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review

Halo Evaura 6D 700C wheelset

8
£298.98

VERDICT:

8
10
Great sub-£300 wheels, ideal for winter training
Weight: 
1,573g

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The Halo Evaura 6D 700C wheels are a decent first upgrade from stock wheels, or if you have good wheels you'd like to keep for summer 'best' the Halos make a good winter training set. With a good wide rim and a fairly bombproof setup, they run smoothly without letting too much buzz through. Just watch out for the rim tape, and be prepared to force tyres on.

At this time of year people are often looking for a set of winter wheels or to upgrade the wheels they got on a bike picked up in the end of season sale. This is where I think the Halo Evauras sit in the market, offering an upgrade from the standard fare you would normally find on entry-level and some mid-level bikes.

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Helping with their ability to perform well in rougher conditions is their width: the rims are 24mm wide, 19mm internally, meaning that should your bike have the clearance, they're ideal for 28mm tyres. That means more comfort on rougher surfaces and you can also run wider tyres at lower pressures, again helping to increase comfort. (Wider tyres are faster, too – find out why, here.)

Halo Evaura 6D 700c wheelset - rim bed

I used 25mm tyres on the test wheels and found that they let little buzz through, even at 110psi. I was comfortable using them all day in even the wettest, windiest conditions, their relatively low 22mm rounded profile helping here as it doesn't catch crosswinds too badly.

Halo Evaura 6D 700c wheelset - rim

Both front and rear run on Halo's own sealed-bearing hubs, which spin up nicely and maintain speed fairly well for an inexpensive set of wheels. The hubs work effectively and the fact that they're sealed, combined with the alloy body, means upkeep is kept to a minimum and they are likely to be durable – something that is always encouraging when running wheels on long, wet, muddy winter rides.

The freewheel on the rear has a 30-tooth engagement and a nice loud click. This is a personal preference, but I like to have a loud freewheel so that if I'm behind somebody I can let them know I'm there by simply stopping pushing the cranks, which seems much more gentlemanly than ringing a bell or bellowing at them.

Halo Evaura 6D 700c wheelset - rear hub

The front wheel has a 20-spoke radial spoking which maintains decent lateral stiffness, and the wheels feels robust and strong when cornering at speed. At the rear Halo has created a 2:1 ratio of 16/8 to maintain lateral stiffness evenly across the wheel, given the additional pressure placed on the drive side because of the cassette reducing the angle of the spokes. Both are set on attractive looking anodised red nipples at the rim, giving them a high quality and pleasing look.

Halo Evaura 6D 700c wheelset - front hub

With the front wheel coming in at 673g and the rear at 899g, it gives the wheels a 1573g total weight (with tape but without tubes or skewers), which is fairly impressive for a set of sub-£300 wheels. This weight helps not only with acceleration but also in the hills, where although you might not fly up like Froomey, you shouldn't find your legs burning unnecessarily.

The Halos also come tubeless-ready and taped so you can ditch your inner tubes if that's your preference. I used them as clinchers with Continental Gatorskin tyres, which I struggled to fit given the width of the rims. It also led to the only issue that I had with them, which was that the rim tape – needed so the wheels are ready for tubeless tyres – shifted as I was trying to force the tyre on. That resulted in a spoke through my tube, although after stripping off the tape and replacing it with a more hardwearing version, I had no more problems.

>> Check out our guide to upgrading your wheels here

With an RRP of £298.98, the Halos are a really good value wheelset offering impressive stiffness, durability and comfort. They perform at a level higher than many would expect at this price point.

Overall, I was very impressed with this wheelset. Despite the issues with the tape and the initial difficulty in fitting clinchers, once out on the road there is little not to like. They spin up well, they're very durable and are relatively light, making them a great option for a low-budget upgrade or winter training wheels.

Verdict

Great sub-£300 wheels, ideal for winter training

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Halo Evaura 6D 700c wheelset

Size tested: 700C, black

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?

This wheelset is aimed at those looking for a budget upgrade from stock wheels, or a set of winter training wheels.

Coming in at sub-£300 and with good performance, they make a great option for either.

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

Rims

· Heat treated T10 nobium super alloy

· Sleeved joint

· 24mm wide (external)

· 19mm internal

· 22mm deep

· ERD - 595mm

· Weight – 450g

· Tubeless ready

 

Front wheel

· 20H straight pull, black stainless DB spokes

· 2 x sealed bearings

· Weight – 668g

 

Rear wheel

· 24H (2:1 16/8E) 2x lacing - (16/8E offers enhanced lateral stiffness due to a more equal spoke tension on drive/non-drive sides)

· 2 x sealed bearings, 6 pawl, 30t engagement.

· Weight – 898g

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

The wheels themselves are fairly bombproof. I took them over some rough surfaces without any kind of issue. They only lose marks due to the rim tape that can shift.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

For a set of budget wheels they perform admirably. They conform to the current trend of wide rims that can incorporate larger tyres and comfort is great because of this.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

With sealed bearings and solid, wide rims, they are likely to last many thousands of miles.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

Roughly similar to others in this price bracket, but you can certainly find more expensive wheels that weigh more.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10

Wide rims incorporating larger capacity tyres means little buzz through the bike. They work great.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

At under £300, these wheels represent great value for money.

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

Performed very well, spun up quickly and were very comfortable even on rough surfaces. For a budget upgrade wheelset, what more could you ask for?

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The construction feels sturdy and reliable.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The rim tape can shift, especially with the struggle to put on stiffer beaded tyres.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

Really good wheels that offer great value for money. If you are looking for winter trainers or an upgrade from stock sets you will not be disappointed.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Evo 6  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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