Scope R4c wheels

Netherlands-based brand Scope's R4c wheels have a quality ride feel backed up by a decent amount of aerodynamic benefit, making them a good all-round road wheelset. The weight is pretty impressive too, and the price isn’t bad.

• Pros: Great levels of stiffness, smooth running bearings
• Cons: Braking surface isn't as good as some others

The stiffness of this build is one of things that impressed me most. Hard sprinting and climbing efforts that had wheels like the Aera AR55 set touching the brake blocks had no effect on the lateral movement of the R4c pair at all. Cornering hard and heavy braking does little to unsettle them either.

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The ride quality is good too. Some deep-section rims, especially those from the budget end of the spectrum, can feel buzzy and harsh over rough road surfaces but there is none of that here. The 45mm-deep, rounded rims are perfectly damped and make for a very pleasurable ride when the tarmac is far from smooth.

On the flat, you start to notice the aerodynamic benefits of a deep-section rim once you get to about 50-60mm in depth, so the Scopes aren't quite as easy to keep rolling above speeds of around 25mph but they really aren't that far off.

On the flipside you've got the added benefit of more versatility as they are less susceptible to strong crosswinds than a deeper wheel and the weight can be kept down, making them a decent climbing wheel.

The SKF bearings in the Scope hubs run smoothly and the freehub engagement at the rear is quick and precise for when you want to hammer away from a standing start.

The front wheel uses 18 spokes laced in a radial pattern while the rear uses 21 set up radial on the non-drive side and two-cross on the other for increased stiffness to resist the forces from the drivetrain.

Using external nipples makes truing easy, not that it was necessary here as the wheels turned up straight and remained so throughout the test period.

The rim itself has an internal width of 19mm and is 26mm across the external brake track. This spreads the tyre slightly wider than its nominal sidewall size: we used these with 25mm Schwalbe Pro Ones (chosen because Scope has received a top-scoring AAA rating from Schwalbe​, meaning that the rims and tyres work well together) that measure nearer to 27.5mm, which is worth bearing in mind if you have very tight frame clearances.

On the subject of tyres, Scope says that it has developed the rim bed shape to work perfectly with tubeless tyres and has a chart to show their compatibility with various tyres when it comes to fitment, inflation and so on.

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The only thing I wasn't totally blown away by was the braking performance. It's way better than carbon rims of old, but after swapping from the RSP Calavera CC35 wheels straight to the Scopes I did notice a little less bite from the pads in the wet and dry, which continued even after they'd bedded in.

During testing these wheels have done about 500 miles in all weather conditions and they haven't missed a beat. They are still running smooth and true without any annoying little creaks or whatever, and judging by the quality I can't see this changing anytime soon.

Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo freehub bodies are available as an option at the checkout, plus you can choose whether to have white or black decals on the wheels, all for the same money. Custom decals can be had for a fee, and if you want to upgrade to CeramicSpeed bearings that'll up the standard price to £1,798.

As tested, their price of £1,298 includes quick releases, brake pads and tubeless valves, and I'd say that's pretty good for the money, especially when you take their durability into account.

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They do face some stiff opposition, though. The excellent Prime BlackEdition 50 wheelset is a similar weight and is priced at £1,099.99, for instance.

Or there is the BORG50C wheelset which is heavier at 1,670g but costs a pretty remarkable £910 including tyres.

So, yes, you can get cheaper, but I still stand by the fact that this is a quality wheelset and though you might be paying that little bit extra you won't be disappointed.

Verdict

A stiff and relatively lightweight wheelset that offers good all-round performance on the road