I found riding the Mavic Allroad SLs a pleasurable experience. The ride quality is very good, and they stand up to a lot of abuse without issue. The build quality is impressive – the Mavics are a great all-rounder at a strong price. Verdict So far, so good. But as with mountain bikes there are a few variants. Boost wheels and axles are now found on many mountain bikes and this standard is also found in a smattering of gravel bikes and ebikes. Reduce your tire pressure to gain comfort and control on rough roads with UST Road Tubeless technology In other cases, you need to use an Allen key or multi-tool to remove the wheel because there’s no lever on the axle. It leads to a cleaner look and less wind resistance, but does mean you need to carry a tool with you on a ride. Road Boost Freewheel: Freewheel: Shimano / Sram, convertible to Campagnolo and XD-R with optional freehub bodies

This Aksium Disc model includes special features aimed at the unique demands of disc brake road bikes. It uses straight-pull spokes for added stiffness and strength, and we also increased the spoke count to 24 on both front and rear wheels. Sram Apex 11 speed:Reliable, with a wide range of gears for all-terrain – even the biggest of hills. Other Specialized-branded products are covered by a two-year warranty• Paint and graphics on frames and frame setManufacturers reserve the right to change specifications without notice based on availability at the point of assembly. Although the almost-standardisation of 12 x 100mm front/12 x 142mm rear thru-axles on road bikes sounds great, it’s not all plain sailing and there are plenty of compatibility issues with road bike thru-axles.

Today's Yksion's are better by a large margin. Grip is good in both the wet and dry, and while they still aren't the most supple tyres out there, they roll well. I didn't have any aggro from the puncture fairy during testing, either. Skewers with external cams can be made lighter but are more prone to contamination. James Huang / Immediate Media

Reynolds Blacklabel 60 Expert DB wheelset

The tyres themselves are also decent performers. Early versions of the Yksion weren't very well received, at least by me... they felt quite dead, offered unexceptional grip, and weren't the best when it came to puncture protection.

In a thru-axle system, the dropouts have closed-off circular openings, rather than an open end. That means there’s no risk of the wheel falling out as you ride. The thru-axle passes through the dropout on one side of the wheel and screws into threads in the dropout on the other side. Finance is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. Performance Cycling Limited FRN: 720557 trading as Tredz are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker not a lender – credit is subject to status and affordability and is provided by Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. Terms & Conditions Apply. As well as being more secure, you can exert more clamping force on a thru-axle for a more rigid interface between the wheel and the frame.

Force eTap AXS

If you want durability and a quality ride feel, the Mavic Cosmic Elite USTs are a good choice. They stand up to plenty of abuse and can be used for a range of disciplines. If weight is a major consideration though, there are much lighter hoops out there that still deliver on the reliability front. Verdict Who says no inner tube means less friction, more efficiency and grip, and better protection against pinch punctures Roadies, particularly racers, don’t like slow wheel changes – it was one of the many complaints from pros when disc brakes and thru-axles started to appear on road bikes. So there have been several attempts to speed up thru-axle removal using proprietary systems.

For a longer longevity of the wheel, Mavic recommends that the total weight supported by the wheels don't exceed 120kg, bike included That’s mainly down to the threads used to screw the axle into the frame, where there are different pitches used by different brands. Ksyrium has always represented the best of aluminum wheel technology. Following in the footsteps of the venerable Ksyrium Elite and Ksyrium Pro, the all-new Ksyrium SL Disc lives up to that standard. If you're looking for one aluminum wheelset for weekend races and training mileage, wherever the road takes you, this is your best choice. The double-butted spokes contribute to the weight reduction while making the wheel more responsive. These spokes also have a patented elliptical shape that can save 5 watts for added efficiency.If the items we have sent you are faulty, damaged or not as we described, we will cover the cost of collection and the delivery of the correct item. Boost thru-axles are found on other Focus bikes too, such as the Focus Atlas gravel bike. Thru-axle complications Our QRM Auto self-adjusting bearing freehub body requires no adjustment and guarantees high durability Lifetime warranty* to the original owner against structural defects in material or workmanship on ALL models of Specialized-branded frames and forks• Includes seatstays and chainstays on full-suspension bikes