How to Choose the Right Wheel Series

The main consideration is simply tire choice. Both RCX and GCX series wheels are designed to be used with 28c tires and wider. 28c is the most widely used road tire width.

If you are riding road only and only plan on using 28c tires, the RCX series may be fine. Despite what has been claimed by brands, 21c internal widths are equivalent to wider rim widths in terms of rolling resistance according independent testing

What a wider internal rim width will do, such as on the GCX series, is make the tire expand even further, effectively widening the tire.

Over the past several years, there has been a trend towards wider internal widths and wider tires. For those who prefer wider internal rim widths for road and gravel applications, the GCX series would be the ideal choice.

Additionally, GCX wheels are more laterally stiff than RCX wheels, due to them being wider. For more information, please read the answer to the following question.

Once you know what kind of tires you want to use, the next consideration is how you want the wheelset to feel when riding. While not everyone can tell the difference, there is in fact a measurable difference.

We have done significant lateral stiffness testing. A concise comparison can be found below.

The following is the deflection of each front wheel when 30kgf is applied . The less deflection, the stiffer the wheel. Wheels are ranked from the stiffest to the most compliant:

1. GCX45 Team (4th Gen Spokes): 7.7mm
2. GCX45 Hyperlight (4th Gen Spokes): 7.96mm
3. GCX45 Ultralight (3th Gen Spokes): 7.97mm
4. GCX45 Light (4th Gen Spokes): 8.63mm
5. GCX45 Ultralight (4th Gen Spokes): 9.08mm
6. RCX45 Ultralight (4th Gen Spokes): 10.27mm

Since stiffness changes depending on rim height, we will only be highlighting the 45mm version is also our most popular rim height for consistency.

Our testing has shown us the following key takeaways:

• GCX wheels are roughly 13% stiffer than RCX wheels.
• 3rd generation spokes are roughly 14% stiffer than 4th generation spokes.
• Our most compliant/comfortable wheelset series is the RCX Ultralight.
• The GCX45 Hyperlight with 4th generation spokes has essentially the same ride feel as the GCX45 Ultralight with 3rd generation spokes.

In general, we recommend 4th generation spokes, as they are the best bang-for-your-buck in terms of weight savings. They can also make a relatively stiff wheel more compliant, with the added benefit of reducing road vibration. They provide a middle ground between carbon and steel spokes, while being significantly lighter

As far as hubs, we think that the AR1 hubs are good enough for most riders. By hub standards, they are already considerably light. They are in fact being used by our two sponsored UCI pro cycling teams. The SR1 is for those who simply want the lightest wheelset possible.

Which wheel series is recommended is highly personal.

Since our specialty is lightweight wheels, our Ultralight and Hyperlight wheels are the most popular. They are the most reviewed wheels online and on our website.

At Particle, we only release wheels that we want to ride ourselves and seek to cater to riders of different needs,

If you would like any specific recommendations based on your needs, please contact our customer service on LiveChat or at support@particle-bike.com