How to Find Road Bike Wheels That Match Your Riding Style!

If you own a road bike, you’ve probably heard a lot of talk about the advantages of upgrading your wheels to greatly improve your bike’s performance.

It can quickly become overwhelming to sift through all the available options. To narrow your options, take a look at the 3 rider profiles below to see which one mostly closely matches your level of involvement in cycling.

Rider 1:

You have a road bike but are eager to get more out of your riding. You’ve heard a lot of talk about upgrading to new wheels and see the benefits.

You’re mainly involved in weekend club rides. Cycling is an exercise and social outlet for you. But, you don’t need or want to spend thousands on carbon wheels given the type and amount of riding you do.

Many of the wheels suited for this type of riding are shallow depth aluminum wheels. They are high quality and are a noticeable upgrade from the stock wheels found on many road bikes.

Rider 2:

You’ve caught the bug and cycling is your passion. You’re heavily involved in Gran Fondo races and other longer endurance rides. You may be leaning toward racing in the near future.

You likely have a dedicated training plan, train with a power meter, and strava is your go to app. It’s clear you’ve made a significant investment in cycling and this is your main hobby.

For you, wheels need to provide a noticeable performance improvement as you see yourself getting more involved with the sport.

Rider 3:

You’re a serious rider and need wheels that deliver a genuine lift in speed and performance. For you, wheels need to excel at all the factors important for a rider looking to take their performance to new heights!

That means wheels that are stiff but supple, lightweight but durable, aero with very little rolling resistance, offer stable handling in crosswinds, and provide excellent braking performance.

It’s a lot to ask of a wheelset. But, you invested the time and energy to excel at cycling and whether you ride criteriums, endurance rides, or race you need wheels to perform flawlessly.

Once you’ve identified which rider profile most closely matches your level of involvement in the sport, you can begin to assess the more technical considerations and the desired look you are after.

You’ll also have to weigh the costs and how much “performance” you are willing to pay for.

Use the above as a starting point and you’ll quickly begin to see which wheels are likely to be a good fit for you!

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