Prime RR-50 V3 Carbon Clincher Wheelset

Prime's RR-50 V3 Carbon Clincher wheelset is an accessible way into the world of deep carbon wheels. They look brilliant, are a massive upgrade over stock aluminium wheels, and they perform really well too. At this price, they're hard to beat.

If you are looking for cheap carbon clincher wheels, you've got a whole host of options from overseas, but the danger has always been getting something that doesn't work properly.

If you spend a bit more money then Hunt offers the 50 Carbon Wide wheels at £869, but the reality is that finding good carbon wheels below the £600 mark is tricky, especially if you want a set that you don't need to import and comes from a UK seller for returns. The Prime RR-50 V3 ticks a lot of boxes before you've even put the wheels on the bike.

Speaking of which, getting these set up with tyres is a doddle with the right tyre. Tubeless can be done with a standard track pump and I had them on the bike in a flash.

Once on, they instantly improve the look of a road bike compared to shallow aluminium wheels. That's what I believe many people will be buying these hoops for, and the stealthy grey decals certainly add to the aesthetic.

Thankfully, these hoops don't just look good. Although off-the-line acceleration isn't their strong point, the RR-50s are great for accelerations once you head north of 20mph. The 50mm profile seems to cut through the air, and if you're upgrading from stock aluminium wheels you'll notice the difference in speed.

Up at this speed, some wheels can be blown about by crosswinds but I found these wheels to be nicely stable. Sure, if you ride past a gap in the hedge on a windy day there will be some sideways movement, but these aren't twitchy like some wheels.

At some point, you will need to hit the brakes. This is always a crucial part of testing with carbon rim brake wheels, as braking can expose a poorly made rim. The consistent feel of the brakes suggests the rims have been well made, and this results in predictable braking. It isn't the most powerful stopping surface that I've used, but at least you can trust the brakes.

Their 50mm rim is getting deep for a wheel, and with the weight of 1,470g (bare, no skewers) these are best suited to flat and rolling terrain. When I took them on steeper climbs, the acceleration I wanted was a little dull. There was also a little brake rub when really leaning the bike over during a hard effort. Still, the performance is more than good enough for the money.

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The actual build of the wheels is good, if not great. There was a tiny hop on the rear wheel, but nothing that you'd notice when riding, and with aluminium spokes and nipples sitting in the carbon rim, you're likely to be replacing a broken spoke at some point as this combination loves to corrode.

That said, you get plenty of spares in the box along with good skewers and very good brake pads, and tubeless tape is installed for you.

All in, for the £599, it is a cracking package and one that other brands can't match. In fact, we've not reviewed any rim brake carbon clinchers in the same price bracket.

These wheels are great at making your bike look good, they're great at making it go fast, and they're great value too. You can't get much better than that.

Verdict

Will make you faster and your bike look great for not much money