4 Recommended Medium-High Depth Carbon Wheels

Many people associate high-profile wheelsets with instability, making them particularly dangerous for riding in strong winds. However, with the emergence of ultra-wide rims and extreme UV rim designs in recent years, the stability of wheelsets 60mm and above has become quite excellent, a significant improvement over the past. Wheelset stability refers to stability against short-lived gusts of wind; riders really need to deal with gusts lasting 0.5 to 2.0 seconds. Essentially, riders cannot react to gusts shorter than 0.5 seconds. Riders can react to gusts lasting 0.5 to 2.0 seconds, but only after the gust has subsided. This leads to overcorrection requiring further adjustments, which is why sudden gusts feel so dangerous. With a stable, high-profile aerodynamic wheelset, the sudden torque on the handlebars softens when encountering short-lived gusts. With some riding experience, it's easy to predict, and the bike usually recovers stability after a slight sway. Therefore, I believe a good high-profile wheelset must balance aerodynamics and stability, with stability being even more important.

Bontrager Aeolus RSL 62

While road bike wheelsets transitioned from U-shaped to UV-shaped rims, neither was quite extreme until the arrival of the Bontrager Aeolus RSL, which clearly shows a very pointed rim. This rim design boasts excellent stability, even surpassing many 50mm rim depth wheelsets at small angles of attack. The Bontrager Aeolus RSL 62 has a rim depth of 62 mm, an inner width of 23mm, and an outer width of 31mm. Its well-balanced inner and outer widths make it suitable for 28c and 30c tires.

The Bontrager Aeolus RSL 62 has virtually no weaknesses except for a slightly heavy initial acceleration. However, this heavy initial acceleration isn't a hindrance; with sufficient power, it can still accelerate rapidly. Once you reach speed, further acceleration feels exhilarating. For such a relatively high-profile wheelset, the feeling of climbing hills might be slightly concerning, but its ability to tackle short hills at full power is top-notch.

SCOM Ultra 62

The SCOM Ultra 62, part of the new generation of SCOM's Aerial Blade wheelsets, uses a brand-new UV rim design, offering both aerodynamics and stability. The SCOM Ultra 62 has an outer width of 31mm, a measured inner width of 23.8mm, and weighs 1504 grams (including tubeless tires and valves).

The new Aerial Blade also significantly improves rim stiffness, as the rim is responsible for the main lateral stiffness. Both lateral and vertical stiffness have been improved, thus offsetting the deformation that can easily occur with increased rim height. The high-stiffness rim, combined with carbon spokes, provides the SCOM Ultra 62 with direct and rapid pedaling feedback—not just "light," but "solid," encouraging riders to continuously accelerate. During full sprints and hill climbs, the wheelset perfectly matches every pedal stroke, providing increasing power and speed with each press. The SCOM Ultra 62 achieved excellent results in testing. If you like stiff feedback and a solid pedal feel, this wheelset is worth considering.

S-ALL Carbon Ultra D28-50 DISC Brake

The S-ALL Carbon Ultra is a popular 50mm rim depth wheelset. It has an outer width of 28mm and an inner width of 21mm. It features a unique "shark fin" and wave-shaped rim design, providing superior tire support and cornering grip, while maintaining excellent weight control at 1385g, achieving a balance between lightweight design and high performance.

The new rim structure further enhances lateral stiffness and overall torsional rigidity, effectively suppressing deformation even with the high rim design. This allows the wheelset to maintain precise and direct power delivery during high-speed cruising, sprinting, and climbing. The high-rigidity rim paired with carbon fiber spokes makes the S-ALL Carbon Ultra's pedaling feedback crisper and more solid, quickly translating every push into forward momentum.

Roval Rapide Sprint CLX

Roval has always been at the forefront. After the mainstream market accepted the 35mm ultra-wide rims, they introduced a front-high, rear-low design. The principle is that the front wheel is responsible for the main aerodynamics, so the rear wheel can have a lower rim height to reduce weight and improve agility. The Rapide Sprint CLX has a front rim height of 63mm and a rear rim height of 58mm, weighing only 1395 grams. The front tire has an outer width of 34.5mm, and in actual testing, its stability performance was excellent, without the sudden and violent twisting caused by strong gusts of wind, but rather a predictable feel.

Compared to other 60mm-high-rim wheelsets, the Rapide Sprint CLX feels "softer," partly due to the lighter rear tire and partly to the smoother Roval Aero Composite spokes. It and the SCOM Ultra 62 are two different styles. Although the Rapide Sprint CLX is enhanced for sprinters, it has a slightly lower learning curve. When pedaling hard, you can clearly feel the interaction between the tire and the ground, making it easy to control. Riders can stay at their limits for longer, and the feeling of being completely exhausted is incredibly exhilarating and one of the best sensations of riding a road bike.