Road bike wheels Black Friday: carbon, aluminium deals

Brake and cassette: the two filters to install first

A disc brake wheel has no braking surface and features a six-hole hub or Center Lock; a rim brake wheel retains its braking surface and is most often mounted on a quick release. The freehub must then accommodate your cassette: HG11 for Shimano and compatible cassettes, XDR for Sram road cassettes with a 10-tooth cog, N3W for Campagnolo, which accepts its cassettes from 9 to 13 speeds. The existing MTB wheels, whether Boost or Micro Spline, are not suitable for a road bike.

Decoding the label of a road wheel

• Rim height: often the number in the name, like the Bora WTO 45 or the Shimano C50, in millimeters.
• Internal width: C23 at Campagnolo or i23 at Vision refers to an inner width of 23 mm, which accommodates tires of 28 mm and more.
• Mounting: TL or TLR for tubeless, the term tubular for a rim designed for tubular; 2WF at Campagnolo indicates a rim that can be used with or without an inner tube.
• The CL symbol: depending on the brand, it designates the Center Lock disc fitting or a tire with an inner tube. Check the description.

Wheels on promotion: comparing the same wheel

Wheels come in variations with a name that is almost identical: the Fast Forward RAW 44 is available in Shimano or Sram XDR hubs, the Bora WTO 45 in HG11, N3W or XDR. Before comparing two offers, align the height, the hub, the brake, the mounting, and the packaging: a pair cannot be compared to just a front wheel. A wheel bought alone, especially at the rear, must keep the same diameter and brake as the one remaining on the bike. For a carbon wheel, the discount is finally judged on identical hubs: a Bora WTO 45 in XDR and the same in N3W each have their own price.

Useful pages related to the wheel

Outside of operations, the road bike wheels list rim heights, carbon and aluminium throughout the year. A wheel arrives bare: plan for road tires of the correct width, inner tubes with long enough valves for a tall rim, or, in tubeless, a tank pump capable of seating the tire among the pumps and repair. The practical wheels and MTB wheels cater to other bikes, and the end-of-line products later join the clearance.

Road wheel brands in the selection

Shimano codes its wheels with suffixes, C followed by the rim height then mounting, TL for tubeless for example, from the aluminum WH-RS100 to the Dura-Ace WH-R9270 in carbon.

Zipp classifies its carbon wheels into three levels, S, Firecrest, and NSW, from the most accessible to the most advanced, and reserves the name XPLR for its gravel wheels.

Vision pairs its Metron carbon range and SC wheels with names that indicate the rim height, from 30 to 60 mm on this page.

Campagnolo has developed the N3W freehub; its 2-Way Fit rims with MoMag system, without drilling on the tire side, eliminate the need for rim tape in tubeless.

Fast Forward, a Dutch brand, hand assembles its carbon wheels in Zwolle; its RAW, ranging from 33 to 77 mm in height, use CeramicSpeed bearings.

Fulcrum, a subsidiary of Campagnolo created near Vicenza by three aerospace engineers, designs wheels for all brands' drivetrains, from the Racing 5 DB in aluminum to the Wind and Speed in carbon.

Frequently asked questions

Are carbon wheels suitable for rim braking?

Yes, if the wheel is designed for it, with a specific braking surface, like some Bora WTO. Use the pads recommended by the manufacturer and be gentle on the rim during long descents, where the carbon heats up.

Can a road wheel be used for gravel?

Yes, if its internal width accommodates gravel tires and your frame allows them to fit. A rim with an internal width of 23 mm can take tires of 28 mm and more, within the limits specified by the manufacturer.

Will a Shimano hub accept a Sram cassette?

Road cassettes from Sram with a 10-tooth cog require an XDR hub. On many hubs, the hub can be changed with a manufacturer's kit: check that one exists for your wheel before ordering.

Is a rim tape required to mount a tubeless wheel?

Generally yes, to seal the spoke holes. Rims without drilling on the tire side, like the Campagnolo 2-Way Fit with MoMag system, do not need it.

Do Black Friday discounts on wheels last more than one day?

Yes: Black Friday is officially the Friday after Thanksgiving, but Vélo-Store applies discounts on wheels throughout November. Take the time to compare each offer with the exact same version: height, freehub, brake, mounting, and packaging. A previous generation or a rim brake version is not the same wheel, even under a name that sounds similar.