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review

Reynolds Solitude wheelset

7
£399.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Good budget race wheel for fast, smooth riding
Weight: 
1,560g
Contact: 
www.upgradebikes.co.uk

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.

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The four hundred pound mark is a competitive price point for wheels: If you're looking to upgrade it's the kind of money that'll buy you something decent, and the Solitudes are certainly that. They're a well-built, good quality racing wheel that'll suit if you're aiming for racing or TTs. For more general riding, the all round appeal isn't quite as wide as some similarly priced offerings.

The Solitudes are hand built from quality parts. The nicely finished semi-deep alloy rim is laced with DT spokes to Reynolds' own slimline hubs, and the overall impression is very sleek. There's plenty of metal in the rim, and the weight at 1560g is about average for wheels at this price. The rim is noticeably narrower than many: the Solitude is designed as a race wheelset so the expectation is that they'd be sporting at biggest a 700x23c. Anything wider than that balloons a bit, so I wouldn't recommend them if you routinely run a bigger tyre for whatever reason.

The deep rim and narrow profile mark these wheels out as a semi-aero design, and this may have had some bearing on the decision to run internal nipples on the spokes, recessed inside the rim. This certainly makes the wheelset look nice and tidy but I'd need some persuading that it makes any aerodynamic difference, and to true the wheel you'll have to take off the tyre, tube and rim tape. Luckily so far this hasn't been necessary, they're still slide-rule straight after many miles of testing. Durability overall has been excellent, although one thing to note is that it's a good idea to make sure the cassette is on nice and tight, as it's possible to notch the Aluminium freehub body.

Out on the road the Solitudes roll well and they feel assured, especially on smooth tarmac. When the surface breaks up a bit the depth of the rim means they're quite stiff in the vertical plane, transferring more road shock than a shallow rim might. Laterally they're middle of the pack, with a 4mm deflection for a 15kg load at the rim: Not as stiff as a Fulcrum 3, stiffer than an RS80. Out on the road I got the odd bit of brake rub but generally there were no problems.

They're not the fastest wheels out of the blocks, possibly due again to the fact that a fair bit of the weight is in the rim. Once up to speed they crack along, but on hillier courses the small weight penalty (100g over an RS80) comes into play more. They're small differences, but the wheels are where you'll notice them most.

I'd been riding the Solitudes for a month or so on varied terrain and to be honest I was a bit underwhelmed, but then I found their true spiritual home: Castle Combe racing circuit. I completed a duathlon there, and out on the smooth, flat tarmac they fairly buzzed along, slicing through the wind and feeling every bit the race wheel they're designed to be. They excel in those conditions, so if you're looking to upgrade to roll a bit quicker in circuit races or fast TTs then they're well worth a look. Similarly, if you're keeping your old wheels for training and want some Sunday best hoops, they look and feel the part. If you want to sink £400 into some decent all-purpose wheels for all your riding, however, these wouldn't be my first choice.

Verdict

Good budget race wheel for fast, smooth rides but there are better all-purpose hoops at this price.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Reynolds Solitude wheelset

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product 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?

they say: "The Reynolds Solitude proves you don’t have to settle for second class performance in a value-packed alloy wheelset. For 2009, the Solitude continues to deliver specs and performance that rival any aluminum wheel, at any price. It’s a strong, stiff, lightweight aluminum rim with a low spoke count, internal spoke nipples, and a shallow-V profile, so it excels across a variety of conditions. The Solitude is hand-built, and loaded with quality for the long haul. It climbs fast, pulls through on the flats, and sheds seconds in a time trial. If you’re looking for a value performer that’s way more than a training wheelset, pick up the Solitude."

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

Semi deep section alloy rim laced to Reynolds slimline alloy hubs with 20 radial DT Revolution spokes (front), 24 2X DT Revolution spokes (rear). Internal spoke nipples.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Nicely made, the wheels are hand built and the spoke tensions are nice and even. They remained true throughout testing

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

Great on smooth, flat TTs and circuit races, less well behaved on training rides. Better suited to the smooth stuff

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

No problems during testing, except that there was some notching on the cassette hub from a too-loose cassette

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
6/10

Not heavy, but not light at this price either

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
6/10

The Solitudes can be a bit unforgiving over more broken surfaces

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Good wheels, well made and finished

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

Well. They're designed as a racing wheelset and that's where they're most at home. However, many people will be wanting more all-round capability from a wheel at this price

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Feel smooth and fast on good surfaces

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

internal nipples are pretty user-unfriendly, still unsure about the merits of the narrow rim

Did you enjoy using the product? yes

Would you consider buying the product? I'd probably go for an all-rounder

Would you recommend the product to a friend? yes, depending on their requirements

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 190cm  Weight: 98kg

I usually ride: Schwinn Moab, urbanised with 700cs  My best bike is: Trek 1.5 with upgrades

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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