM XDR or Campagnolo drivetrain, a compatible freehub costs extra

• Read our full Prime Primavera 32 review 

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Reynolds AR 41 DB

The Reynolds AR 41 DB is a versatile wheelset for all-round road riding. Adam Gasson

• £1,100/$1,299 as tested
• Tough
• Good aerodynamic credentials

At 1,630g, these aren’t the lightest wheels in their category, but you needn’t be afraid of a few extra grams because they are well spent on this wheelset

You get versatile 41mm-deep rims with a bulbous 30mm external width [21mm internal width], meaning they’re faster in most conditions than most shallower wheels without being so tall you get buffeted by the wind

They’re also built with Sapim Sprint spokes – a stiffer version of Sapim’s legendary CX-Ray spoke – and more durable brass nipples, which makes for a wheelset that can handle a lot of abuse

• Read our full Reynolds AR 41 DB wheels review

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Roval Terra CLX

The Roval Terra CLX gravel wheelset is lightweight but pricey. Matthew Loveridge / Immediate Media

• £2,200/€2,600/$2,500/AU$3,900 as tested
• Very fast on undulating roads
• Taut feel and fast-engaging, noisy freehub

A gravel or all-rounder wheelset, the Roval Terra CLXs are 25mm internal width and 32mm deep and handle gravel tyres as well as 28mm road tyres with aplomb, with the width adding stability to wider tyres

They’re laced up with alloy nipples, which contribute to the low weight of 1,296g. The hubs are Roval’s own, but have DT Swiss Ratchet EXP hub internals, which should be readily serviceable

We baulked at the £2,200 price tag though, when Roval makes significantly less expensive wheels with a similar spec but a little heavier and there’s significantly cheaper competition

• Read our full Roval Terra CLX wheelset review

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VeloElite Carbon Wide 350-50

These VeloElite wheels are a good entry point to the world of deep-section hoops. Steve Sayers / Our Media

• £999/€1,188/$1,341/AU$1,857 as tested
• Quality components
• Lack of supplied accessories

The VeloElite Carbon Wide 350-50 wheelset is a great choice if you’re looking for your first set of deep-section wheels or on a budget and you don’t want to shell out for a big-name brand

At 50mm deep, the wheels offer an aerodynamic advantage but are still versatile enough for a range of riding

With a maximum width of 30. 1mm, the rim on these wheels is one of the widest currently available. This means any tyres you’ve fitted to the rim widen, and grip and braking are improved as result, leading to a confident ride

Despite the depth of the wheels, the stiffness of the wheels doesn’t quite match the performance elsewhere. There is a slightly vague feeling to the wheels when accelerating out of the saddle, but this doesn’t impact cornering

VeloElite provides these wheels with a range of different hubs, including Industry Nine and Chris King. We tested the wheels with DT Swiss hubs and these are easily serviceable

• Read our full VeloElite Carbon Wide 350-50 review

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Zipp 303S

The Zipp 303S wheelset brings the brand’s tech to a more affordable price point. Steve Sayers / Our Media

• £1,031/€1,230/$1,346/AU$1,860 as tested
• Easy to maintain and sensible weight
• Slightly harsher ride than competitors

Zipp is a brand often associated with high-end bikes, but at £1,031 the 303S wheelset brings the brand’s tech to a lower price point

The 303S is aimed squarely at those wanting to go fast, but the wide 22. 7mm internal width and recommended low tyre pressure bring gravel riding and cyclocross within the wheelset’s remit

Despite being wide and with relatively deep 45mm rims, the wheelset weighs a sensible 1,558g. Paired with a rear hub that offers a solid 10 degrees of engagement, this helps the 303S achieve a snappy and direct ride with no obvious power loss on climbs or when sprinting

The wheelset is easily serviceable and is supplied with a wheel bag, which is a nice extra. Also included are disc-brake rotor lockrings and the rims come taped for tubeless installation

• Read our full Zipp 303S review

Latest deals

Zipp 353 NSW

The 353’s radical ‘sawtooth’ rim shape follows the same design principles as 2016’s 454 NSW. David Caudery / Immediate Media

• £3,200/€3,600/$4,000/AU$6,027 as tested
• Superb performance and stability with low weight
• Excellent hubs and freehub

Zipp says that the wavy profile of the 45mm-deep rim gives it the aerodynamics of a deeper wheelset, with the variable-sized, clustered dimples helping with crosswind stability. The hookless design also leads to a weight of just 1,304g a set. They roll on Zipp’s Cognition V2 hubs with a magnet-engaged freehub

We rated their stable yet speedy and smooth ride, while the light weight means they climb really easily, and their aerodynamics and stability make them fast on the downhill side too. They’re expensive though, especially when compared to the already excellent Zipp 303 Firecrest

• Read our full Zipp 353 NSW wheelset review

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Best rim brake road bike wheels

DT Swiss P-1800 Spline

We’ve been consistently impressed by DT’s Spline family. Immediate Media

• £335/€388/$483  as tested
• Good-value tubeless package
• Aero spokes and lightweight for the price

Priced at just £335 [and often found cheaper online], DT Swiss’s P-1800 Spline wheels have a lot going for them

At 1,630g, they won’t weigh you down and the 17. 5mm internal rim width is wide enough to provide a nice round tyre profile with 23 to 28mm tyres

Pick-up from the standard pawl system is a little slow, but this is splitting hairs on a wheelset at this price point

• Read our full DT Swiss P-1800 Spline wheelset review

Latest deals

Hunt 4 Season Aero

Hunt’s 4 Season Aero wheels are great for year-round riding. Jack Luke / Immediate Media

• £369/€469/$499  as tested
• Reliable build
• Painless tubeless setup

Hunt’s 4 Season Aero wheelset is a dependable, relatively affordable and unfussy alloy rim brake wheelset that is great for all-season use

Built with a sensibly high spoke count, up-specced winter-proof bearings and a wide-ish rim, the wheels presented no issues in testing

• Read our full Hunt 4 Season Aero wheelset review

Vision SC55

The SC55 is available in both rim-brake and disc-brake versions. David Caudery / Immediate Media

• £1,150/€1,228/$1,462  as tested
• Effective rim-braking performance
• Available for disc brakes at the same price

The latest version of the Vision SC55 has a new 19mm internal/27mm external rim profile that’s been wind-tunnel tested and is tubeless-ready

We were impressed at the wheels’ ability to smooth the road and add comfort to our rides. Rim-brake performance has had an upgrade too, with progressive action. There’s a fast ride feel that’s unaffected by gusts

Weight for the Vision SC55 came out at 1,566g, which is competitive. Although we tested the rim-brake version, both the 55mm-depth and the 40mm-depth SC wheels are available with disc brakes too at the same price

• Read our full Vision SC55 wheelset review

Latest deals

Giant SLR1

The rims were barely bothered by gusty crosswinds during testing. Immediate Media

• £1,000/€1,350/$1,344  as tested
• Low weight
• Easy tubeless setup

As usual with Giant, these carbon wheels are reliable and solid without being too flashy

They’re pretty lightweight at 1,463g [including rim tape and tubeless valves] and have a respectably modern rim laced to high-quality DT Swiss 360 hubs

Tubeless setup was pleasingly easy and braking is good in the dry too, though it does suffer in the wet somewhat [as often with carbon wheels]

Yes, there are cheaper aluminium options that will fulfil a similar purpose, but if you’ve just gotta have carbon wheels then these are a reliable option at a competitive price

• Read our full Giant SLR1 wheelset review

Latest deals

Halo Carbaura RC35

Halo’s Carbaura RC35 wheels are lightweight and tubeless-ready. David Caudery / Immediate Media

• £1,000 as tested
• Good braking
• Fast and stiff

Even with only 35mm-deep rims, these wheels offer an aerodynamic performance advantage without being affected by side winds

They’re also lightweight [1,450g for the set], tubeless-ready and braking is great too, with the supplied SwissStop Black Prince brake pads combining with the rim for powerful and consistent braking

• Read our full Halo Carbaura RC35 wheels review

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Buyer’s guide to road bike wheels

The anatomy of a road bike wheel

• Hub. The wheel spins around the hub that sits at its centre. On the rear wheel, the hub features a freehub mechanism [unless you’re riding a fixed-wheel bike], which allows the bike to coast, but drives forward as desired when you pedal. The hub contains the bearings that the axle rides on, and the axle is the part that attaches the wheel to the bike. It also lets you mount a rotor if designed for disc brakes
• Spokes. Pieces of wire or sometimes carbon fibre that lace the hubs to the rim. The number of spokes per wheel and the material choice is important. In most wheels, the spokes are under tension and this is what gives the wheel its structure
• Nipples. At the rim end [usually], the spokes thread into a special nut called a nipple. Most wheels can be straightened [trued] by adjusting spoke tension via the nipple
• Rim. Sitting on the outside of the wheel, the rim holds the tyre and provides a braking surface for rim-brake-equipped bikes

Types of road bike wheels

Just as road bikes are now increasingly being designated according to their use [race, endurance, aero, gravel and so on], wheels also fit into similar categories

Knowing what type of rider you are and what you want out of your wheel upgrade will simplify and narrow your choices

Climbing wheels

Hunt’s 991g Hill Climb SL is a dedicated climbing wheelset. Simon Bromley

Weight is felt most when ascending, so a wheel suited to climbing is usually designed with low weight in mind. Such wheels generally feature a shallow-profile rim and a low spoke count

Another benefit of such a wheel is seen in ride quality. Typically, the deeper a rim gets in its shape, the harsher the ride – therefore climbing wheels are often more compliant

Where a wheelset is below 1,500g and doesn’t claim to be aerodynamic, it can often be put into the climbing category. When budget is no issue, a super-light climbing wheelset should weigh between 900g and 1,300g

Mid-section aerodynamic wheels

A 35 to 50mm deep rim is considered to be a mid-section aero wheel. Russell Burton / Immediate Media

Aerodynamic wheels have quickly become a popular choice for adding some free speed and creating that ‘pro look’. An aerodynamic wheel will usually feature a deeper section rim, with a rim depth of around 35mm being the typical starting point. They’re typically made of carbon, although there are alloy options available too and the majority are designed for disc brakes

As aero designs have improved in recent years, there has been a big uptake in these mid-depth wheels which, unlike some deep-section models [see below], now provide a sensible balance between low weight, ride quality and improved performance against the wind

Deep-section aerodynamic wheels

Rims deeper than 50mm are considered to be deep-section. Simon Bromley / Immediate Media

When speed is a priority, a deep-section rim of 50mm or more can potentially cut through the air with less aerodynamic drag

However, the additional depth can cause problems if riding in high crosswinds and often adds weight, which is why mid-depth wheels have become a popular compromise outside of time trials and fast sprint courses

Riders who race on deep aerodynamic wheels will often own a set of training wheels for use outside of racing

Training/winter wheels

Training wheels should be capable of withstanding everyday abuse. Jack Luke / Immediate Media

While speed, low friction and low weight are a priority for racing wheels, training or ‘everyday’ wheels must be durable and able to take a beating

Because rims on rim brake bikes wear out over time with braking, particularly if you’re riding through winter, having a cheaper set of wheels for training can extend the life of your race wheels

A custom, handbuilt wheelset – where replacement spokes and rims are relatively cheap and easy to source – is a good choice [see below for more on these]. Other options are budget wheels from major brands, which can be well built and have parts that aren’t too expensive to replace

For this type of usage, expect a wheelset weight of 1,500 to 1,800g for something that is well priced. A budget wheelset is likely to weigh 1,900g or more

What type of tyres do my wheels use?

There are three types of tyres for road bikes and each type needs a specific rim. For more details, read our explainer on the differences between tubes, tubeless and tubular

Clincher tyres explained

Most road wheels are designed for use with clincher tyres with many also tubeless ready. Pirelli

The term ‘clincher’ refers to standard tyres that use separate inner tubes to hold the air, which pushes the tyre bead into a hooked rim to hold it in place

This is the most common wheel type on road bikes. Generally, where tyre type isn’t mentioned, it’s safe to assume it’s a clincher

Tubeless tyres explained

Tubeless tyres are used with a sealant. David Caudery / Immediate Media

Tubeless tyre technology has been a thing in mountain biking for a long time, but it’s now making serious inroads on road bike wheels too

As the name suggests, tubeless tyres don’t require an inner tube – just like a car tyre. Instead, sealant and tubeless-ready rims are used to create what is essentially an airtight clincher system

Manufacturers claim that removing the inner tube can decrease rolling resistance, banish the risk of pinch flats at lower inflation pressures and that the sealant can seal small punctures while riding

For more info on road tubeless technology, check out our podcast episode where some of our most knowledgeable writers sat down to discuss the what, why and how of road tubeless tyres

Tubular tyres explained

Tubular tyres have to be glued to the wheel rim, so it helps to have a professional mechanic. Ben Delaney / Immediate Media

Tubulars [often shortened to ‘tubs’] are the oldest type of road bike tyres. They usually consist of an inner tube sewn into a fully enclosed tyre casing, which then has to be glued or taped onto a compatible rim

Tubeless tubulars do exist [i. e. an airtight tubular with no inner tube], but these are relatively uncommon

The advantage of tubular tyres largely lies in the fact that a tubular wheelset can be made relatively lighter. This is because the material used to create a rim that can withstand the high internal pressure of a clincher or tubeless tyre adds significant weight

Tubular tyres can also be ridden flat for short distances, which can be advantageous in a race

It’s for these reasons, and tradition, that tubular tyres and wheels are still dominant in the professional peloton [where riders don’t have to fix their own punctures or pay for new tyres] and hill climb events, though this is beginning to change, albeit slowly

Road wheel rim materials

Modern wheels are available in two common material types. carbon fibre or aluminium. Jack Luke / Immediate Media

Aluminium is typically found in any wheel below £800 / $1,200 / AU$1,500, with carbon wheels generally being priced above that [although we are starting to see brands offer carbon wheels below that mark]

Just like with road bike frames, carbon fibre has become the standard material for performance race wheels, where stiffness, weight and aerodynamics are the priorities

Aluminium still sets the benchmark for braking performance on rim brake wheels, especially in wet conditions. Carbon rims have made massive strides in this area in recent years, though.  However, if your bike has disc brakes, this isn’t a concern

What diameter are road wheels?

The standard road bike rim size is 700c, with the name coming from an approximate metric measurement taken from the diameter of the wheel including an inflated tyre

Some brands will spec a 650b wheel on smaller frame sizes to improve their geometry and 650b is an important option for gravel bikes, but the vast majority of modern road bikes use a 700c wheelset

If you look closely enough at your road bike tyre, you’ll likely see numbers such as 23-622 or 25-622. These numbers are the international tyre sizing standard, with the first numbers referring to the tyre width [23mm, 25mm] and the second series of numbers, in this case 622, referring to the bead seat diameter [BSD] of the tyre designed to fit a 700c rim

Road wheel rim width explained

Rim width has an effect on the profile of a tyre once inflated. Simon Bromley / Immediate Media

While the 622mm bead seat diameter is an industry standard, the width of the rim is not

Recently there has been a trend towards wider rims because they offer greater tyre volume and a stiffer wheel, which in turn provides a more comfortable ride, improved bike control, lower rolling resistance and potentially fewer pinch flats

The confusing part is that some brands quote external rim width, while others internal

Looking at internal width, anything under 14mm is considered very narrow, 20mm and over is wide and anything between is sufficient for common 25mm tyres, although they’ll sit happily on wider rims too

Internal width is important because of the effect it has on tyre profile. Narrow internal rim widths give tyres a ‘lightbulb’ cross-section which can narrow the contact patch and reduce grip, whereas wider internal rim widths cause the contact patch to flatten out and increase in size

For those racing, wider rims have been shown to be more aerodynamic too, as the rim can integrate with the tyre more smoothly. This is because a wider rim can help form a smoother aerofoil shape with wider road tyres

Axle sizes

We’ve got a separate guide to road bike axle standards, but here’s a quick run-down…

If your road bike was built in the last 20 years and has rim brakes, it most likely has a 130mm width quick release rear axle [written as 130mm QR or 130 × 9mm], and a 100mm [100 QR, or 100 × 9mm] quick-release front

However, the introduction of disc brakes greatly confused this and for a while there were multiple standards for bikes with disc brakes, most of which were thru-axle designs borrowed from mountain biking

If you were an early adopter of road disc brakes, it’s best to refer back to the manufacturer of your bike to find out exactly what standard is used on your model

That said, it looks like the industry has finally settled on one unifying standard for disc brake road bikes. 12mm thru-axles with 100mm spacing in the front dropouts and 142mm spacing at the rear

If only they could do the same for bottom bracket standards…

Freehubs and drivetrain compatibility

Situated on the right side of the rear hub, the freehub is what holds the drivetrain’s cassette and allows drive to the rear wheel

Although most 11-speed designs are now backwards compatible, you must be careful to match the freehub to your drivetrain brand

Shimano/SRAM 11-speed freehubs

The freehub on DT Swiss’s GRC1400 rear wheel is interchangeable between Shimano 11-speed, SRAM XD and 12-speed road compatible SRAM XDR standards. Not all wheels offer such wide compatibility, however. Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media

This spline system hasn’t changed a great deal in the last 20 years, with the exception of 11-speed forcing a wider freehub. Shimano-compatible 11-speed wheels usually include a spacer for use with 8-, 9- or 10-speed cassettes

SRAM 11-speed cassettes use Shimano’s spline system, so are cross-compatible. The exceptions are newer SRAM cassettes designed for its XD driver [more on this below]

Shimano 12-speed

This is Shimano’s 12-speed Micro Spline freehub for mountain bikes, which isn’t compatible with 12-speed Shimano road cassettes. Josh Patterson / Immediate Media

Shimano’s new 12-speed cassettes and wheels come with a new spline pattern too, with smaller more numerous splines, although it’s not the same as the Micro Spline format used in its 12-speed MTB freehubs. The new pattern means that 12-speed Shimano road cassettes are backward compatible with 11-speed freehubs, but you won’t be able to fit an 11-speed cassette to a freehub with the new spline pattern

Campagnolo freehubs

The freehub diameter and splines of Campagnolo freehubs are very different to that of Shimano/SRAM

If you have Campagnolo gearing, ensure that the freehub body is matched. Many aftermarket wheel brands will sell freehub bodies as a replacement part – so it’s possible to switch a Campagnolo wheel to Shimano and vice-versa [Shimano-branded wheels being a key exception here]

It’s perfectly possible to use an 11-speed Campagnolo cassette with a Shimano or SRAM 11-speed drivetrain [and vice versa] though, so you might not need to switch the freehub at all in that instance

When Campagnolo went 12-speed it simply reduced the width of the 12-speed chains and cassettes to fit on existing 11-speed Campagnolo compatible freehubs. Hallelujah

The latest Campagnolo wheels use a new standard called N3W. This uses a freehub body that’s shorter and compatible with the Ekar gravel groupset. Campagnolo makes an extender that fits on the N3W freehub, so that it will also accept its road cassettes

SRAM XD and XDR driver

XD driver is SRAM’s solution to allowing the use of cogs smaller than 11t. Courtesy

The increasing popularity of 1× and the advent of 12-speed drivetrains [and the subsequent desire for cogs smaller than 11t] has thrown a spanner in the cross-compatibility charts

SRAM’s solution is the XD driver for off-road and the XDR driver for road use, which are essentially just new freehub standards that enable the use of cassette cogs down to a tiny 9t

Rather like tubeless tyres and disc brakes, this tech began life on mountain bikes before eventually making its way over to road wheels with the introduction of SRAM’s AXS groupsets. The XDR freehub is slightly wider than XD, so you can run an MTB cassette on an XDR body [with a spacer], but not vice versa

• Everything you need to know about road bike groupsets

Freehub ratchet speeds

A feature that’s commonly overlooked in a hub is the ratchet speed, also expressed as points of engagement or the angle of uptake. Hubs typically don’t have fewer than 18 points of engagement per 360-degree revolution, but hubs that offer more can provide the feeling of faster acceleration and pick-up out of corners. Typical values are between 24 and 48, but some hub designs go much higher

Some brands quote points of engagement, while others tell you their hubs’ engagement angle, which is 360 degrees divided by the number of points of engagement

Road wheel braking explained

Rim brakes have long been the standard for road bikes. But as mentioned above, disc braking, a technology proven with cars, motorbikes and mountain bikes, is rapidly taking over for road cyclists

Disc brakes add another element to the decision-making process

Disc brake road wheels

Disc brakes are now the standard on performance road bikes. Simon Bromley / Immediate Media

Disc brake wheels feature a hub with a mount for the disc rotor

Because of the high forces these rotors exert on a wheel when braking, disc-brake wheels often feature higher spoke counts, which add a little weight

The flip side is that rims on disc brake wheels can be made lighter and more aerodynamic because they aren’t also required to act as a braking surface

It’s worth noting that fitting disc brakes to a road bike isn’t as simple as swapping out the wheels; both the frame and fork must be designed to accept disc brakes too

When buying disc brake wheels, it’s worth being aware that there are two types of rotor mount. centrelock and six-bolt

Centrelock is a splined system originally from Shimano, which is more-or-less standard on road bike wheels. It can also be used with six-bolt rotors with the use of an adaptor. Six-bolt hubs can only fit six-bolt rotors

Rim brake road wheels

Rim brakes are now mostly found on entry-level road bikes. David Caudery / Immediate Media

Many road bike wheels are still designed for use with rim brakes, which means the rim must offer a consistent braking surface

This is why good quality aluminium rims claim to offer a ‘machined’ surface, which generally guarantees an even braking surface at manufacturing

Over time, braking in gritty conditions will not just wear down the brake pads, but the rims too. A worn brake track can be dangerous because the high pressure of a road tyre can cause the rim to crack and explode

Look for a small dimple or groove on the surface of your rim – this is a wear indicator. When it starts disappearing, it’s time to get your rim or wheel replaced

Carbon rims typically don’t perform as well when braking, especially in the wet or in extreme conditions such as descending long, steep mountains and need specialist pads. Keep this in mind if you’re considering a carbon wheel for everyday use or are swapping between carbon and alloy rims, as you’ll need to swap the pads too

Spokes

Spokes lace the hub to the rim. Generally, wheels with higher spoke counts are stronger and more durable, but this comes with a weight and slight aero penalty

Typically a spoke is made from a piece of stainless steel wire that’s been cold-forged and then had a thread added to it. Some higher-end wheels may use spokes made from aluminium, carbon fibre or even titanium

When it comes to a quality wheel build, correct spoke tension is critical. Too loose and the spokes can unwind, and the constant flex will eventually lead to broken spokes or cracked rims. Too tight and there’s an increased risk of the rim cracking at the spoke attachment point or a nipple failing

Factory vs. handbuilt wheels

The merits of factory vs. handbuilt wheels are often argued

Confusingly, factory wheels are, in fact, commonly built at least partly by hand. The key distinction however is that factory wheels are built to an exact specification and you buy them as an off-the-shelf item, often with proprietary spoke and rim designs

Handbuilt wheels take a more classical approach, where the hubs, spokes, nipples and rims can be bought separately and chosen to best suit a rider’s individual needs

Generally speaking, race wheels are mostly sold as factory options. The big wheel brands dominate this space due to their research, development and marketing through sponsored teams

Handbuilt wheels are commonly kept for training, long-distance and everyday uses. However, there are of course examples where the opposites are true

Buying second-hand road bike wheels

Wheels can be expensive and second-hand items are commonly available for sale. Just as with a bike, the actual use and repair history of the wheels is crucially important when buying used

Your first step is to check how straight [true] the wheel is. Give it a spin and ensure it’s not buckled. Also, check for any ‘hop’ within the height of the rim – nobody wants an egg-shaped wheel

• Rims. Check for wear of the brake surface [on rim brake wheels], which should be flat and without any concave shape. Look for any sign of chips and then inspect the whole rim for cracks, especially around the spokes
• Spokes. Check that all the spokes are straight and without gouges or scratches. Squeeze the spokes two at a time – all the ones on the right should feel roughly even in tension with each other. Now do the same for the left, which should feel similar. Unevenness is a sign of a bent rim that’s being held in shape by spoke tension
• Hubs. Spin the wheels by holding onto the hub axles. The bearings should spin freely without any drag or notching. Check that the freehub spins yet grabs when you rotate it forward. Also, be sure to double-check freehub compatibility with your gears [as outlined above]

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Road wheel glossary

• Asymmetric rim. As the rear cassette sits on the right side of the hub, the point at which the spokes attach from the rear hub is offset to the left. With this, an asymmetric rim is designed to give a more direct path from these offset spokes to the rim, with the desired result being a sturdier and stiffer wheel, and more even left–right spoke tensions
• Axle. The hub spins around the axle, which is attached to the dropouts of the frame and fork. On a road bike, the axle is always hollow and designed to work with a thru-axle or quick release skewer
• Bladed spoke. A flattened spoke that’s designed to cut through the wind with less resistance. Bladed spokes are common in high-end wheels and also help to provide an edge for a tool to hold onto, which can allow for a higher spoke tension to be achieved. Top spoke brands DT Swiss and Sapim both claim that their best bladed spokes are not only their lightest option, but also the strongest and most durable
• Butted spoke. A process that sees the centre of the spoke being made thinner than the outer sections. When done correctly, this encourages the spoke to flex away from weak points, therefore leading to improved durability at a lower weight. Double-butted means two different thicknesses and triple-butted means three thicknesses
• Cartridge bearing. In this system, bearings are contained in a cartridge that features the ball bearings and inner and outer race as one unit. The outer race is a tight press-fit into the hub shell, while the axle contacts the inner race. These items are considered disposable, where old ones are tapped out and new cartridges pressed in place
• Centrelock. a Shimano spline system for mounting a brake rotor onto the hub
• Clincher. The most common type of tyre system on a road bike. Here a bead on the tyre locks with a lip on the rim. Non-tubeless clincher tyres use inner tubes to hold air
• Cup and cone bearing. The alternative to cartridge bearing hubs is cup and cone. It’s most common on entry-level wheels and all those sold by Shimano. These feature loose ball bearings that run on a permanent outer bearing race, with a cone-shaped inner race that can be adjusted
• Disc brake. Brake technology that’s now common in cycling that fixes a thin metal plate braking surface [rotor] at the hub with a caliper attached to the frame that clamps onto it to slow the bike down
• Dish. The relative position of the rim to the hub. On nearly all frame designs, the rim must be perfectly centred over the hub
• Double-wall rim. This refers to the internal cross-section of a rim. Where a single wall rim has one layer of material for the spokes to connect to and the tyre to sit on, a double wall rim adds an additional level of material separating the two. This additional layer creates a box type section, which greatly aids in rim stiffness and wheel durability
• Eyelet. A reinforcing ring in the spoke hole of a rim. An eyeleted rim typically allows for greater spoke tension and therefore a more durable wheel. A rim that claims to feature double eyelets will have the eyelets travel through both walls of the rim [see double wall rim]
• Freehub body. The mechanism on the rear wheel that allows a rider to coast or pedal backwards without resistance
• Hub. Sitting at the centre of the wheel is the hub, which contains the axle, bearings and rear freehub and holds the spokes
• Machined sidewall. A finishing process to a rim brake wheel after the rim is made, which helps ensure its braking faces are parallel and even
• Nipple. The nipple is the nut of the spoke. Typically the nipple sits at the rim, though some wheel designs place the nipple at the hub
• Open-tubular. A type of clincher tyre system that replicates the construction of a traditional cotton tubular, but in clincher form. Open tubulars differ slightly in their manufacturing technique, which is generally to a level similar to high-end tubulars
• Quick-release. A tool-free mechanism for attaching a wheel to a bike. It consists of a threaded rod connected to a lever-actuated cam assembly. The rod slides through a hollow hub axle and a nut on the opposing side allows tension adjustment
• Radial lacing. Where the spoke leaves the hub and meets the rim in a straight line. This is the easiest form of wheel building and results in the shortest length [lightest weight] spoke possible. This style is popular for rim brake front wheels, but does not resist torque appropriately for use on the driveside of a rear wheel or with disc brakes
• Rim. The outward hoop of the wheel that holds the tyre and acts as a braking surface for rim brakes
• Rim tape [AKA rim strip]. Protective tape used to cover the multiple spoke holes in a rim. Without this, an inner tube would expand through the rim holes and puncture. Some top wheelsets from Shimano, Fulcrum, Mavic and others do not require rim tape. Tubeless setups often require tubeless-specific rim tape because the system must be made airtight, so make sure to check you have the correct tape for your tyres
• Sealed bearing. Another name for cartridge bearing
• Sleeve joint. A method by which an alloy rim is joined to form a circle. Sleeve joints are a form of rivet; they are cheaper to produce than a welded joint
• Spoke. Wire rods that connect the hub to the rim. They can be made from steel, stainless steel [most common], titanium, aluminium or carbon fibre
• Spoke flange. The section of the hub that the spokes attach to
• Spoke gauge. This refers to the thickness of the spoke. Most common is ‘14G’, which commonly equates to a 2mm diameter, ‘15G’ is thinner at 1. 8mm. Therefore, ‘straight gauge spokes’ feature a single diameter, whereas the most common double-butted spokes with a 2/1. 8/2mm diameter across the length are sometimes referred to as ‘14/15G’
• Three-cross. This refers to the lacing pattern of the spokes where each spoke crosses past another three times. This pattern is most common on 32 or higher spoked wheels
• Thru-axle. A large axle that slides through a closed frame dropout and the hub, screwing into threads on the far side of the wheel, allowing for a stiffer and more secure wheel connection. Thru-axles are commonly used on disc brake road bikes
• Trueness. This refers to how straight a rim runs, adjusted via spoke tension [hence the expression to ‘true’ a wheel]
• Tubeless. An airtight clincher tyre system that uses a tight tyre fit, air pressure and tubeless sealant to hold the tyre in place. No inner tube is required. Tubeless wheels are backwards compatible with standard clincher tyres and tubes, but tubeless tyres require tubeless-specific rims
• Tubular. A type of tyre, also known as a ‘tub’, a ‘single’ or a ‘sew-up’. The inner tube is stitched into a carcass that has tread on the outside and is glued to a concave rim
• Tubular glue. A specific glue used to bond a tubular tyre with a tubular rim. There are different kinds of tubular glue for aluminium and carbon rims
• Tubular tape. A substitute for tubular glue, it’s effectively a double-sided tape that’s cleaner and easier to apply than tubular glue – although some argue it’s not as good as glue
• Two-cross. This refers to the lacing pattern of the spokes where each spoke crosses past another twice. It’s most common on wheels with 20-28 spoke counts
• Valve hole. A hole in the rim for the tube/tubular/tubeless valve to fit through
• Wear indicator. Grooves or small holes on a rim’s braking surface to show rim condition. When the grooves or holes become flush with the rest of the rim, replacement is advised
• Welded joint. A method by which an alloy rim is joined to form a circle. Welded rims are typically more expensive than sleeve joints because this method results in a stronger and lighter connection

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