Just in: Halo Retro wheelset

Not everyone's after a set of semi-deep Carbon wheels to stick on their über posh aero frame. There's plenty of bikes out there that just look nicer with a good quality set of metal wheels on them. And if you're restoring an old steed to former glory, or you've got a good-looking Sunday bike made of metal tubes that just looks better with classic wheels, then the Halo Retro wheelset might interest you.

This new wheelset from Halo is a blend of old-school looks and good quality modern componentry. The rim is a modern box-section extrusion with eyeletted spoke holes, but with a polished finish and minimal etched decals. You get a traditional three-cross lacing front and rear with double butted stainless spokes, and the hubs feature a open flange design for timeless good looks whilst inside it's all very modern with sealed bearings and an alloy freehub body with a nice reassuring click; presumably it's the same unit they use on the Spinmaster hub.

Considering that weight isn't the primary concern here they're by no means heavyweights. It's refreshing that the Halo website is more or less spot on with the weights; in fact ours were 10g lighter than stated at 1,811g for the pair, 811g for the front wheel and a round kilo for the rear. If you want to lay your hands on a pair you'll have to shell out a not-unreasonable £99.99 for the front wheel and £139.99 for the rear.

www.halorims.com