Five cool wheel upgrades coming soon from Mavic, Giant, Cadex, Syncros and Miche

We're bringing you all things wheels in our latest round-up of cool stuff we're testing right now, with some of the finest carbon, gravel and alloy options on test. Although investing in a new set of road bike wheels may seem like a big old investment, we think for most cyclists it will be worth it... plus, you can keep hold of your old set for riding through winter to prolong the life of your new ones!

The wheelsets featured here range from £400 to over £3,500, with Miche's Aero alloy wheelset being the most affordable and Syncros' carbon fibre wheels at the high end, designed for both road and gravel riding.

Which would you choose? Here are the key details before our full reviews land in the coming weeks...  

Cadex 50 Ultra Disc Tubeless Wheelset (£2,649.48)

The Cadex 50 Ultra Disc wheels are "engineered for outright speed", with Cadex claiming to be best-in-class for speed and stiffness to weight. They have a very impressive claimed weight of 1,349g (front 595g/rear 754g). 

> What’s the difference between hooked and hookless bike wheels?

As the name suggests, this is a 50mm deep wheelset featuring a hookless rim profile. As tyre standards improve we've seen many manufacturers switching to this technology, as it often results in a lighter wheelset.

The internal width of the wheels is 22.4mm and the brand recommends between 25mm and 32mm tyres.

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Mavic Cosmic S 42 Disc Wheelset (£900)

> 7 upgrades to boost performance, comfort and bling up your bike

The sub-£1,000 carbon wheel category is highly competitive, and Mavic claims that its Cosmic S 42 Disc wheelset offers the best price-to-quality ratio to access its Cosmic carbon range.

The rims are 42mm deep with a 21mm internal width, featuring flat spokes designed to reduce wind resistance and provide high lateral stability at speed, according to Mavic. The total wheelset weighed in at 1,580g on the road.cc Scales of Truth.

Promising aero efficiency and quick acceleration, check back in a couple of weeks to see Josh's full review. 

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Syncros Capital SL 40 Wheelset (£3,639)

Next up is the most expensive wheelset featured here (and in most places), from Scott's subsidiary brand, Syncros. The Syncros Capital SL 40 Wheelset is the fastest on the market according to Syncros (which is to be expected) and they'rre designed for both road and gravel use.

They feature a one-piece carbon fibre system promising "faster acceleration, faster cornering, fetter handling and aero performance", weighing in at an impressively feathery 1,202g. 

Aside from the striking looks, the monocoque bracing structure is said to be 35% stronger than traditional steel spokes and "perfectly pre-tensioned" during production.

The Capital SL’s rim is a hookless design with an internal diameter of 25mm. 

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Miche Syntium Aero Wheelset (£429.99)

The Miche Syntium Aero Wheelset is an aluminium option that, according to the brand, delivers a combination of lightweight performance, reliability, and aerodynamics.

The rim height has been increased from 25mm to 29mm, and Miche claims the design has been optimised using trickle-down technology from its top-end wheels. Additionally, the rims have a 19mm internal width and are tubeless-ready.

The total weight of this wheelset is 1,720g ( (front 790g/rear 930g). 

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Giant SLR 1 50 Disc WheelSystem (£1,199.98)

Giant's SLR disc brake wheelsets are available in a range of depths, from 36mm to 65mm, all featuring a hookless, tubeless, carbon rim design. In the 50mm range, there are two options: the SLR 1, featured here at £1,199.98, and the SLR 2, priced at £899.98, which we previously reviewed and rated 7/10.

Giant says the SLR 2 wheels offer a combination of aerodynamic efficiency and minimised power loss, along with a claimed weight of 1,518g. 

The internal width of these wheels matches that of the Cadex wheels mentioned above, at 22.4mm.

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