Best gravel wheels: Find fresh speed and finer handling with our pick of the top wheelsets for gravel riding

Scoring an impressive four and a half stars, Hunt’s 25 Carbon Gravel X-Wide wheels made it into Matt’s Gear of the Year for 2025, which means they’re definitely not to be sniffed at. This wheelset is nothing short of modern with its 27mm internal width and build that’s primed for wider gravel rubber. With the H_Core reinforcement, these may well be some of the strongest gravel rims on the market, says Hunt.

But Matt loved these for their weight, or lackthereof, strength, and response. He found them to be comfortable and appreciated the limited number of different spoke lengths, which makes replacing them simple. Though there’s just one downside – the freehub. It’s not as fast engaging is others, so if speedy engagement is something you’re after, these may not be your cup of tea.

Coming in at £900 a set, Ere Research’s Tenaci GT 25 wheelset looks to be an affordable entry into the world of carbon gravel wheels. These benefit from a 26mm internal width, so they’re primed for wide gravel tyres up to 54mm in width. They then don 24 spokes each along with a 36t ratchet freehub.

For the money, we reckon that this wheelset provides top-notch performance, balancing stiffness and compliance to deliver a responsive but comfortable ride. Although there are just 24 spokes on each wheel, they retained their tension throughout the test, and we’re fans of the high gloss finish. These wheels aren’t the lightest around, however, and we thought that the freehub engagement could be a little quicker.

DT Swiss’s GRC 1100 Dicut wheelset is all about speed. It achieves that through employing the brand’s fancy Aero+ design, which includes the interestingly shaped rim that bulges outwards to improve the flow of air around it. Upping the marginal aero gains is a set of flat-bladed spokes and a 36t ratchet freehub keeps the power flowing. These are then available in 700c and 650b sizes with the 50mm deep rimmed version in the 700c size, weighing 1,600g, on our scales.

If it’s speed you’re after, this wheelset delivers. It’s fast, stiff, and reliable, but it prioritises speed over comfort, and the price may not be to the tastes of the average Joe.

The Parcours FKT gravel wheelset is yet another to find its way into this round-up that leans towards aerodynamic gains. Behind these wheels is a whole load of sciency research that promises to help guide air in the best way possible, but as with many wheels like these, they get a 27mm internal rim width to support big tyres. There’s then a 47mm rim depth, and the wheelset weighs 1,500g. As for the freehub, that’s sorted with 44t and uses a ratchet configuration.

Our tester found that there was a lot to like about the FKT wheels. They’re well priced, wide enough for modern tyres while blending speed with compliance. Downsides? Well, the Parcour brand may not be as alluring as those of bigger reputations.

One of the most affordable wheelsets in this guide is DT Swiss’s GR 1600 Spline wheelset. Coming in at £539, it boasts an aluminium construction, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that they don’t pack performance. With 25mm rim profiles and a 24mm internal width, they’re still capable of seating good tyres, up to 55mm, in fact, when set up as tubeless, and even 69mm if you’re still loyal to tubes.

During testing, we found these wheels to be plenty durable enough for all kinds of gravel, and they’re just about as stiff as any other aluminium wheel. Our tester found very little at fault here, but they’re not the lightest, and alloy wheels can be cheaper still.

Said to be ‘one of the best gravel wheelsets currently available’ by our tester, the AG25 Gravel may be one of ENVE’s most ‘affordable’. These wheels benefit from a hookless rim architecture that allows for closer tolerance when built, which results in a more dependable tubeless interface. There are also wide lips to help reduce the chances of pinch flats. There’s then a rather low 21mm rim depth which has been designed to boost compliance and comfort, rather than go for all-out stiffness.

During the test, we found these wheels to be strong and comfortable while being lightweight. Tubeless setup was straightforward, and the wheelset is covered by ENVE’s damage protection policy, which is always a plus in our books. But, while these wheels are cheap for ENVE, the price is still pretty high, and the freehub noise won’t suit everyone’s tastes.

Although priced at £950, the Acceleron wheelset is Seido’s top-of-the-range offering, and it’s equipped with a fast-engaging 102t freehub. Available in 650b and 700c sizes, there are some differences in their measurements, but the 700c wheelset tested came with a 21mm internal width, and it uses the clincher interface.

Our tester was a big fan of the freehub’s speedy engagement and its confidence-inspiring ride feel. However, we would prefer a wider internal width to play ball with wider tyres

Reynolds is a big player in the carbon wheel game, and the Blacklabel G700 Pro sits atop its carbon wheel range. These hoops are kitted to the nines with fancy tech, including Industry Nine’s Torch hubs, asymmetric 26mm deep rims, and the tubeless straight side profile, finished with a 25mm internal width.

The best bits are that these weigh a very respectable 1,340g, and the hubs are nothing short of excellent, thanks to their smooth bearings and distinctive buzz. These aren’t cheap wheels, but in this case, you’re paying for performance.

At 35mm deep, the Halo Carbaura XCD Carbon Gravel wheels have an external width of 30mm, but more importantly, an internal width of 26mm, which makes them compatible with tyres from 28mm width up to 50mm. This allows you to run them as road wheels, too.

We fitted some 32mm slick tyres for road use, and the shape of the tyre worked well with no stretching that kept the sidewalls where they should be. Their sweet spot, though, is for wider gravel tyres, of which Stu tried both 40mm and 45mm during his test.

The Geon is Seido’s aluminium wheelset aimed at the racy end of the gravel spectrum, without costing the earth. Like the Acceleron wheels, these use a hooked cluncher rim design, but these are a little narrower, with a 23mm internal width. With 24 straight pull spokes at each wheel, joining the rims to the Seido hubs, there’s a 36t ratchet freehub. This wheelset is then available in 650b and 700c wheel sizes. But despite those narrower rims, they should support tyres of 30mm to 60mm in width.

On the bike, we were impressed with the stiffness that the Geon set provides. Because of that, they’re rigid enough to remain responsive under pedalling loads while being reasonably comfortable. But with 24 spokes on each wheel, there’s something of a compromise to strength as the Geon wheels focus more towards weight savings. Saying that, we had no issues with durability during the test.