Ere Research Tenaci GA40 Aero wheelset

Best known for offering a lot of performance for relatively little money, Ere may have misstepped with the Ere Research Tenaci GA40 Aeros. This aero-optimised gravel wheelset is a generally solid performer, but the 50mm deep rims impact stability in crosswinds quite noticeably, while the drag-reducing advantages are far less tangible. The company’s usual value advantage is a lot less apparent here too.

Ere Research Tenaci GA40 Aero – Technical Details

The GA40s – GA for Gravel Aero and 40 for the 40mm rim height – sit at the top of the Tenaci range.

Fully in-house, the wheels are built with Iona S hubs, which use a 36-tooth ratchet for a 10-degree engagement. The rear hub is available with Shimano Microspline, HG, SRAM XDR, or Campagnolo N3W freehub options.

The wheels are laced with 24 spokes front and rear, using a mix of Sapim’s CX Delta and Sprint bladed spokes. Both hubs run on SKF bearings, which is good to see and not something many other brands offer at this price point.

As expected, the tubeless-compatible rims feature a hookless design with tubeless tape pre-fitted.

They have a 26mm internal diameter, and a bulging rim profile with a 33mm external width at the tyre bead. Recommended tyre sizes run from 32mm (1.25in) to 58mm (2.3in). A generous selection of spares and accessories is included, including tubeless valves and six spare spokes with nipples. With only two spoke lengths across the wheelset, maintenance and replacements are straightforward.

Though the claimed weight is 1,549g, we weighed these at 1,600g without the valves. This was split 730g for the front wheel and 870g for the rear. While this is disappointing, it’s only just over 3% more so very close to the 1-3% tolerance that Ere Research gives. Even at 1,600g they’re pretty typical for deep-section carbon gravel wheels.

One notable positive is the generous maximum rider weight limit of 140kg, and the wheels come with a lifetime warranty for the original owner.

Ere Research Tenaci GA40 Aero – Performance

Setup is straightforward. I tried 45mm Vittoria and 50mm Schwalbe tyres during testing and found them all easy to fit and inflate tubeless. I ran pressures between 20 and 25, depending on conditions.

The wide rim profile was noticeable, and even with relatively wide tyres there was no pronounced taper beyond the rim. Although the internal width is not especially large, the tyres still had a good shape.

Acceleration and stiffness are both good. While these wheels are not particularly light, they never felt heavy or sluggish on climbs. Stiffness is well balanced, delivering a solid ride quality without excessive lateral rigidity, which can affect downhill performance.

However, despite the wide tyres and relatively low pressures, they were not as comfortable as some. Ere Research’s own GT25 wheelset, which also uses a carbon rim – but a 25mm one, instead of 40mm – offers noticeably more comfort, if that’s a priority.

Judging wheels’ aero performance is difficult, and without strictly controlled back-to-back testing it is almost impossible to draw definitive conclusions. However, when comparing GA40s in general use I could not detect a clear or tangible difference in speed or aerodynamic performance over the GT25s.

What was immediately noticeable, however, was any crosswind. These can feel unsettled in blustery conditions, and for some reason they’re worse in crosswinds than some even deeper 50mm gravel rims I’ve been testing – on the same height tyres – at the same time. Even the GT25s are not especially stable in the wind for a relatively shallow rim, so perhaps this is a bit of an Ere characteristic.

That Ere Research GT25 wheelset is also significantly cheaper at £899, but to be fair there are further differences beyond the shallower rim – in spoke and bearing quality, for instance.

The GA40 Aero wheelset features superior SKF bearings and lighter Sapim CX-Delta and Sprint spokes, and in fact their overall weights are similar – the GA40s are only 23 grams heavier than their skinnier cousins.

Despite this, the additional £400 is difficult to justify, as it pushes the GA40 Aero wheelset towards the premium brands. Though there’s certainly still a gap; the Zipp 303 Firecrest and the DT Swiss GRC 1100 Dicut share a broadly similar specifications to the GA40, for instance, but retail for £1,780 and £2,398.99 respectively.

Direct competitors include the Hunt 40 Carbon Gravel Race wheelset – with a lower claimed weight of 1,431g and a retail price of £1,199 – and the Scribe Gravel Carbon 40+, which offer an impressive specification for £899 and a lower claimed weight of 1,449g. Our reviewer Stu was certainly impressed when he tested the fancily-spoked (and more expensive) Berd version. However, some design features, such as the slightly narrower internal rim, may be a drawback for riders using the today’s wide tyres.

Ere Research Tenaci GA40 Aero – verdict

Ere Research has produced a well-rounded wheelset here that performs consistently.

They are more affected by crosswinds than a typical 40mm wheelset however, and they could be a little more compliant too, but the main limitation is the price – particularly given the debateable performance gains you’re getting for the premium.