AlexRims CXD4 700C Disc TL Ready Centrelock Road Wheelset

AlexRims knows a thing or two about making rims (the clue's in the name), so it's not a surprise that it's moving into the wheelset market. And if these CXD4s are anything to go by, you should definitely look at them as an option if you're upgrading your bike or speccing a new build.

The CXD4 is just one of 16 – count 'em – road wheelsets that Alex is now making, along with 11 mountain bike wheelsets. On the road side there's a broad selection of shallow and deep, alloy and carbon, and disc and rim wheels. The CXD4 is a mid-level alloy disc wheelset that's available in 6-bolt or Centerlock configurations. Weighing in at a very reasonable 1,580g for its £319.99 asking price, it's a chunk lighter than stock wheels you'll find on most bikes under about £2,000.

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The rim is a tubeless-ready 23mm alloy extrusion, sleeve-jointed for extra strength. The rim shape is asymmetric to better balance the spoke forces, with the same rim being used front and rear. At the front the spoke holes are offset away from the disc side, and at the rear they're offset towards it, as the freehub moves the hub flange in more than the disc does.

Both front and rear are built up with 24 round stainless steel spokes in a two-cross pattern. The hubs have an alloy body and axle and sealed cartridge bearings: two in the front and four in the rear. As is usual these days, the front is adaptable for quick releases and 12mm and 15mm thru-axles, and the rear is quick release or a 142x12mm thru-axle. The freehub body is alloy and it's a standard pawl setup inside, with the engagement about average: it's not quick, and it's not slow.

I've had these wheels set up with 30mm Schwalbe G-One Speed tyres for the duration of testing. Getting them to seal wasn't a problem and I've had no issues with the tyres losing air more than is normal for a tubeless setup.

On the road the wheels feel nice and stiff, with no obvious flex either from sprint efforts or heavy cornering. The bearings run smoothly, and whipping the cassette off showed that there's not very much notching on the alloy freehub body: the sprockets slid off easily enough. Even so, a steel bite guard would definitely be a worthwhile addition.

The 1,580g all-in weight is pretty good for a disc wheelset at this price. Shimano's RX31s are 380g heavier for the same kind of money, and similar-weight wheelsets from the likes of Cero, Kinesis and Hunt come in at least £50 more expensive.

> 141 tubeless wheelsets to choose from

It's around the right weight for an alloy disc wheelset: enough material in them to make them genuinely multi-surface capable without being overbuilt. I haven't raced any cyclo-cross this season but I have taken the Tripster, wearing these wheels, on a variety of surfaces, some better than others. The 19mm rim width means you really want to be running at least a 28mm tyre, with anything up to a 50mm technically OK if it'll fit in your frame. The CXD4s feel very solid and have taken a decent battering on rougher surfaces with fairly narrow (for off-road) tyres, and they're still running true. I've no doubt they'd be fine for the hustle and bustle of a 'cross race, or a gravel event.

If you're looking to build up a road disc/cyclo-cross/gravel/adventure/etc frame, or you're hunting around for an upgrade to the stock wheels on one you already have, then the CXD4s should be on your shopping list. They've been as good in every way as the Pro-Lite Revo A21W wheels that I've recommended a few times over the past year, and they're a bit lighter and £40 cheaper. They're sturdy without being heavy and they perform extremely well for the money.

Verdict

Excellent tubeless-ready disc wheelset that's lighter and cheaper than most of its competitors