Deda Elementi Zero 2 wheels review

When it comes to wheels you want a pair that aren't going to break in the first pothole, aren't going to break the bank but also aren't going to make you feel sluggish and slow on the bike.

It's tough to meet all three standards and a lot of the performance comes down to the material of which the wheels are made, which in the Deda's case is 6061 aluminium, a material that strikes a nice balance between stiffness and weight.

Weighing 1550g a pair, the Deda Elementi Zero 2 don’t feel sluggish as such, but compared to the likes of Hunt and its Race Aero wide wheels, which are cheaper and lighter, they lack urgency and felt like they’re a step down when it comes to maintaining a decent speed without much effort.

At 25mm, the profile is a good depth for those looking to churn out some long winter miles. They're shallow, which makes them tough and the rims swallowed all the holes of the UK winter roads without a problem.

The tried and tested 20/24 spoke combination kept the wheels true throughout the testing period and all have retained their stiffness, without any buckling or wobbling.

Watch: Wheels buyer's guide

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At 22mm wide, Deda says the wheel is of the new wider rim generation, providing greater support to wider tyres. Happily, the rims weren't wide enough to cause us any difficultly when swapping tyres and we were able to seat tyres with just a bit of help from a tyre lever.

The pair of Pirelli PZero Velo 4S 25mm tyres we were riding did mushroom over the side of the rim slightly despite the Deda's width. As a result it came as a relief that we didn't suffer any sidewall squirming when pushing into the corners, something that can happen when cornering hard on a ballooning tyre.

On the flip side, the rim width did exaggerate the tyres size above 25mm, adding a welcome touch of comfort to the ride.

We also didn't feel any brake rub when pushing hard out of the saddle, which is a sign of good lateral stiffness in a pair of wheels and engagement from the hub never let us down when trying some efforts.

Plus, the aluminium braking track hasn't sustained any damage despite the poor weather, grit and general muck on the road.

The wheels aren't tubeless ready, which is would have been a nice touch on hoops you're likely to be riding through winter. It's a noticeable omission on the £344 wheelset, and stands stark when compared to the likes of Hunt and Mavic, which all make tubeless ready wheels at a similar price point.