These Reynolds all-carbon road rims reap big weight-loss and speed-gain benefits, to create a great-value big-hill or big-ring wheelset. While many all-carbon wheels don’t seem to gain any weight advantage at all, the Assaults are light, at 1,542g the pair.
Round spokes mean they’re marginally less aero than bladed spoke wheels, but they'll slice along the road nicely whether you’re cruising or charging hard. The flat-sided 46mm rims are more affected by crosswinds than rounded profile ones and powerful riders might be able to bounce them off the brake blocks out of the saddle too.
Acceleration and general responsiveness are excellent, however. Full-carbon construction with ‘VMS’ buzz absorption really does take some of the sting out of rough surfaces too. Carbon-specific brake blocks are included and braking is actually quite controlled, though still more grabby than an alloy-rimmed wheel. Apart from new stickers, they’re no different from the super-reliable set we ran all last year too, so we’ve got no worries about longevity.
