With so many options, finding the right wheel can be difficult to sort through. Luckily, we've tested four of this year's best wheelsets designed to improve the ride of your rig.
Flo 30
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Cost: $498
Weight: 1,624 grams (set)
Depth: 30mm
Spoke count: 20 front, 24 rear
Rim width: 25.96 mm
Hubs: Flo Vortex
Rim type: Aluminum
Tire Type: Clincher
Flo 30 Continued
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Started by two brothers in Las Vegas, Flo is a company that focuses on providing aerodynamic wheels at a great value. The 30 is Flo's only all-aluminum model in its lineup. It uses the same wide toroidal rim profile as it does on their deeper carbon wheels. The result is an ultra comfortable wheelset that's thousands of dollars cheaper than its competitors. While it isn't the lightest or most aerodynamic wheelset of the bunch, it isn't going to hold you back either. It packs plenty of punch on climbs and has enough aerodynamic benefits with its 30mm of rim depth to provide added performance over your stock wheelset.
Verdict: If you're looking for a bargain buy, the Flo 30s will not disappoint.
Zipp 60
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Cost: $1,500 (set)
Weight: 1,820 grams
Depth: 58mm
Spoke count: 18 front, 20 rear
Rim width: 23.5mm
Hubs: Zipp 122 front, Zipp 249 rear
Rim type: Dimpled carbon with aluminum brake surface and tire bed
Tire type: Clincher
Zipp 60 Continued
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The 60 is a budget-minded race wheel that uses Zipp's older hybrid toroidal shape instead of the wider Firecrest shape. But this doesn't mean the wheelset isn't fast. A tubular version of these rims set a Kona bike course record in 2006. The price is almost half of what you'd pay for Zipp's new Firecrest lineup. While the weight is definitely on the heavy side and not ideal for a course that has climbs, you'll notice the difference in the 58mm rim depth once you're up to speeds over 18 mph. Below that, the 60s can feel a bit sluggish because of the weight. The aluminum braking surface was a big plus, as it offers much better braking power over full carbon clinchers.
Verdict: A really good buy if you are looking for a race wheel for flat, long course triathlons or shorter time trials.
American Classic All-Carbon 40
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Cost: $1,799
Weight: 1,580 grams
Depth: 40mm
Spoke count: 18 front, 24 rear
Rim width: 22mm
Hubs: American Classic Micro 58 front, American Classic high-low rear
Rim type: Carbon
Tire type: Clincher
American Classic All-Carbon 40 Continued
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Once you get into the all-carbon clincher category, the price point tends to steer way up. While $1,799 isn't cheap, it's an excellent value when compared to the cost of other all carbon wheels; similar wheel from Enve costs $2,900 and the most expensive version from Lightweight peaks out around $6,000 for the set. What we liked most about the American Classic 40s was its well roundedness. The rim depth provides excellent aerodynamic benefits in shorter races or time trials and the reasonably low weight make it an excellent choice for longer races with climbing. The wide rim and carbon material also makes it one of the more comfortable models we tested over rough roads.
Verdict: If you're looking for an all-in-one wheel that has lots of versatility at a good price, the carbon 40 is your best bet.
Reynolds 46 Aero
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Cost: $2,675
Weight: 1,486 grams
Depth: 46mm
Spoke count: 16 front, 20 rear
Rim width: 26.2mm
Hubs: DT Swiss 240 internal hubs
Rim type: carbon
Tire type: clincher
Reynolds 46 Aero Continued
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With the Aero 46, Reynolds has found the perfect blend of aerodynamics and performance. The 46mm carbon rim paired with the DT Swiss 240 hubs make this wheel the fastest of all those tested for the 40K time trial distance. We were equally impressed by the stability and acceleration that the Aero 46 provided in and out of corners. It's also a good aero wheel choice when racing in windy conditions, as deeper dish wheels usually sacrifice handling in cross winds.
While carbon wheels don't typically have the same braking power as an aluminum surface, the Aero 46 provides nearly equal braking power in dry conditions. The blue Reynolds brake pads also performed well and were comparable to Swiss Stop Flash Pro.
Verdict: This combination of performance benefits is hard to find in a single wheel, and though these are expensive, this is one of those instances where you'll truly get what you pay for. The Aero 46 will perform admirably in centuries, criteriums and time trials—and you'll be hard pressed to find a faster wheel at any price point.
Editor's Pick: Best All-Around Wheel
Specialized Roval Rapide CLX 40 9 of 10
Cost: $2,200
Weight: 1,375 grams
Depth: 40mm
Spoke count: 18 front, 24 rear
Rim width: 23mm
Hubs: DT Swiss 240 internal hubs
Rim type: carbon
Tire type: clincher
Verdict: While the Roval Rapide was a fraction slower in the 40K time trial distance to the Reynolds 46, it was a remarkably better wheel for climbing on steep grades. Like the Reynolds 46, the Roval Rapide has DT SWiss 240 hubs but comes with upgraded ceramic bearings, which makes them roll that much smoother. The increased spoke count makes these wheels a stiff and tough set of carbon clinchers, and the 40mm rim depth was just enough to give you aerodynmaic advantages on the flats.
And with a $600 price difference and over 100 grams of weight savings compared to the more expensive Reynolds Aero 46, it's easy to see why the Roval Rapide CLX 40 edged out the win for the best overall wheel. You won't find a better combination of performance, weight and price in any other carbon clincher.
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