Why your first upgrade needs to be carbon wheels

The cost of living crisis shouldn't curtail your dreams of a carbon wheel upgrade; Ere Research has you covered.

Aaron Borrill

May 8 2025

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[Sponsored by Ere Research]

Wheels are the most important component of the bicycle and are often overlooked when it comes to upgrades. As the primary contact point with the trail and road, wheels will directly affect the way a bicycle accelerates, brakes and steers. These attributes also have an influence on handling and comfort, which can be tweaked even further with tyre setups, but we’ll leave that topic for another day. The internet is flooded with all kinds of wheel options, so it’s difficult to know where to start, and it’s easy to get distracted by all the marketing propaganda – this sentiment applies to both beginners and seasoned riders.

Of all the attributes to consider, pricing is the single most important factor when looking for a new wheelset, and in today’s cost-of-living struggles, it’s easy to see why. But what if I told you that you don’t need to splurge a significant amount of cash to reap the benefits of a high-performing, lightweight carbon wheelset? Ere Research specialises in high-quality bicycle components, including wheels and has launched three new options that might fit the bill for your new ride.

Below, we’ll discuss all three wheelsets in detail, highlighting specifications, pricing and compatibility across the spectrum.

Best wheels for aero gravel - Ere Research Tenaci GA40 Aero

With the rise of Aero Gravel, the Ere Research team turned to aerodynamicist and carbon-fibre guru Paul Lew to create the brand’s first wheel to focus on this growing trend. Manufactured from carbon fibre with a 40mm rim profile, the Ere Research Tenaci GA40 Aero was created for the gravel speed merchant. Weighing just 1,549g, they balance weight with stiffness and speed – attributes tested by the company’s pro athletes for over a year on the UCI Gravel World Series stage.

Specifications are plentiful. As mentioned, the GA40 rims utilise a 40mm rim height and contemporary 26mm inner width. This means the wheels play nicely with tyre widths spanning 36-54mm, and can be specced with a maximum width of 58mm.

Both wheels are laced to the new Ere Research Iona-S hubs in a 24-spoke configuration, making for a system weight of just 488g per rim. The wheels can be specced in two visual options: stealth or shine. This includes matte-black with black decals or gloss-black paired with black or white or flashy silver decals.

With many rival brands offering similarly specced wheels for upwards of £1,500, the GA40s represent superb value for money. Furthermore, they also get a lifetime and crash replacement warranty for peace of mind.

Tech spec: Ere Research Tenaci GA40 Aero wheels

Price: £1,399
Weight: 1,555g
Spoke count: 24 front/rear
Profile: 40mm
Internal width: 26mm
Rim: Hookless
Format: Tubeless compatible (36-54mm)
Max tyre: 58mm

Best wheel for all-round gravel - Ere Research Tenaci GT25

Coming in under the £1,000 threshold are the Ere Research Tenaci GT25 wheels. Like their aero sibling, they are also manufactured from carbon fibre but possess a much shallower rim profile of 25mm to go with a 26mm internal rim width. The kicker with these wheels is their dual-purpose use – they can be used as gravel and road wheels, thanks to the mini-hooked design of the rim architecture. This ‘mini hooked’ design ensures the safe use of hookless tyres at low pressure and can also accommodate a 32mm+ road tyre (at higher pressure). It’s a win-win.

They also use a 24-spoke front/rear configuration laced to Ere Research Iona-S hubs. These hubs - if maintained and looked after - are appreciably durable and long-lasting, meaning less maintenance and more riding, especially during winter. The hubs come standard with a 36T star ratchet system (upgradeable to 54T) and are available in Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM XDR free hub body options.

In terms of weight, the GT25s tip the scales at 1,560g. This has been achieved through the use of a specific carbon layup that also promotes compliance and comfort – everything you need from a low-profile allrounder. The wheels also have a lifetime and crash replacement warranty.

Tech spec: Ere Research Tenaci GT25 wheels

Price: £999
Weight: 1,560g
Spoke count: 24 front/rear
Profile: 25mm
Internal width: 26mm
Rim: Mini hook
Format: Tubeless compatible (36-54mm/32mm Road tyre will fit)
Max tyre: 58mm

Best wheel for (all) road - Ere Research Omnia II CLR45

Okay, maybe these look more like road wheels than anything else but they can be used together with wider tyres, so mild gravel is certainly a reality here. The big focus with the Ere Research Omnia II CLR45 is the very impressive price point of £899 – there’s nothing quite like them on the market. With a 45mm rim profile, these carbon wheels represent a solid first upgrade that will boost aerodynamics, comfort, handling, and road feel. The wheels are built around 12mm thru-axle Iona S hubs and employ a 36T star-ratchet body engagement system. The internal 21mm rim width of 21mm ensures it will play nicely with all contemporary road tyres ranging from 25-36mm and fit narrow gravel tyres (36mm max).

The Omnia II CLR45 wheels weigh 1,582g, which is considered by the industry as a happy balance in terms of performance. The spoke configuration is different from its gravel siblings and, while both wheels utilise aero-bladed Sapim CX Leader spokes, they differ by way of a 20/24 front/rear layout. This has been carried out to ensure support and response under acceleration.

For ease of set up, the wheels come fitted with Ere ProClose tubeless rim tape. A lifetime and crash replacement warranty is standard fare.

Tech spec: Ere Research Omnia II CLR45 wheels

Price: £899
Weight: 1,582g
Spoke count: 20/24 front/rear
Profile: 45mm
Internal width: 21mm
Rim: Hook
Format: Clincher, tubeless compatible (26-32mm, 32mm gravel tyre will fit)
Max tyre: 32mm

www.ereresearch.com

Author block

Aaron Borrill

Aaron is the editor of off-road.cc. Born and raised in South Africa he completed his BA honours at the University of Cape Town before embarking on a career in journalism. As the former tech editor of Cyclingnews and Bike Perfect, digital editor of Bicycling magazine and associate editor of TopCar, he's travelled the world writing about bikes and anything with wheels for 19 years. A competitive racer and Stravaholic, he’s twice ridden the Cape Epic, raced nearly every mountain bike stage race in South Africa and completed the Haute Route Alps. He's also a national-level time triallist and eSports racer, too – having captained South Africa at the 2022, 2023 and 2024 UCI Cycling eSports World Championships.