Gravel wheelset advice - R 20 - 30k budget

[Eastieman]

Hey guys, look at the Zipp 303s, Vision SC45, and Csixx All Road. They all have different internal measurements. My question is: What has your experience been with the above, and are there any other options I am missing?

[W@nted]

How about a custom built set from @nick_the_wheelbuilder

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

14 minutes ago, W@nted said:

How about a custom built set from @nick_the_wheelbuilder

There are plenty of options, both off-the-shelf and custom.

22-26mm inner width rims are fine for most gravel bikes.

There are a few options you can look through on my website:

Very premium: https://wheelbuilder.co.za/product/south-industries-gx-hope-pro5/

Very light: https://wheelbuilder.co.za/product/nextie-crx-disc-road/ (same price but with with the Nextie GX gravel rims)

Shout if you'd like to explore these or other options.

Some pics for inspiration.

 

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

25 minutes ago, W@nted said:

How about a custom built set from @nick_the_wheelbuilder

Thanks for the shout-out!

[Furbz]

Biggest mistake i find people make is going to an aero(ish) wheel on a gravel bike.

With the tires we run(38-45C) a deep wheel only adds weight, reduces vertical compliance and adds nothing in terms of aerodynamics while making them more twitchy in winds.

Look for a wheel with a shallow rim, 25C inner rim width and a profile that will lend itself to vertical compliance.

Having ridden many rims my tried and tested for gravel is the ENVE AG25.

i've yet to find anything that matches them in sheer comfort.

they are just so much better than anything else i've tried including 353 Zipps which are extremely comfortable road wheels. but not quite as good as the ENVE AG25 wheels for gravel. the AG25s are also more robust.

I personally will not look at a wheel with a inner width less than 25C - i would not go above that either.

You want to maximise tire volume to help get that much needed extra comforted that gravel bikes need.

The Zipp 303S is a decent choice, its got the 25C inner which adds tire volume and thus increases comfort. I've found bearings on them are not as well sealed as they could be and do develop play fairly quickly (road use). i've not tried them on a grave bike as yet and might be a bit deep.

I do currently have a set of the new Fulcrum Sharq wheels in stock. but i have not tested them and at R39000 they are not a cheap option. beautifully made though.

you could also look at Fulcrum Red Carbon - 25C inner. stunning build quality. i have not tried them personally but they are on my radar. R28k a set

Edited July 9 by Furbz

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

12 minutes ago, Furbz said:

Biggest mistake i find people make is going to an aero(ish) wheel on a gravel bike.

With the tires we run(38-45C) a deep wheel only adds weight, reduces vertical compliance and adds nothing in terms of aerodynamics while making them more twitchy in winds.

Look for a wheel with a shallow rim, 25C inner rim width and a profile that will lend itself to vertical compliance.

Having ridden many rims my tried and tested for gravel is the ENVE AG25.

i've yet to find anything that matches them in sheer comfort.

they are just so much better than anything else i've tried including 353 Zipps which are extremely comfortable road wheels. but not quite as good as the ENVE AG25 wheels for gravel. the AG25s are also more robust.

The Zipp 303S is a decent choice, its got the 25C inner which adds tire volume and thus increases comfort. I've found bearings on them are not as well sealed as they could be and do develop play fairly quickly (road use). i've not tried them on a grave bike as yet

I do currently have a set of the new Fulcrum Sharq wheels in stock. but i have not tested them and at R39000 they are not a cheap option. beautifully made though.

you could also look at Fulcrum Red Carbon - 25C inner. stunning build quality. i have not tried them personally but they are on my radar. R28k a set

I agree. 25-35mm profile is probably best for gravel wheels that won't see much high-speed road use.

I don't buy into the radial compliance story unless the rim has a sub-20mm profile, but that's besides the point.

The deeper you go, the heavier the rims will be, and will add strength to a point.

30mm - 35mm is the sweet spot for me.

 

[Furbz]

2 minutes ago, nick_the_wheelbuilder said:

I agree. 25-35mm profile is probably best for gravel wheels that won't see much high-speed road use.

I don't buy into the radial compliance story unless the rim has a sub-20mm profile, but that's besides the point.

The deeper you go, the heavier the rims will be, and will add strength to a point.

30mm - 35mm is the sweet spot for me.

 

agreed. i see the ENVE rim is only 21mm deep. might be why they have such comfort.

i'm not aware of any other rim that shallow? Zipp XPLR 101 maybe - have never seen a set though

[droo]

If you want bombproof, that Hope / South combo is pretty attractive.

Roval Terra CL / CLX have DT hubs so will also outlast most bikes and are better priced than you'd expect.

Zipp hubs don't have the best reputation for longevity but they are light, so if weight is your aim and you've got bearing presses and pullers in your toolbox then they may be worth a look. Less so if you ride in wet or muddy conditions often. Their rims are sadly not available separately.

[warick_wrx]

Built myself a set of Nextie NXT45AGX ( 29 internal, 40 wide, 45 deep ) rims onto a pair DT350 hub's. Wheels have been bomb proof thus far and have plenty volume, running 44c tyre's. Also depends what tyre width your frame can handle !

Edited July 9 by warick_wrx

[betaboy]

Rim and tyre of course is the real suspension you can create. The inner width is growing amongst manufacturers, so clearly the data is showing bigger is better.

[Eastieman]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I honestly thought of going with nothing less than 45mm for the aero component, but it seems that in real life, the difference in aero gain between a 30 and 45 is minimal to nothing. It seems like it's better to go for a 30 to 35 and save on weight, gaining more comfort.

 

 

[babse]

36 minutes ago, Eastieman said:

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I honestly thought of going with nothing less than 45mm for the aero component, but it seems that in real life, the difference in aero gain between a 30 and 45 is minimal to nothing. It seems like it's better to go for a 30 to 35 and save on weight, gaining more comfort.

 

 

According to DJ, aero is boss. 

 

[Furbz]

10 hours ago, babse said:

According to DJ, aero is boss. 

 

Love Dylan.

Thanks for the share - was really interesting and certainly changed a few of my views

Off to buy some conti 2.2 tire now 😂

[Shebeen]

12 hours ago, betaboy said:

Rim and tyre of course is the real suspension you can create. The inner width is growing amongst manufacturers, so clearly the data is showing bigger is better.

Never seen it before, but the green tyre is clearly much bigger. sorry if stating the obvious.

 

Just to allay my potential confusion, there are three main dimensions here.

*tyre width (normally in inches, but gravel tyres mostly be in mm)

*internal rim widths section (the width of the metal where the tyre fits in)

*rim profile. the distance from the tyre to the spokes, bigger =  "more aero" because spokes cut the wind.  

You could have say 35mm for all of these three dimensions. do I have this correct?

 

 

is that correct? 

 

[droo]

14 hours ago, betaboy said:

Rim and tyre of course is the real suspension you can create. The inner width is growing amongst manufacturers, so clearly the data is showing bigger is better.

Looks like a bicyclepubes drawing...

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

4 hours ago, Shebeen said:

Never seen it before, but the green tyre is clearly much bigger. sorry if stating the obvious.

 

Just to allay my potential confusion, there are three main dimensions here.

*tyre width (normally in inches, but gravel tyres mostly be in mm)

*internal rim widths section (the width of the metal where the tyre fits in)

*rim profile. the distance from the tyre to the spokes, bigger =  "more aero" because spokes cut the wind.  

You could have say 35mm for all of these three dimensions. do I have this correct?

 

 

is that correct? 

 

Here are the important considerations for gravel bike wheels:

Comfort: Wider tyres at lower pressures need rims that can spread the tyre beads. For 35 - 45c tyres, use rims between 22mm and 28mm inner width.

Weight: Lower-profile rims weigh less than deep section ones. Carbon rims are lighter than alloy.

Durability: Rim quality, wheel build workmanship and spoke count all contribute. Keep in mind the maximum weight rating for the rims you choose.

Cost: Buy the best you can afford, but know that spending more won't necessarily get you better wheels.

Alloy wheels from around R9k upwards and carbon wheels from R20k upwards.

So many choices!

Another pic for inspiration: