Best performance wheels for the money, as tested by us

Since launching in 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Scribe Cycling has been on a mission to revolutionise your cycling experience. By combining in-house quality control with industry-recognised wind-tunnel results, Scribe hand-builds performance bike wheelsets that deliver exceptional ride quality at an industry-competitive price. 

Its wheels are designed by riders, for riders, which is evident by the successes of the teams that the brand sponsors. 

Top level performance

Scribe's pinnacle offering is the Élan Superlight, featuring a wind-tunnel-optimised rim, brand new ratchet-drive freehub technology, ceramic (Grade 3) bearings, and carbon fibre spokes. The 40mm offering tips the scales at 1242g, while the 60mm rim is the same T1000 high modulus carbon fibre SL rim that we tested in the wind tunnel. We found the wheels performed in a similar range to wheelsets that were three times the price, while being lighter than some of those wheelsets as well as just as aerodynamic. 

A 21mm internal width and 29mm external width ensure modern standards are met to work most effectively with 25-28mm tyres, allowing for reduced rolling resistance and increased comfort and cornering confidence.

This same rim is used in the Core SL range, which removes the carbon spokes, ceramic (Grade 3) bearings, and 54-tooth ratchet in favour of alloy spokes, steel bearings, and 36t ratchet. Despite these specification differences, the aerodynamic performance remains similar, weight increases by just 72g, and the price stays under £1000. The Core SL range is also available in rim brake offerings, so those still using rim brake bikes don’t have to miss out on the latest performance. 

Scribe doesn’t just limit high performance to the road. Its Gravel 40 wheels use a 24mm internal rim and 30.5mm external to allow the use of wide tyres up to 50mm. Made of T700 and T800 carbon fibre, these are robust, weigh only 1449g, and feature Scribe’s top-end double-disc ratchet drive system.

Shallower 700c and 650b wheelsets are available too for those wanting lighter weight or even larger tyre sizes without compromising frame clearances. 

Competitive price

Not only do Scribe’s wheels perform at the same level as competitors used by World Tour teams, but they do so while being far under the standard industry pricing for wheelsets at this level of weight and performance. 

In our testing of the Core SL 60 in the wind tunnel, no other wheelset in our test was under the £1000 price bracket, while they were one of the top-performing wheelsets over 30, 40 and 50kph, and also one of the lighter offerings.

It’s not just the high-performance Élan and Core offerings that offer such value for performance, though. The new Inception range takes the price even lower, allowing consumers to purchase a competitively performing wheel for just £649, and at only 1433g. A marginally heavier, but equally strong T700/ T800 carbon fibre is used for the rim.

Scribe also boasts a range of alloy performance wheels, with prices starting at £299 and featuring high-end performance options such as the ratchet drive hub system and a sub-1500g wheelset weight. 

Durable and variable designs

The new ratchet drive ensures fast engagement of the freehub, 10 degrees for the 36t and 6.6 degrees for the 54t. Being a ratchet drive, there are fewer moving parts and greater contact points when engaged, enhancing durability and serviceability. 

Customisable options for contact or non-contact bearings allow for tailored choices for enhanced durability and water resistance or minimum rolling resistance and improved watt savings. 

Scribe’s Core and Élan hubs also feature machined alloy bodies to reduce weight, with steel inserts to increase durability.

Being dedicated wheel builders, Scribe also focuses on balancing the wheels properly. Using asymmetric spoke lacing with greater spoke count on the front rotor side and rear drive-side, which allows for better distribution of force. Greater crossed spoke lacing patterns on higher stress sides also result in a stiffer and better performing wheel when accelerating, cornering, and braking. 

External nipples also mean that spoke tension and replacement spokes can be dealt with easily, requiring no removal of tyres and rim tape. 

Customer care

It’s not just about the wheel performance or the cost-to-watt ratio. Scribe prides itself in its customer care and support. In fact, the brand is so confident in its wheels that it offers a 60-day “Ride & Return” policy, letting customers trial their wheels and, if they’re not completely satisfied, return or exchange them for a different model. 

Alongside this, Scribe offers an Infinity Warranty programme. This includes a three-year warranty against any material or workmanship defects. The Infinity Wear programme and lifetime crash replacement allows for carbon wheels damaged in crashes to be repaired at 50% off replacement costs and a nominal fee for any alloy wheels in need of repairs. 

The brand also offers a Re-Gen programme, aimed to reduce waste and offer high-quality products at a reduced price for consumers. Customers can trade in their existing wheelset for a discount, and these trade-in wheels are then graded and sold on to new users, recycling old wheels and reducing waste.