Best road bike wheels reviewed and rated: disc and rim wheelsets to supercharge your ride

There is one surefire way to unlock performance in your road bike, it's with a new set of the best road bike wheels. Often, an area where the majority of bike manufacturers economise to meet a price point, even the best road bikes won’t be meeting their full potential.

Recent developments in materials technology have unlocked freedoms within wheel engineering that just haven't been possible before. Disc brakes have been a big catalyst for this jump-forward-in-wheel performance, along with the wide adoption of tubeless tyres.

That said, there are still millions of rim brake road bikes out there, road bike wheels designed for clincher tyres and those that like the simplicity of an inner tube. Including one or two of the Cycling Weekly team.

With so many depths, widths and compatibilities to consider, buying a new set of road bike wheels can be a bit of a minefield. We've tried to make things simple with our pick of the best road bike wheels. All of the wheels featured below have been reviewed by one of our team for either our magazine or directly for this site. Although not an exhaustive list it does include both disc and rim wheelsets. For more advice on choosing the right road wheels for you, head to the bottom of this page.

If you're looking for new wheels for an allroad or gravel bike, we have a selection of those over on our best gravel bike wheels guide.

The Quick List

The best road bike wheels: Disc Brake

Best all-rounder

Zipp's current focus is on producing wheels designed to be run with wide, tubeless tires and at lower pressures. These are hookless rims with a 25mm internal width, so need to be run with rubber over 28mm and below 72psi.

The hookless set up does mean you are slightly limited on the tires which you can use, be we found the ride quality absolutely excellent, with these being one of the best you can currently buy - so we'd very happily accept that slightly narrower choice of tires for the benefits it brings.

The lower tire pressure requirement does deliver a softer ride feel - not to be confused with a slower one. The smoother ride delivers an almost blood like connection with your bike, coupled with the broader rim profile, allows for impressively balanced and confidence inspiring on bike capabilities. In fact, on test, we were able to hit 85km/h and they didn't once so much as give a tiny flutter, even in some gusty wind conditions.

A low rolling weight and a 66 point engagement hub also means these pick up fast and are capable of showing a clean pair of heels in any sprint.

Popping a set of Tangente Course G40 tires gravel tires on the rim the wheels really came into their own. Capable of taking up to 50mm tires and, over a 400km three day adventure, they only lost around 2psi.

Read more: Zipp 303 Firecrest Carbon road bike wheelset full review

Best aero

The wheels use Zipp’s ABLC™ Sawtooth™ Technology – specifically placed dimples on the rim that are claimed to improve aero efficiency. Zipp’s Total System Efficiency (TSE) wheel design is also implemented, apparently resulting in a 4w saving compared to the previous Zipp 404 Firecrest thanks to better vibration dampening and aero features.

The hookless setup worked perfectly with the Pirelli P Zero RS Race TLR 28mm tyres, which were both easy to put on and also interfaced nicely with the rim to produce a very smooth profile with no bulging. Being hookless, I was limited to ~70psi, lower than I usually use. This led to a feeling that was more plush rather than on the rails, which is more comfortable and by most science is faster as well. Zipp has a pressure calculator, and using that I was recommended 58.7 front and 62.4 rear. I did try this, and it just felt, for lack of a better term, floppy. I used my preferred 70 rear and 65 front for the remainder of testing.

What I really loved though was the dialled-in cornering, the combination of hookless rim profile and P Zero tyres may have aided this. One area that certainly helped with the superb cornering stability was the spoking pattern. Front and rear, both sides feature a 2-cross lacing pattern along with 24 spokes on each, which results in superb lateral stability as well as great performance under braking and acceleration.

Weight-wise, the wheels are nothing exceptional, and they are not the most spritely wheels to accelerate. However, the wheel stiffness helps keep the acceleration in line with lighter wheelsets in the group test. It’s only on the steep inclines that weight becomes truly evident, but for most rides, this will be countered by their aero performance on lesser slopes, flat ground and descents.

Best lightweight

Enve wheels come at a premium and with their Chris King hubs and overall high-quality build and finish, the SES 3.4 Discs reflect that. They're light at under 1400g and come with the differential rim heights common to all Enve SES wheels - in this case that means a 38mm front wheel paired with a 42mm rear - along with a 21mm internal rim width.

As for the aforementioned hubs, they feature a 45-tooth engagement system, which translates to a quick pick up and minimal drag. You're also getting bearings that are made in-house, all part of a component that's designed to last a lifetime with regular servicing.

The wheels feel very stable and the wide tire stance gives a feeling of control, while they hold their speed well. They may be expensive, but the Enve SES 3.4 wheels may just be the ultimate dream upgrade - especially if you're after a set of wheels that are made in the USA

Read more: Enve SES 3.4 Disc full review

Best for windy days

The Roval Rapide CLX II feature asymmetric rims, with the front being 51mm deep with a 35mm external width, while the rear is 60mm deep with a 30.7mm external width. Both feature a 21mm internal width. The wheels feature DT Swiss’s 180 hub internals with ceramic bearings and the Ratchet EXP 36 teeth freehub for 10 degrees of engagement. Our scales read 1,515g.

The idea here is to improve handling in crosswinds, as well as optimise aero performance where the front and rear wheels experience different practical wind angles, with the front experiencing higher yaw angles than the rear.

Out on the road, it is noticeable how stable these wheels perform in windy conditions, with the front never feeling at risk of being swept across. I was comfortable enough to remove and put on a jacket, even in blustery conditions. The wheels also felt like they flew across the flats, rolling road and descents with ease, more akin to a deeper wheelset. The low weight also helped with accelerations both on the flat and on the climbs.

The spoke lacing pattern does likely contribute to this torsional stiffness when accelerating, as the rear drive side uses 2-cross 16-spoke lacing, while the rotor side features the same pattern but 8 spokes. The front wheel is radial on the drive side with 1-cross on the rotor side. Although it exhibited good lateral stiffness for cornering, the front was a little delayed under heavy braking with less torsional stiffness.

Something everyone will notice is how hard it was to fit the tyres. These were some of the toughest wheels to mount the Pirelli P Zero RS Race 28mm TLRs on. With such a high price, these wheels needed to perform exceptionally well, and they did just that. Not perfect, potentially worth the outlay.

Affordable Zipps

Zipp wheels are expensive, so the price of Zipp's 303S wheelset is a pleasant surprise. Like Zipp's other latest wheelsets, they have a wide internal rim bed and hookless bead. That lets you run lower pressures, but limits you to compatible tubeless tires of 25mm or wider only and a maximum of 72psi. You also need to look out for tire clearance, if you've got a tight frame.

Zipp says that, aerodynamically, the 303S wheels are almost the match of its much more expensive 303NSW and they feel fast, while the wide contact patch from the 23mm wide rims inspires cornering confidence.

Read more: Zipp 303S road bike wheelset full review

Best value aero

The Shimano Ultegra 60 wheelset is one of the cheaper options in this group test at £1,258. They feature a 60mm deep profile with a 28mm external width and a 21mm internal. The claimed weight is 1,649g while the actual weight for our set was 1676g, making them one of the heaviest on test.

Fitting the tyres to the wheels was relatively easy. However, to get the tyre to seat, the valve core needed to be removed and a compressor used. Once seated they maintained pressure very well, while the Pirelli P Zero tyres sat pleasantly flush with the rim of the wheel.

Out riding the weight of the C60s is, unfortunately, noticeable. Accelerating from a low speed such as away from junctions or on steeper inclines did feel sluggish compared to the lighter options. However, excluding the weight, these wheels impressed me a lot.

Their performance on flat or rolling roads was brilliant, with the deep rim and wide tyres performing very well and remaining stable even in blustery conditions. A telling factor with these wheels is that I achieved quite a few Strava KOMS when gunning it.

Considering the level of performance from a wheelset with such a modest price, these are great value deep section wheels ideal for riders wanting to do local loops as fast as they can overall.

Best Value

There's very little not to like about these Parcours wheels. In fact, we gave the Ronde full marks when we reviewed them - for a mid-price wheelset it's got an impressive combination of low weight, great ride quality, aerodynamics and adaptability to road or gravel riding.

There's a differential rim depth and profile front and rear to cope with the different needs - stability at the front and power transfer at the rear, with the same 23mm internal width for both. Rims are tubeless compatible, although the hooked bead means that they can be used with a wider range of tyres than a hookless design.

Parcours Wind Tunnel tests its wheels and says that although less aero than the deeper Parcours Strade, the Ronde wheels are still best in class for their depth.

Read more: Parcours Ronde wheelset full review

The best road bike wheels: rim brakes

Best aluminum rims

The Fulcrum Racing 4 C17 is an aluminium rim-brake wheelset which combines a reasonable weight - at 1,727g - with a reasonably deep section 35mm rim for improved aerodynamics.

These wheels do fare very well when it comes to stiffness. Even when setting brake clearance as tight as I dared there was no lateral flex or brake rub when cornering at speed to sprinting out of the saddle maximally. The braking was also brilliant, for rim brakes, and amongst the best I have used, giving greater confidence when descending.

However, the narrow rim width does limit the rolling resistance performance of these wheels significantly compared to other wheels with wider rims that are optimised around chunkier tires. Comparing a pair of 23mm tires on the Fulcrum Racing 4 C17 directly to a set of wheels shod with 27mm tires, the difference in rolling resistance was noticeable - with the total system weight still being close enough as to be unnoticeable .

Value-wise, these wheels are competitively priced against its rivals. Some of the other wheelsets come in at around 100g lighter, however they are mostly 24mm deep and also more expensive. With that weight difference feeling fairly negligible and the aerodynamic gains of a deeper section wheel being more beneficial across most terrains, the Fulcrum Racing 4 C17 do represent a solid choice.

Read more: Fulcrum Racing 4 road wheelset full review

Best rim brake

This performance wheelset is particularly important at what is probably the most competitive price point on the market. They're not the fastest to accelerate because they're 50mm deep, but once the Hunt 50 Carbon Wide Aero wheels are up to speed they're unstoppable and on our tests, these instantly increased our average ride speed.

As ever with Hunt wheels, they're tubeless-ready and have a very wide rim width because of it. Whichever tires you put on it will sit far wider than their stated widths.

Read more: Hunt 50 Carbon Wide Aero full review

Stiff and light

Scribe has put a lot of thought into creating a wheelset that promises longevity and durability, with plenty of nods to consumer satisfaction - such as customisable bearing options and extra spokes and nipples supplied as standard.

The rims themselves proved to be durable - though their bombproof quality comes at the loss of some compliance. You won't find any flex here, though, so if stiff is on your shopping list then these value for money hoops could be the perfect upgrade for you.

Read more: Scribe 3850 full review

How to choose the best road bike wheels

The thing is, if you want a wheel that is light and aerodynamic, while also being stiff to cope with the power you put out when sprinting, and hardy enough to stay straight and true when faced with rough roads, you’re going to notice a sizeable dent in your bank account. So before buying, it's important to know exactly what you want from your wheelset.

The questions below are a general guide to the things to consider when choosing between the types of wheels that are available, but fortunately for us cyclists most wheels are spread across all three types, and in general it is possible to get a very good set of do-it-all wheels.

Different types of road bike wheels

Clinchers utilise an open cross-section tire with a bead that holds it in place on the inside of the rim and uses an inner tube. This offers a great deal of convenience as it is easy to repair when you get punctures.

Carbon clincher wheels are significantly heavier than the equivalent tubulars because the rim needs to be stronger to cope with the demands of braking pressure and force from the rim. Some deep section wheels feature a carbon fairing placed over an aluminium rim. These are heavier, but are cheaper than a complete carbon rim, owing to lower manufacturing and development costs, while the aluminium brake track can lead to more consistent braking with rim brakes than many carbon rims.

Tubular wheels are usually lighter than the clincher alternative. This is because the rim does not need to be as strong in order to hold the bead of the tire.

Bonding of the tire to the rim is crucial, in order to avoid rolling the tire off the rim while cornering. Glueing is the most traditional way and considered the most reliable, but it typically takes a couple of days to set, whereas tape is much quicker. The solvent in the glue is also harmful, whereas tape is inert.

If you are racing, riding a sportive or Gran Fondo, or training on a tubular tire and you get a puncture there are a couple of options. Sealant, such as Vittoria Pit Stop can be injected into the tire to seal the hole, but this may not work if the hole is too big.

Alternatively, a spare tub can be placed on the rim, but this will not be bonded as strongly. If you are racing, or riding with a support vehicle, tubulars can be a joy to ride, but for training rides and everyday use, even professionals use clinchers.

Braking surface

Having a carbon or aluminium wheel is going to directly impact the braking surface of the rim. It is easier to manufacture a perfectly flat braking surface with aluminium and the surface reacts more consistently to braking force from a brake pad, particularly when it's wet, resulting in more consistent braking. In addition, aluminium can be machined to feature grooves and patterns to improve the efficiency of the braking.

Carbon braking is consistently improving as technology moves forward, but still pales in comparison to aluminium, especially in the wet. Carbon braking surfaces can also suffer from heat build, especially if you drag your brakes for a long time, which can lead to de-lamination and failure of the rim.

The move to disc brake wheels removes the need for a braking surface on the rim, meaning that it can be built lighter and with a wider, more aerodynamic profile.

Hubs

Hubs are at the centre of the wheel and contain the axle and bearings. Higher quality hubs are better made, often with superior bearings that roll with less friction. Cartridge bearings are the usual standard on anything except the cheapest wheels because they are simple to replace, although Shimano wheels all use loose ball bearings. The smoothest bearings are ceramic ones, although they come with a price tag to match.

In freewheel bicycles (i.e. anything that is not a fixie), the rear hub has a freehub body which is what holds the cassette. This means you can freewheel without turning the pedals.

Whether a wheelset is Shimano/SRAM 11-speed or Campagnolo 11/12-speed compatible depends upon the freehub body, as the different cassettes have a slightly different pattern in the way they slot onto the freehub. This isn’t usually a problem as different freehub bodies can be purchased and changed on the wheel.

SRAM's 12-speed AXS groupsets utilise an XDR driver, a technology borrowed from its Eagle MTB groupsets to allow for a 10 tooth smallest cog. Shimano has also introduced a new freehub design for its latest 12-speed road groupsets, although they're backward compatible with an 11-speed Shimano freehub body.

Campagnolo has a new freehub body called N3W for its Ekar gravel groupset. Its new wheelsets will come with a compatible freehub, although the good news is that it's compatible with its 11/12-speed cassettes via an adaptor.

Note too that MTB freehubs are not compatible with road bike cassettes, as the freehub body is 1.8mm narrower on MTB wheels.

Campagnolo was the first cycling groupset maker to create a 12-speed groupset. The good news is that the cassette fits on the same body as the 11-speed cluster, meaning you should be able to keep using your old wheels. SRAM also now offer a 12-speed road groupset, eTap AXS, but you'll need an XDR driver, while Shimano's 12-speed groupsets are compatible with 11-speed Shimano freehubs.

Spokes and Nipples

Spokes provide support from the hub to the rim and distribute the pressure around the bike wheel, working in both tension and compression. Pay attention to the spoke count, as the more there are the stronger but heavier the wheel. Meanwhile, fewer spokes often make the wheel more aerodynamic. The shape of the spokes also matters, with flat/aero/bladed spokes becoming increasingly standard across all price points.

Nipples hold the spoke in place on the rim and are typically made of brass. When a wheel is trued the spoke tension is adjusted via the nipple. Aluminium nipples can save weight, although they're more subject to corrosion than brass nipples and can freeze to the spoke or break.

How we test

We've ridden hundreds of miles on these wheels in a variety of conditions, both on flat courses and on hillier rides. When a wheelset is tubeless-compatible, we'll have set it up tubeless too and recorded our experiences.

With our crew of highly experienced reviewers we know what to look for in the best road bike wheels.