Reserve 40|44 wheelset

The Reserve 40/44 wheelset shows that going wide and not so deep can still be relatively aero and versatile. They're a good set of all-rounders that work in loads of conditions, and with a low weight are certainly responsive when you ask them to be.

Read our guide to the best road bike wheels for more options.

> Buy now: Reserve 40/44 wheelset for £1,599 from PBP

We know that deeper section rims are more aero, giving speed gains over shallower competition, but they do come with compromises like extra weight, and can be affected by crosswinds on blustery days, which makes them quite specialist.

That's probably why we've seen some brands going shallower but wider – much wider than previously seen, using rim shapes that make them feel just as fast as those deeper section offerings without as many compromises. That's exactly what Reserve has done here.

The front rim is 40mm deep and 33mm wide externally, while the rear is 44mm deep and 31mm wide, with both getting a u-shaped spoke bed rather than the pointier sort of style found on some wheels.

This is one of the main reasons why they aren't affected so much by crosswinds, so you can use them throughout the winter or when conditions aren't that great.

It also means the Reserves don't affect the handling of your bike as some deep-section wheels can. Some of those deeper wheels can also feel like they 'flop' or 'stall' when turning at low speed, but the Reserves don't at all, which means they're fine on twisty country lanes or when travelling through built-up areas.

Off the top of my head, a couple of brands that have used this wide rim design to create very fast wheels are Hunt with its Limitless range and Specialized with its Roval Rapides. While these Reserve wheels aren't quite as quick on the flat as either of those, they aren't far off.

The Hunts and Rovals are deeper at 48mm and 51mm/60mm respectively, so for their shallower depth the Reserves are still more aero than you'd expect, with that noticeable lack of effort required as you go through that sweet spot from around 18-27mph.

When you take into account their weight of just 1,435g (including rim tape), these wheels can carry on that aero efficiency into the climbs, or when sprinting out of the corners. Their easy handling also makes them feel sharp on technical descents.

They are stiff, too, so you can really get out of the saddle and crank the bike over, but they aren't so stiff that they are boneshakers to ride.

Build

When it comes to the build, the carbon rims are laced to the DT Swiss hubs with 24 spokes on both the front and rear wheels. You can choose the hub model you would like, depending on how much you want to spend: with DT350s the wheelset is £1,599, DT240s it's £1,999, or the top-end DT180s is £2,399.

We have the DT350s which use an aluminium alloy body, steel bearings and a 36-tooth ratchet system for a quick engagement of the freehub. I've used these hubs on a lot of wheels over the years and I've always found them to be reliable and robust.

Freehub options are Shimano HG and SRAM XDR with a Center Lock design for mounting the brake rotors. There's no Campagnolo option, though.

Out of the box the wheels were true in all directions and remained so throughout testing. I used them on a mixture of main roads, back lanes and cyclepaths, so nothing too strenuous in terms of terrain, but they have whacked a few potholes and seen loads of wet weather, mud and grit in the last month or so.

With an inner width of 25.5mm for the front and 25mm for the rear, these wheels are more suited to wider tyres of probably around 25mm minimum; the 30mm tyres I used them with fitted a treat in terms of profile for a smooth transition between wheel and tyre.

With their hooked rims you can comfortably run both tubeless and clincher tyres, plus if you wanted to you could run your tyres higher than the limit of 75psi found on hookless rims. Such is the confidence that Reserve has in its wheels, you'll find no tyre limitations or rider weight limits.

Value

In terms of competition, it comes back to those two I mentioned earlier. I reviewed the Hunt 48 Limitless Aero Disc wheels back in 2020 and I still regard them as one of the best-performing all-round aero wheelsets on the market.

They are heavier than the Reserves by a fair bit – ours tipped the road.cc Scales of Truth at 1,690g – but that didn't hamper their performance at all. With CeramicSpeed bearings they're £1,649.

Jamie also reviewed the Roval Rapide CLX wheels back in 2020, and I used them on Specialized's S-Works SL7 when I reviewed that in the same year. They were absolutely rapid, and light too at 1,410g.

The only downside was that they were clincher only, but the latest version, the CLX II, is now tubeless compatible. They aren't cheap at £2,500, but use the DT Swiss DT180 hub bodies as found on the most expensive Reserves (£2,399), and you get ceramic bearings.

Conclusion

If you want a set of fast all-round road wheels without the compromises found with traditional deep-section rims, these are a very good choice for the money. The quality, both in terms of build and ride, is to a high standard; they'll give reliability and work for all kinds of riding.

Verdict

Versatile and aero without the compromises of a traditional deep-section rim