Other aspects worth highlighting are DT Swiss hubs and Sapim CX-Ray spokes. These parts are widely available, so you can easily service the wheels almost anywhere in the world (unlike proprietary carbon spokes/hubs). Pulling the wheels out of the box, it was great to see they were running true and the spoke tension felt taut throughout. Tubeless rim tape comes fitted (double wrapped) as standard, and the valves are supplied too, so provided you have tyres and sealant you are ready to get them set up and head straight out of the door. 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 rear wheel ended up much better. Only two spokes didn’t meet the 5% tolerance. Otherwise, the spoke tension was super consistent. Farsports Wave 45/50mm rear wheel spoke tension readings | Source: cyclistshub.com Rim Centering (Dishing) 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.

The wide internal rim maximises the nominal tyre size, and this improved descending and reduced road buzz. The Zipp 303S wheelset brings the brand’s tech to a more affordable price point. Steve Sayers / Our Media 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.

Bontrager has employed tried and true technologies to create a wheel with high performance at a low cost. We put the Aeolus Elite 50 to the test to see if anything has been sacrificed

They compare very well with wheels from the likes of Hunt and Scribe, which always tend to score highly for quality, performance and price. 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). The DT Swiss ERC 1100 wheels come with hybrid ceramic bearings as standard. Sam Challis / Immediate Media Rim: Sitting on the outside of the wheel, the rim holds the tyre and provides a braking surface for rim-brake-equipped bikes.

Not overly stiff, but responsive. Stable in crosswinds and ideal for most terrains, questionable reliability. This is why good quality aluminium rims claim to offer a ‘machined’ surface, which generally guarantees an even braking surface at manufacturing. 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. 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 The Hunt 54 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc wheelset offers looks with performance to match at a competitive price and weight.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 If you want to step up your performance, and you’re hanging onto your rim brake bike (or you’re one of those people who still buys rim brake bikes, even now), then Hunt offers a really amazing option with the 50 Carbon Wide Aero wheelset. They’re fast - if not the fastest - up hills, stiff and very durable — if my long-term results are anything to go by. 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. The Bontrager Aeolus 50mm wheelset is a budget wheelset that doesn't feel like it. There is a precision in the manufacturing that makes for easy tyre fitment and the profile works well with modern 25mm and 28mm sizing. For those that are looking to go tubeless, the fact these wheels come taped up is a bonus.

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. 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. 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.We do not compromise on quality, all our wheelsets feature the same high quality carbon rims, with your choice of coloured graphic, or for the understated look, our Stealth design. Our entry level 350 model is more than a match for its competitors, offering exceptional value for money. Our medium and top of the range 240 and 180 models take on the big boys and win. They are lighter, better built and handmade, all at a price that is considerably cheaper than our rivals. We also offer the all new VeloElite ONE range, based around our ONE hub. For all-round riding, these wheels are an ideal blend of aero and efficiency with enough stiffness for sprinting and short, sharp climbs. 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. Hunt recommends using 25mm or 28mm tyres, though you can go wider, if you can get them to fit inside your brake caliper. In the wind tunnel testing data from the virtually identical disc versions (at least in terms of the rims), Hunt found that a 25mm tyre is more aerodynamically optimal due to the 27mm rim width. That said, 28mm works really well too, with the small decrease in aero performance countered by an increase in comfort. 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.