You get what you pay for – Cyclingnews’ wind tunnel testing proves expensive wheels are actually faster, with one exception

The Artech 6.A road wheels from Dutch brand Scope have been crowned not only the fastest road wheelset on test but the lightest too in an 18-wheelset wind tunnel mega test by Cyclingnews.

The results suggest a saving of as many as 20.6 watts against an entry-level wheelset at pro peloton race speeds of 50kph, or up to 5.6 watts at a more attainable 30kph, as well as a weight saving of 435g.

In the latest of a growing series of lab tests, which has so far in 2024 covered 23 helmets, 11 superbikes, 24 road tyres, and 15 pairs of bib shorts, the Cyclingnews tech team took 18 of today’s best road bike wheels – and an entry-level baseline to benchmark against – to the cycling-specific wind tunnel at the revered Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub in England.

They tested at three speeds across seven yaw angles for a total of 399 data points across all wheels. They also captured a multitude of additional measurements on the day, including real-world weights, tyre widths, and more.