Halo Devaura Disc RD2 700C Wheels

While many riders will look at carbon fibre when it comes to an upgrade, there is still a lot to be said for a quality set of alloy hoops, especially when they look as good as these Halo Devaura RD2 700C wheels. They offer a strong build from quality components and are very well finished, although they are up against some very good cheaper and lighter competition.

Removing the RD2s from their box is a pleasure. Not only does the mid-section black anodised rim give the Devauras a top end look along with the anodised freehub, it's also the feeling of quality. The spoke tension is uniform throughout, which means they are spot on for trueness right from the start, and the hub bearings are as smooth as smooth.

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Once fitted to the bike, all of that transfers to the way they ride: very free rolling and comfortable too. Some mid to deep-section alloy rim wheels can give a harsh ride if they aren't built up to take the material's quality into account, but these are spot on.

Their total weight of 1,733g isn't earth shattering, but it's barely noticeable in the real world, plus they accelerate and climb very well thanks to impressive stiffness.

As soon as you step on the pedals these wheels just shoot forward, feeling very efficient – helped in part by the excellent RD2 Supadrive 120 hubs which have a freehub with 120 points of pickup. That basically means there will be just three degrees of rotation before drive is engaged, which equals instant forward motion.

It does make for a bit of a noisy (buzzy) freewheel, but it's a small trade-off.

The freehub body is aluminium alloy, which can be an issue for powerful riders on the Shimano/SRAM option (Campagnolo and SRAM XDR versions are also available) because the cassette can bite into the alloy splines as it rotates slightly when you put in a big effort. To ward this off Halo has added a steel insert, a bite-guard, and it does the job as the freehub looks pretty much untouched after 500 miles of riding on routes containing a lot of traffic lights.

The T10 Nobium heat-treated alloy rim is 31mm deep, which isn't really enough to give much of an aero advantage although there will be some benefits over a basic box section one.

At 24mm wide externally, 19mm internally, the RD2s will work with tyres from 25mm wide through to 38mm, although Halo says that the sweetspot is 28mm. The majority of tyres I fitted came up about 1.5mm wider than their nominal size: for instance, the 25mm Michelin Lithion 3s I'm currently testing measured 26.4mm. That's worth bearing mind if you have limited frame or fork clearance.

Both the front and rear use 24 bladed stainless spokes with a pattern of 16 spokes on the side of the hub that will see the most load – the drive side at the rear and the braking side on the front – with 8 spokes on the other side.

Halo has also used brass nipples – better, in my opinion, than aluminium alloy, which can be affected by corrosion from riding on salty roads.

The rims are tubeless ready, and they come ready taped so all you'll need are some valves and sealant if that is the route you want to take. Fitting the Michelin Power Road Tubeless was achieved with little hassle, and they popped onto the rim easily with a really secure fit.

Both hubs are designed for Centerlock brake rotors which to my mind are easier to fit and set up than a six-bolt system. Centerlock was developed by Shimano – you attach the rotors with what is essentially a cassette lockring.

Throughout the test period reliability has been impressive, although it has been very dry and warm. There has been the odd day with heavy rain, though, so I have been taking one for the team and going out there to get as much of the elements around the workings of the Halos.

On a ride that finished with the bike covered in grit from the road edges and water getting sprayed pretty much everywhere, the RD2s haven't grumbled at all and the hubs look to be well sealed.

The wheels have remained true throughout testing too.

Price-wise, the Devaura RD2s are available separately rather than as a wheelset, and are priced at £229.99 for the front and £339.99 for the rear regardless of what freehub fitting you go for, so £569.98 in total.

That puts them up against some tough competition, like the 1,586g, 30mm-deep Prime Baroudeur Road Disc wheels that Liam was very impressed with, which come in at just £249.99 – less than half the price of the Devauras.

Another tough rival is the 1,586g Scribe 365 Disc, an impressive set of all-round wheels that cost £290.

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Not everything is cheaper though: the 1,630g FFWD F3A Disc Brake is a very capable set of wheels that will stand up to plenty of abuse for £624.95.

Overall, though, I wouldn't say that the Halos are overpriced or even expensive. They offer not just great quality but decent performance and are pretty much the best looking set of alloy rims out there with that shiny anodised finish and subtle graphics.

Verdict

Quality set of wheels that deliver on performance, reliability and great looks