Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

Parcours Grimpeur wheelset

8
£700.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Light, stiff, stable and excellent value, but better skewers are needed
Weight: 
1,500g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The Parcours Grimpeur wheels are stiff and light with subtle decals. They pick up speed quickly and remain calm in crosswinds, but could do with better skewers.

When buying aftermarket wheels, if you know that £2000 for a carbon set will result in disharmony at home, you might want to consider these new wheels from Parcours. The British based company is aiming to bring high-performance hoops to the everyday cyclist. The range spans from £700 to £800, with depths of 38, 56 and 86mm to suit climbers, sprinters and time triallists.

> Buy these online here

The Grimpeurs have a 38mm-deep carbon rim laced to a CNC machined aluminium hub with Sapim CX Ray spokes. There are 24 spokes in the rear, laced 2-cross on the drive side and radial on the non-drive side, and 20 spokes up front laced radially. The nipples are external, for easy maintenance, and the rims are finished with discreet graphics. At first glance I thought they looked smart and gimmick-free.

Parcours Grimpeur wheelset - detail 2.jpg

Out of the box, the wheels felt pleasingly light at 1500g on our scales, and when spun, looked perfectly true.

Mounting the tyres gave me the first positive. The rims are designed for modern trends and rolling resistance data. As a result, the 25mm Continental Gatorskins I mounted looked huge. The large profile is created by the 25.5mm rim width and 18.2mm internal width. For ride quality this is a big bonus. The larger volume soaks up more road buzz by allowing lower pressures to be used. Out on the road, this not only made my contact points a lot happier, but also helped the bike to track superbly through rough corners. Once in a straight line and sprinting, the wheels felt quick to accelerate and remained planted on the road.

Parcours Grimpeur wheelset - rim bed.jpg

My next euphoric moment came in a crosswind. My race wheels are V-shaped. Add this to my light body weight and I get blown around like a sailing boat. So when I realised these wheels behave themselves, to the point that they are completely unfazed by huge gusts, I was very happy. Most of this calmness is due to the wide U-shape of the rim.

Parcours makes no aerodynamic claims about this wheelset. The company has figures to suggest its 56mm Passista wheelset is very close to Zipp's 404 Firecrest clincher, and it certainly feels like some of those aero benefits have been replicated in the Grimpeur.

> Do you need carbon wheels?

Robustness can be the downfall of cheap carbon wheels. Everyone's heard the horror stories of carbon failure. So off I set, intent on abusing them to their breaking point. I commuted on these, hit countless potholes and used them for a cyclo-cross training session where I was practising hopping barriers. The rims didn't budge. They are still perfectly true. If you do manage to break your wheels, the benefit of having a British company to return them to is, to my mind, worth the extra cost over buying direct from China. The rims are showing little signs of wear, especially considering the muddy grit-paste they were subjected to during my CX sessions.

The braking is similar to many other carbon wheels. There is a slight inconsistency in the power around the rim, with small slips. The majority of this problem can be solved with a higher quality brake pad; the supplied pads aren't soft enough, resulting in a ‘wooden’ feel at the lever. The remainder of the problem is simply inconsistencies in the rim surface. The good thing here is that the basalt surface really helped in the wet.

Parcours Grimpeur wheelset - detail.jpg

I wasn't impressed with the skewers or rim tape. The skewers have been designed to bring the weight down, but in my mind, the component that secures the wheel to the frame isn't the place to save weight. The skewer had no real feel when closing and also hurt my hand from the small surface area. I would be quick to swap these out for a flatter Shimano skewer that has a definite closed position. The rim tape is from Lifeline. While the thin construction keeps rotational weight down, I'd be quick to swap if for a more robust tape, especially for heavier riders or those running pressures over 100psi.

Being able to service these hubs is brilliant. The simple construction means the sealed bearings can be replaced easily with quick reassembly. The freehub body is aluminium and will eventually suffer from bite marks – it's common where the cassette is harder than the freehub – but the simplicity of the hub means replacement parts are cheap and easily accessible.

Parcours Grimpeur wheelset - rear hub.jpg
Parcours Grimpeur wheelset - front hub.jpg

Pointing these wheels uphill, I instantly reaped the benefits of the low rim weight and lateral stiffness. They are a significant upgrade over my aluminium wheels in all but braking performance. My only reservations were the skewers and rim tape, but these are a simple and cheap fix. As a full package these really are very good wheels for the money and worth the extra cost over buying direct from China, I'd say.

Verdict

Light, stiff, stable and excellent value, but better skewers are needed

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Parcours Grimpeur wheelset

Size tested: 38mm deep

Tell us what the wheel is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Parcours' aim is to bring after-market carbon wheels down to a price that doesn't bring you out in a cold sweat.

Parcours says: "The Grimpeur is our lightest, shallowest wheel. The 38mm rim is ideal for when the road starts to head for the clouds. But of course, what goes up must come down so the Grimpeur also has the aerodynamic benefit of a U-shaped rim and Sapim CX-Ray spokes."

The Grimpeur is the climbing wheelset and the cheapest in the range. At £700, some might gasp. But for anyone who has been looking at going carbon, this represents a large saving over the likes of Zipp. The UK quality control and customer service mean these might be a lot more attractive than buying from China.

I found them stiff enough for sprinting with only the tiniest hint of brake rub when wrenching the bike up the steepest grades.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the wheel?

I'll list what Parcours says below, but bear in mind that according to Parcours its 56mm-deep Passista wheels perform almost identically to the rim shape of the Zipp Firecrest 404 clincher.

For the Grimpeur set, the focus is on weight, which, for a 38mm carbon clincher, is on par with Zipp's 202.

From Parcours:

Rim

Depth 38mm

Max rim width 26.0mm

Brake track width 25.5mm

Internal width 18.2mm

Weight

Front 650g

Rear 815g

Wheelset 1,465g

Spokes

Model Sapim CX-Ray

Count 20 (front) / 24 (rear)

Lacing pattern Radial (front, rear non-drive)

2 Cross (rear drive)

Rate the wheel for quality of construction:
 
7/10

The hubs are CNC machined and the same across the range. That keeps costs down primarily, but also leads to a well made, if slightly common looking, hub. Cartridge bearings will take a beating and should require less attention than a loose ball system. Sapim spokes are excellet quality and should be stocked by your local bike shop.

Rate the wheel for performance:
 
8/10

If you've been looking at carbon rims but are concerned by crosswinds, shallow but wide rims seem to be the answer. These were happy to roll along at a fast pace yet never gave me even the slightest concern when the wind started gusting. Stiffness is really rather good for the money. My Supersix frame is so stiff that a poor set of wheels get shown up quickly. Here, however, I had to heave the bike up a 20% hill to get any brake rub. The acceleration benefits from the low rotating weight.

Acceleration isn't as quick as my tubulars, but that's going to be an issue for any clincher. There's just that little bit more rotational weight. It was still way faster than my standard aluminium rims, though.

Rate the wheel for durability:
 
9/10

I've cracked these into a few potholes, put them on my cyclo-cross bike for some bunnyhopping practice and used them for commuting for a month. I popped them in the truing stand, expecting a wobble, but they're running perfectly true. The hubs still spin freely and there's no sign of brake track wear.

Rate the wheel for weight
 
8/10

Sure, you can buy lighter wheels. But they'll cost new bike money. These sit just between the weight of a Zipp 202 and a 303. At less than half the price, that's very good indeed.

Rate the wheel for value:
 
9/10

They are slightly more expensive than wheels from China, but you get UK support for your money, and that can't be underrated.

Did the wheels stay true? Any issues with spoke tension?

No issues to speak of. Genuinely surprising given the beating they took.

How easy did you find it to fit tyres?

Nice and simple. A pair of Continental Gatorskins went on without hassle.

How did the wheel extras (eg skewers and rim tape) perform?

I'm not a fan of companies who save weight at the skewer. I would switch to a skewer with a positive closing action over these. They just never felt secure. I din't have an issue with them, but the weight that you save, it's not worth it. The rim tape is from Lifeline. It's a little thin for me. I'd be switching it out for a hardier tape, just for peace of mind.

Tell us how the wheel performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Going uphill will be transformed if you are switching from stock rims. The stiffness is perfectly adequate for all but the strongest of sprinters and the shape of the rims cancels out any crosswind problems.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the wheel

The stability of the rim in high wind. The wheels also pick up speed very well.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the wheel

The skewers are an unnecessary sacrifice. Put in a good Shimano skewer and you'll have more peace of mind.

Did you enjoy using the wheel? Yes

Would you consider buying the wheel? Yes

Would you recommend the wheel to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

Very good wheels that are surprisingly robust. They gained points for their low weight which really benefited accelerations uphill. The biggest asset to these wheels is their stability in crosswinds. The braking isn't the best and I'd have to change the rim tape and skewers. For this money, though, you can't go wrong.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 22  Height: 1.77m  Weight: 61kg

I usually ride: Rose Xeon RS  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, I specialise in the Cafe Ride!

Add new comment

10 comments

Avatar
Bouvier | 7 years ago
3 likes

I had a very bad experience from buying "Chinese" carbon wheels from a similar British based supplier called Amp Hoops. In fact, I wonder whether Parcours is a reincarnation of this same company as there are some remarkable similarities and it is interesting that I can not find on the Parcours website any company address or telephone number.

I ordered wheels with rims for tubular tyres as I believed that these would be stronger and more reliable and I wanted to try tubular tyres. When my Amp Hoop wheels arrived one was totally out of true. They offered to re-true the wheel if I sent it back to them but it was easier for me to do this myself.

Next, after a few rides, the brake tracks on the wheels started bulging - I suspect that this was a result of poor layup of the carbon. This created big vibrations under braking. Both wheels were sent back and the rims replaced but the same thing happened again to the replacement rims and by the time that I realised that the wheels were really unusable Amp Hoops had disappeared - so about £600 wasted. 

I may have been unlucky but I am now very sceptical about cheap carbon rims and this is mainly because of the issues with the braking.  I might review this if I ever get a bike with disc brakes where the duty of the carbon rims is greatly reduced.

Avatar
parcours replied to Bouvier | 7 years ago
1 like

Hi Bouvier, we were interested to see your comments on your prior experience and just wanted to allay a couple of fears you raised here.

Bouvier wrote:

In fact, I wonder whether Parcours is a reincarnation of this same company

Hadn't directly come across Amp Hoops previously, but Parcours is very definitely a separate business.  There's a little about us on the website, but happy to chat directly if helpful (mail [at] parcours.cc).

Bouvier wrote:

When my Amp Hoop wheels arrived one was totally out of true. They offered to re-true the wheel if I sent it back to them but it was easier for me to do this myself.

Next, after a few rides, the brake tracks on the wheels started bulging - I suspect that this was a result of poor layup of the carbon. This created big vibrations under braking. Both wheels were sent back and the rims replaced but the same thing happened again to the replacement rims and by the time that I realised that the wheels were really unusable Amp Hoops had disappeared - so about £600 wasted. 

We've included a post on our blog that covers the braking testing that our wheels have been through.  Also, each wheel is put through a series of quality control checks before being dispatched to a customer.  We maintain a record of spoke tensions on all Parcours wheels that are sold.

If something were to go wrong with a wheel, the warranty process is also laid out on the website.

Avatar
birzzles | 7 years ago
0 likes

My light bicycle rear carbon rim caved in under light braking after only a couple of local rides.  Their response was for me to take a hike, so I would strongly advise against buying from light bicycle, I put a vid of the rims on you tube.  China is definitely no time cheap enough in my experience.

Avatar
P3t3 | 7 years ago
2 likes

Lovely nice light wheel set, then you put gatorskins on them!?  Ugh!

Avatar
Rapha Nadal replied to P3t3 | 7 years ago
3 likes

P3t3 wrote:

Lovely nice light wheel set, then you put gatorskins on them!?  Ugh!

If they're touted as "everyday" wheels then why not pop an "everyday" tyre on them?

Avatar
StraelGuy | 7 years ago
1 like

Also nice to see them left plain black. Most people's bikes have a colour scheme so when manufacturers cover their wheels with garish decals the chance of them looking good with, or matching, their customers bike's paint job is pretty slim. It's why I have Hunt wheels on both my bikes, very subtle decals.

Avatar
Nixster | 7 years ago
0 likes

Looks like generic rims and Bitex hubs, so I'd say £450 to £550 direct from China. Premium for a UK name on your invoice £250 - £150.  Clearly you pays your money etc.

I'm happy with my Far Sports wheels but there was a certain hassle factor in getting them which might weigh in the balance.  Also when I was looking the UK premium was more like £500. So good to see prices coming down and more options coming forwards. 

Avatar
tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
1 like

"As a full package these really are very good wheels for the money and worth the extra cost over buying direct from China, I'd say."

Okay but why. Anyone tested Parcours on defect issues/warranty? Even Chinese sellers are doing replacements etc a lot of the time. Also are they as fast as Light Bicycle's for example? As stable in crosswinds?

Maybe these are simply branded Chinese or Taiwanese rims, so why pay for their brand name on it. Gigantex's? They make Wiggle's Cosines (55mm for £600) Maybe I'll order some in myself from Gigantex and sell them to road.cc'ers for 50 quid less than Parcour. Sipp. I like that name. Anyone want a pair of Sipps for £650 let me know.

They'll spin true and you can even service the hubs. I have some data about them being nearly as aero as Zipps too.

Just messing, keep democratising carbon wheels. They could be hand built by the finest wheel builders in the UK for all I know. But these are still a bit pricey. Get the price down to 400 to 600 and then we're at a place where pretty much anyone can have them, wreck the rims and replace them if they really want.

Avatar
barbarus | 7 years ago
2 likes

I'm not usually Mr hair shirt and quite happy with people spending their money how they choose when it comes to cycling, but can £700 wheels really be described as "for the everyday cyclist?" Feel free to disagree...

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to barbarus | 7 years ago
0 likes
barbarus wrote:

I'm not usually Mr hair shirt and quite happy with people spending their money how they choose when it comes to cycling, but can £700 wheels really be described as "for the everyday cyclist?" Feel free to disagree...

WRT another current article, I wonder how many of the "everyday cyclists" in Gronigen are riding £700 carbon wheels...?

If you're a competitive racer then there's a case for these. Otherwise you're wasting your money. But - as you say - it's your money.

Latest Comments