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

Our complete guide to what to look for in the best road bike wheels, including the type of rim, the material, and the depth you should go for

Image shows cyclist riding deep section carbon wheels
(Image credit: Future)

The best road bike wheels are top of most riders' wish lists when it comes to upgrades for their bikes. This is because, more so than most components, a quality set of road wheels can really up the performance of your bike - offering the potential for lighter weight and improved aerodynamics.

Wheels are one area where bike makers often economise to hit a price point and even the best road bikes can come specced with wheels which don't bring out the bike's full potential. It's not such an issue now as it was a few years ago - many brands have upped their game recently and are now now speccing decent wheels - but there's still much to be gained from an upgrade.

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Paul Norman

Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Since then, he’s reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website.

He’s been cycling for a lot longer than that though and his travels by bike have taken him all around Europe and to California. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs.