Every year, I review the wheels used by professional cycling teams. In 2026, the market is more fragmented than ever: no fewer than 16 different brands equip the teams in my scope (18 WorldTour teams plus the French men’s ProTeams).
The market for high-end road bike wheels is going through an unprecedented transformation. For decades, a handful of Western brands dominated the premium carbon segment, with prices that could exceed €3,000 a pair. Chinese carbon wheels are now upending that equation.
We all know the tune, and it is what pushed me to create this wheel comparison tool. A big brand releases a new pair of wheels at €2800 and promises you “12 watts saved at 45 km/h” or “10 minutes gained on the Etape du Tour”. You look at your current wheels with disdain, you get out your credit card, and the following Sunday… surprise: you are not flying, your wallet is just lighter.
Ten years ago it was simple: a road rim was 17 mm wide and you fitted 23 mm tyres. Today, bike rim and tyre compatibility is chaos. Check your combination with my free ETRTO calculator, hookless included.
Going tubeless is probably the most effective technical upgrade for a cyclist, on road, gravel or MTB. But one question keeps coming up in my workshop: “How much sealant should I put in?” Here is a free calculator to get the dose right.
For a long time we believed you had to pump your tyres up “as hard as possible” to go fast. It is a mistake in physics that costs you dearly, in comfort and in pure performance. Here is my free bike tyre pressure calculator.
If you have recently looked at the spec sheets of high-end wheels such as those from Zipp, DT Swiss or Swiss Side, or at the latest aero frames, you will inevitably have come across a mysterious acronym: CFD. Often brandished as a guarantee of scientific quality and absolute performance, the term remains obscure for most cyclists.
Women’s cycling is reaching new heights in 2025, driven by stars such as Demi Vollering, now at FDJ-Suez, and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, back on the road with Visma | Lease a Bike after her Olympic MTB title. Here is a complete, detailed list of the wheels used by each team, with their technical specifications.
Ceramic bearings have become an unavoidable topic in cycling, often presented as a major innovation for improving wheel performance. But what is the reality? Benefits, limits, relevance for your riding and maintenance: a complete guide.
Every year, the best World Tour teams equip themselves with the highest-performing wheels on the market. Here is what the men’s teams rode in 2025, with one model for flat stages and another for the mountains.
