Reynolds AR41 Carbon Wheelset - Tubeless Black, SRAM, XDR

With so many mid-depth carbon wheels on the market, it might be hard to decide which ones to get. We're here to help, so we'd start by saying that tubeless compatibility is a given as we're super impressed by the ride quality and flat prevention of modern tubeless. Next up is finding a rim profile that is stable in crosswinds. Lack of confidence in blustery conditions doesn't let you reap the benefits of a faster wheel and defeats the purpose. Lastly, we'd say choose a wheelset that you can ride every day. It's helpful to have a wheelset that you can ride often and become familiar with the handling characteristics before race day as well as a solid warranty if something happens out on the roads. Reynolds' AR41 Carbon Wheelset gives you all of this and comes in at a price that's a real bargain. The 41mm depth drops drag for an aero advantage yet it's not so deep that it causes a fit in windy conditions. Reynolds refined the shape of the rim to increase stability across a variety of Yaw angles so crosswinds no longer blow you around like a sail and you can confidently ride the wheels regardless of the conditions. The healthy 19mm internal width provides plenty of support for wider, lower pressure tubeless tires allowing you to enjoy the traction, lower rolling resistance, and comfort that's on tap. Lacing these quality hoops up with sub-standard spokes to meh hubs would be a great disservice and Reynolds does the right thing with Sapim Sprint spokes and brass nipples to Reynolds' Allroad hubs. When it comes time to scrub speed, the new improved Ctg2 brake track offers 30% better heat resistance than previous models.

Price: $1449.99 from Backcountry