What’s the perfect depth? 👇🏻

Another bonus to mid-depth wheels, bumming tubes from friends is much easier if you don’t need 60mm+ stems or valve extenders.

I've been riding the Enve 3.4AR for a few years and absolutely love them. They're super compliant and durable, yet fast enough to hang on during group rides. I've decided to opt for the new SES 4.5 as I wanted a more road-specific wheel set as I'm now running G23's on my gravel bike. Ultimately, I think it depends where/how you ride and if you're looking for a do-it-all wheel versus a road or gravel specific option.

I'm rocking 64s on my road bike - live in a mountain area. I'm a bigger guy so the cross wind doesn't impact me except on a few descents on a windy day. I'm not sure if they're any faster and bet they're slower on climbs but they look badass and thus inspire me to ride. Plus I LOVEEEE that sound of them cranking up to speed - WHOOSH WHOOSH. Pure bliss my dudes - feel like a monster when they're cranking. If I got serious about racing / KOM chasing I might have a different perspective.

I’ve got a set of 32mm and a set of 45mm deep wheels that I swap around on my Aethos. The 32mm are lighter by almost 300g but for whatever reason I love my 45s. There’s something aesthetically pleasing about the wheels being deeper/thicker looking than the tires from a side perspective.

Have 65, 50, 42mm wheels. Now I just ride aluminum 32mm or 30mm for a do it all wheelset. The best do it all wheelset is the one you train on the most. If I would go deep carbon I would pick 38mm or 40mm at the most. It's the best depth for both flats and climbing.

For me, somewhere between 35~42mm seems to be the sweet spot. It does not excel at any one thing, but is sufficiently light and adequately aero for nearly all conditions and the types of ride I do.

I was previously running 60mm deep wheels on my Rarmac. Recently went down to a staggered setup with the Enve 4.5. Haven't looked back and been loving the shallower front wheel

Hi there. Thanks for sharing. I believe a 45mm is a do it all. Maybe a little bit more 48mm or a combination of 45mm front and 55mm rear. But it depends on what type or bike you have and type of ride you do

I'm on a set of OG Zipp 303 Firecrests circa 2016 that I've carried across two bikes which now sit on my S-Works SL6. Unbelievably the brake tracks are still in excellent condition and the wheels probably won't be replaced until they outright fail. Fast enough to not be slow, light enough to climb, and shallow enough for windy days, true Jack of all trades.

I'm happy with my 35mm deep dt swiss wheels. Used to ride 46mm wheels. I did not like them in strong crosswinds though I'm sure one can get used to it a bit. But I'm a lighter small rider and the wind in my area can be sometimes very strong.

Thanks for this video. I'm in need of a new bike but am unhappy with at least one thing in every bike I've looked at. I am considering building my bike and getting the wheels I want. I currently have 35mm Aeolus but always wanted deeper.

To put it simply, deep wheels become a MASSIVE source of drag the second your rounding a long curve, or there is any slight cross draft. They are more aero when you are riding straight and directly into the wind, but only in this situation. It’s like the aero bikes of ten years ago. They were knife thin and flat from the front but from the side those wide bars were like sails.

You’re absolutely correct especially if you do a lot of group riding. Most of benefit setting on somebody’s wheel. Plus most of that speed is made up after 24 miles an hour or so so my opinion which everybody has one is lighter I think over 38 to 50 is a good balance.

Extremes imo are great for all-out-efforts on time trials. Super deep for flat TT (ex. Enve 6.7) and super light and shallower for hill climb TT (ex. Enve 2.2). However, for everyday riding that encompasses fast flats and hilly climbs, I love my 3.4s. I’d consider 4.5s, but definitely not deeper.

Thanks for sharing and thanks to all those who made comments.

I’m running 32mm hooked tubeless and it’s perfect for me. I do a fair amount of climbing on my rides so I appreciate a lighter wheel

I'd go (as I do...) for 33~35mm depth. You get lower weight, less problems with crosswinds and maximum climbing capability.

not familiar with reserve road wheels? looking at the 34/37s w DTS-180 any thought on quality and other features? i see in your videos you have a couple of wheelsets from this guys

I think 45 is as deep and most people need. My dad has a set of ENVE 6.7s on his Cervelo S5 and I've never enjoyed riding that bike. Feels no faster than my cheap Lun 45s that I have on my Cento 1. I feel like the deep wheel craze is all down to marketing and aesthetics because they look cool as hell. Sure they're faster in the wind tunnel but that's a highly controlled environment with conditions that we will rarely ever see on the road. I've never gotten the urge to go deeper because even on my relatively deep wheels now, I'm still getting dropped by folks on the shallowest of alloy training wheels. I just need to get better! More people need to spend more riding and spend less money on bling!

Living in the Midwest we don’t have many crazy climbs. A lot are rolling hills. I have zipp speed 404 wheels on my venge and they seem to get the job done for what my area calls for

The parameters presented sounds very similar to my mind like the latest roval rapide clx… regarding which, I would posit that in isolation, arguably, the depth dimension may give a misleading impression. Last night approaching 70kph descending on 50mm CL front 62mm CLX rear wheels, in about as strong cross winds as I’ve ever experienced, I noticed the subtlest death wobble wanted to develop and while I went with it for some time, resisting the urge to press on faster, as the road negotiated its way around a bend, the wind, perhaps by virtue of the landscape’s geometry, (fairly cliff-like along one side) in super quick succession pushed the front rim hard from alternating sides*, hard enough it did take some strength to resist. 5 to 7 times with a little bit more than a second, literally felt like someone with two hands gripping the front wheel and trying to turn it left-right-left-right. It occurred to me at the time that specialized claim regarding the newest rapides, with their much wider front width rims (and overall rim width and cross section form into a less bladelike form than the previous generation such as one rides). Anyhoo, the overall depth of the rims, arguably, should be considered in concert with the overall width, the particular overall profile form / shape, and no doubt, the resulting total overall profile of the wheels with the recommended width tyres installed. I don’t know, but between the rims you’ve ridden, did you notice differences in cross wind performance as regards the cross section form of rims with equal rim depth?

I roll the Boyd 44mm wheel set and it is as close to a do it all as I can find. Fast when I am taking a pull up front and steady in the stiffest cross wind. Don’t mind the hills either!

Nice. The Reserve 40/44 are on my shortlist, too. What hub do you have, DT Swiss 350/240/180? What is your opinion on the quality of the wheels?

@outdoorbros im debating on getting the princeton peak 4550's. I heard they are next level for a do it all wheelset! Anyone you know running the Princeton's?

I have the enve 3.4. I love them and i am very fast on flat and on mountains. I wondered this winter if i would see any difference if i buy enve 5.6/ roval rapide or dt swisss arc 1100 62

I think anywhere around a 40mm is a good all-around where you get the most of its aero, climbing, and weight. I had a pair of Zipp 202s and those were just as fast as any deeper wheel I've had but they felt better on climbs and were more responsive at 32mm. I think the range would be between a 32-45, after that they just get heavier and harder to control in a crosswind.

Went from standard rims to 40mm carbon. On my regular straight in-out 60km route I was consistently 1.5-2 km/h faster depending on the wind. Have 50mm now and loving it.

All these reviews are hilarious!!! I have several wheel sets, each a different depth, with the deepest set being 60/88….the actual weight difference is not even that noticeable…it’s minuscule….we’re talking a few grams…not Pounds. Only difference that is honestly realistic and is not just someone trying to sound like a “bike whisperer” is riding deeper wheels in cross winds. On a clear day and no wind, you won’t notice a difference climbing or on the flats….honest wheel speed is in the hubs and tires

The 40/44 appear to be very wide. Will you use them with your tarmac ? With what width tyres?

I rock 38mm front and rear for fast group rides and climbing rides.40mmF 45mmR would be the Dream setup for All Occasions. I say between 40mm-55mm is ideal

Great site! Question for your old SL7. 26 or 28 tires?

I did the same I was riding 66mm and now Im riding 45mm and I fee more confident on cross wind here in Seattle

I have been riding the roval 32 and Alpinist 33 for the longest time. Last year I took the leap and bought a 50mm wheel. My take on deeper wheels are I can feel it holds the speed better like there is a kind of propulsion that keeps it rolling. I don’t think I become faster putting the same effort. I just become less tired.

I ride the rapide cl 2 and there great in calmer conditions but as soon as the wind/gusts crank up about 25-28mph as I’m a light rider that rides in my own it can get dodgy ultimately making me slower. I suspect I’ll end up sizing down to the alpinists. As I like to ride in all conditions. That will allow me to ride in all but the windiest of days

You switched from an SL7 on 64s to and SL8 on 45s how do you know it’s not the SL8 frame making up the difference?

Chris, is it better to have a deeper wheel set for a heavier rider?

i've been riding the Princeton Grit 4540 with white industries hubs and i've got to say, i like the ride feel compared to my 454nsw and 404FC. They are immune to crosswinds, accelerates fast, and surprisingly holds speed around 38-42kmh significantly well (for us mere mortals). Of course the 454nsw and 404FC can hold its speed better, but the sensation of an agile wheelset does make the ride feel a tad better IMHO.

In Wisconsin I’m looking at new rims for a new wheels and since we have wind and hills. Well I think I nicer old school set of Krysten’s from mavic with an upgraded bearings would work for the rolling hills our winds make it like your pinning all day long lol. My trek can with bontrager 30mm I think . But I can say from my old Rolf’s from 2001 are faster but the bikes areo maybe just enough and a lighter wheel that responds a bit better and rides nice and after riding the mavis that are shallow to flat rims . They maybe best for the rough windy hilly Wisconsin roads. …… maybe.

What's yours all-time favourite wheel-set?

Enve 3.4’s for where I live. Best aero to weight ratio and handle best in cross winds.

It’s the usual industry marketing pushing the 2 watts saved at 100kmh fantasy. It’s certainly conditions/rider/usage dependent. Doing mostly climbing with frequent gusty winds I far prefer the shallower sub 40mm options.

45-55ish mm is probably the perfect do it all wheelset if you can keep the weight below 1600g. The ~1500g range is light enough that you probably won't feel disadvantaged going into the hills but you have enough aero for the flats.

I feel the speed difference from a 40 mm v 50 mm v 60mm wheel set. The 40 being a premium wheelset raced at world 🌎 tour level and my 60 mm which is meant to be the brands 2nd tier wheelset just feels super fast 💨. Rim depth does make a difference for me in speed in the real world.

I think the Zipp 404s or Enve 3.4s are the most popular all around wheels and are fast and capable for most any kind of road riding. I have Zipp 808s and 404s and I think the 808s are faster (boy they sure sound like it), but I never ride the 404s and think I have the slow wheels today.

Have to agree. I'm sure in a wind tunnel the deep wheels are faster. I've been riding Enve 3.4 ar's, Zipp 404FC, and Roval CLX 50's on my Tarmac. The Enve's are more comfortable because a 28c tire is around 30mm wide on that wheel. Way smoother feeling and I can't tell much difference in speed.

Interesting that Jumbo seem to be riding shallower wheels this year across multiple terrain. They se to be at the forefront of this stuff

You have a misconception there. Deeper Wheels are not "Faster" The amount of power you need, too ride the same speed is less, with a wheel that is more aero. Therefore you can maintain your speed longer with the same poweroutput.

Depth of wheels is not that crucial as tyre and rim transition (105% rule is real). Even if you have 64mm deep wheels but tyre is 2mm wider than rim itself in that case rim will never catch air from tyre, so 64mm deep wheels are maybe like 40mm if you have wider tyre. That reserve wheels are super wide and in combination with right tyre width they may be at same level of speed as a 64mm wheels. so your feelings are quite right :).

I wish I was a good enough rider to be able to tell the difference. 😁

Single biggest improvement you can make. That said, like all things, there's a diminishing marginal return, ie, the difference between a 20 and a 55 is huge. The difference between a 50 and a 65 is minimal.

I feel the difference in flat terrain i have 61mm dt swiss 1100 and i easily make a higher speed average with them than my 47mm corima wheels by 3 or 4 km/h after 80km ride

I tested dura ace c24 with only 23mm turbo cotton on my Binanchi oltre xr1 vs roval rapide clx 40 ceramic on route 43 km and I was able average 35 kmh on DA vs roval only 32 kmh It is weird , Rovals are light and roll like butter but I don have same feelings as with Dura ace c 24 that have better inerta , or something it is hard to describe , of course hi rims look fantastic but it is really quicker , and ceramic bearings too . Now I am bulding my new tarmac sl8 pro frame And after this experiences want to add dura ace c 50 wheels I will try same route with new bike I will see my average speed

Mine is 50mm, does it all well:)

I believe it was Socrates who said, “a shallow wheelset is not worth riding.”

1350grams or less, the corect tyre to rim interface, a half decent trailing edge profile on the rim and who cares about the rest... now on the question of looks, here we have a problem, and the answer largely depends on the rim width, this influences the tyre choice that will dictate the ratio between width and chord. So for a tyre that's sitting 26mm wide and 23 tall you could get away with a 30mm deep rim front and back. Apparantly 26 mm tyres are out of vouge these days so maybe 33 to 35 deep is safer! Refer back to point 1 regarding weight and suddenly price becomes a real pain in the but! For the record I run 30mm deep carbon Fulcrums and I lust for a set of 35 deep, hooked and sub 1350 gram itailian rims, largely because they would look amazing, IMHO. PS I even run rim brakes so goodness knows that my opinion is actually worthless:)

Enve 3.4AR

As a climper I think( 35-37-38mm) the perfect depth, So I think the depth is different for each rider( climper, sprinter,....etc)

Is sram red faster than force, is the 6000 dollar frame faster than the cheaper 5000 frame……the circle of life continues forever😂 end of Day its the body the sits on the bike that matters

I bought the same wheels recently and I have found them WAY faster. Probably 1.5 km average faster. Just my experience.

No they dont make you faster *(BUT!)* The deeper the rim the more aero it is yes but the deeper it is the harder to maintain and accelerate that with climbing too, another thing with deep rims are fighting againsts cross winds 25-35mm rims are ideal for climbing as its very comfortable and easier to climb 40-50mm rims are a bit of a balance of the 2, has good comfortability, it has a decent aerodynamics and its a bit easier to climb 55-88mm are extremely aero but they arent comfortable its heavier, harder to climb etc etc Disc Wheels the one trending in fixed gears, track bikes, triathlons are completely aerodynamic wheels but they suffer from weight, wind, and they arent very comfortable Basically the deeper it gets the harder it is to climb and accelerate but can maintain better speeds that is if you can reach it same concept with 12 speed groupsets no offense to some but others upgrade their 9/10 speed groupsets to 12 speed even tho they only use the 2/3rd from the lowest gear saying that the extra 2 cogs for climbing is barely used deems them useless

4.5 on SL7 in pancake country to do it all. 5.6 is faster though. 3.4 climbes better.

in the real world there is no difference. ride paris roubaix on deep wheels and you curse them. ride in crosswinds and you curse them.ride uphill and you curse them. it is a gimmick to empty your wallet.

40-45mm 👨‍🍳💋

Deeper wheels are faster. If they were not, racers won't bother using them because they are heavier than shallow wheels.