The results suggest a saving of as many as 20.6 watts against an entry-level wheelset at pro peloton race speeds of 50kph, or up to 5.6 watts at a more attainable 30kph, as well as a weight saving of 435g.
In the latest of a growing series of lab tests, which has so far in 2024 covered 23 helmets, 11 superbikes, 24 road tyres, and 15 pairs of bib shorts, the Cyclingnews tech team took 18 of today's best road bike wheels – and an entry-level baseline to benchmark against – to the cycling-specific wind tunnel at the revered Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub in England.
They tested at three speeds across seven yaw angles for a total of 399 data points across all wheels. They also captured a multitude of additional measurements on the day, including real-world weights, tyre widths, and more.
In the 10,000-word analysis of the test, the team not only outlined the aero results of each wheelset, but also examined correlations between aerodynamics and both weight and price. They even calculated the cost per watt saved when upgrading a wheelset, and compared that to those found in previous tests.
The test featured a road cyclist's veritable Christmas wishlist of premium race wheels, including the Princeton Carbonworks Wake 6560 Evolution, Roval Rapide CLX II, Enve SES 6.7, Reserve 52/63, Syncros Capital SL Aero, Hunt Sub 50 Limitless UD Carbon Spoke, Cadex 50 Ultra and many more.
They each were tested in a Reap Vekta aero bike, and each with 28mm Schwalbe Pro One TLE tyres to standardise the results as accurately as possible.
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Despite the Scope Artech wheels topping the table on the day, there is an important caveat to account for in the form of the test's statistical error. When taken into account, a small selection of others can lay claim to the wind tunnel's top spot.
With that in mind, a few other brands will also walk away from the test satisfied. The Syncros Capital SL Aero wheels, for example, were a close second in both aero and weight, and actually came out slightly faster at the 50kph test speed.
Another big winner on the day was Northern Ireland-based Scribe Cycling, whose Core SuperLight 60 wheels held their own at all speeds, despite being significantly cheaper than most other wheels, and less than a quarter of the price of the most expensive on test.
Hunt, Cadex and Parcours, whose wheels were all at the shallower end of the test, came out strongly too against deeper competitors.
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Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews.
On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.
