Reynolds

R2 Carbon Road Wheelset - Clincher

When searching for a thousand-dollar wheelset, options can seem limitless. If you narrow your search to carbon wheels, suddenly the options drop to a handful. Yes, you can find wheels with carbon in this price range, but they're typically aluminum rims with a carbon fairing. And, they'll only offer a slight aerodynamic advantage, not the improved ride quality or reduced weight that make full-carbon rims so desirable.Reynolds attacked this head-on, and delivered the Reynolds R2 Carbon Clincher Wheelset.

This sub-1500 gram wheelset is the first full-carbon rim in a product category ripe with carbon-look-alike wheels. Reynolds was one of the earliest to manufacture carbon clincher rims, so naturally, the technology has trickled down to its entry-level offerings. Through careful engineering and manufacturing, the R2 has a unique rim designed just for this wheelset. It offers the aerodynamics Reynolds is known for, along with the strength needed to offer seasons of use as a primary, do-everything wheelset or as training wheels. In fact, if these wheels came equipped with disc hubs, they'd be a hot item come cyclocross season. For non-disc-fanatics, they'll be a popular item for 'cross anyway.

Built with the same hub as its Solitude wheels, the R2 engages quickly for responsive acceleration. They're hand laced and tensioned to Reynolds' rigorous standards with DT Competition spokes and alloy nipples. This means replacement parts will be easy to find if someone happens to fall on your wheels in a crash. There are 20 front and 24 rear spokes. This low spoke count, like the carbon rim, helps to keep weight low.

Being one of the first to manufacturers of carbon rims, Reynolds has lots of experience with the braking surface issues that often plague them. Reynolds supplies you with its own Cryo-Blue brake pads that remove heat from the rims, reduce unnecessary noise, and provide consistent, linear stopping power.

The Reynolds R2 Carbon Clincher Wheelset is compatible with Shimano and SRAM cassettes. The wheelset comes with a two year warranty, and is qualified for Reynolds Assurance Program.