Reynolds Wheels have been used in the professional peloton for a good few years now, for the past few seasons French squad AG2R La Mondiale have been sponsored by them. Obviously the pro teams get to use the latest wheel sets.
For most mere mortals we can either dream about using the latest high end wheels or take out a second mortgage and buy them.
So the answer for a lot of cyclist is to purchase the wheels that have the trickle down technology. They may cost less but on the odd occasions surprise and deliver a ride quality that you’d usually get with the high end wheels.
This is where the Reynolds Attack wheels come in.
Reynolds Attack Carbon Wheelset
Over the British summer I’ve been training, racing and taking part in the odd sportive on a set of Reynolds Attack wheels. These wheels sit at a price point that a lot of people would be looking at when buying a new set of high end wheels. They come in at around the £1000 mark, similar to a lot of high end alloy wheels. And for that money you get a lot of bang for you buck with the Attacks.
The carbon rim with it’s 32mm deep section is on the shallower side of the aero type profiles. It’s not as aggressive looking as some others but personally I feel this depth is pretty much perfect for a lot of different types of riding. When hill climbing its shallow enough to not carry too much of a weight penalty like you would with a 50mm, yet deep enough and has the right shape to aid with a amount of aerodynamic benefit. With that little bit of depth they have that “fast while standing still” look. Always a plus point when sat in the cafe trying to look like a proper cyclist.
Being a clincher aids to the versatility of the wheel, when running tubulars it can limit you to just using them on good weather days or racing due to the fact that replacing a tubular after a puncture can be a pricey experience. No chance of just throwing in a new tube and carrying on. I used several different tyres with these wheels over the summer so I could get a good idea of the wheel and not the combined feel of a single tyre/wheel combo.
I first used these in the Dolomites, a perfect testing ground for a relatively light wheel set, at 1400g for the pair. The acceleration out of corners while climbing came with a noticeable grin factor even when suffering and with such a light rim they whipped up to speed quick. The nipples are tucked away in the rim resulting in a really clean looking rim section.