Frequently asked questions

It mainly depends on where and how you ride. Roughly: 35 to 45 mm if you climb a lot or often ride in windy conditions, 50 to 60 mm as an all-rounder that feels right on almost every ride, and 80 mm or higher for flat time trials and triathlon.

The DBC 55 and RBC 60 are our safe all-round choice. The Aerowave 80 is built for pure speed on flat courses, and the Disc Race Gen D1 takes that a step further.

Not sure which way to go? Send us your bike, your weight and the kind of riding you do via our contact page or the chat. We're happy to think it through with you, because one extra conversation beats a wheelset that doesn't suit you.

ROAD focuses on all-round road racing, AERO on speed gains once you're going faster, and TRIATLON on time trials where every watt counts. The collections partly overlap: an AERO set rides perfectly well on the road, and equally you can ride an excellent triathlon on a ROAD set.

The deeper the rim, the more you feel the wind through your bars. Our rim profiles are designed to limit that effect as much as possible, but physics remains physics. The front wheel determines almost everything here: it steers, the rear follows.

Our advice by wind force

If you normally run a disc rear with an 80 mm front, that's fine up to around force 4 on the Beaufort scale. If you're on the lighter side you'll start to notice it above that, especially when gusts of 6 or 7 come through, which in the Netherlands is more the rule than the exception.

From force 5 to 6 we advise switching the front to the DBC 55 and simply leaving your disc rear in place. It isn't the average wind that causes trouble, it's the gusts: they're treacherous, and the countersteering and repositioning that follows can work against you. You lose more time and energy correcting than you gain in aerodynamics.

Worth knowing on a time trial or triathlon bike

It isn't only your wheels catching wind. The aerodynamic frame itself can work against you in crosswinds too, and how much varies considerably from bike to bike, so test this before race day if you can.

One tip we often pass on: in strong crosswinds you'll be tempted to come out of your time trial position. That's a natural reaction, but usually not the best one. A time trial bike is built specifically to ride optimally in an aero position. Stay down and you'll generally be troubled less by the crosswind than if you sit up.

Both. Our wheels are UCI approved, so you can line up in official races without a second thought. At the same time they're built for daily use and tested in Dutch weather. There's no need to keep them tucked away in the shed as a precious set until race day.

For winter riding, absolutely. There's a reason we're known for wheels that keep performing in poor conditions. Rain, cold and Dutch headwinds are exactly what they were built for.

For genuine gravel riding we'd point you elsewhere. There you want a shallower rim profile and above all a wider rim: for a 40 mm gravel tyre an internal rim width of 21 to 24 mm is ideal, and gravel wheelsets usually sit between 22 and 26 mm internally. Our rims are 18 mm internal and 25 mm external, which is perfect for road tyres from 25 to 32 mm but too narrow to properly support a wide gravel tyre. A firm gravel path or shell path along the way is no problem at all. Loose, rough terrain isn't where these wheels are at their best.

Our disc brake wheels use a 12x100 mm thru axle at the front and 12x142 mm at the rear, with center lock rotor mounting. If you have an older bike with quick releases or 6-bolt rotors, drop us a message via the contact page or the chat and we'll work out what fits.

When ordering you choose between a Shimano 10/11/12 speed body and a SRAM XDR 12 speed body.

Yes, you can. Just get in touch and we'll sort out the separate body for you and explain how to swap it.

Either works. The rims are tubeless ready, but they work just as well with a standard inner tube.

If you choose tubeless when ordering a wheelset, we fit the rim tape and valves for you straight away. Your wheels arrive ready to ride and there's nothing left for you to tape up. If you'd rather switch later on, you can order both separately from us.

We recommend tyres from 25 to 32 mm. We'd advise against anything narrower than 25 mm: it costs you comfort and, with an internal rim width of 18 mm, brings no aerodynamic gain.

7.2 bar (105 psi). More pressure won't make you faster. It only makes the ride harsher and puts unnecessary load on the rim. On a 28 mm tyre most riders are well below that maximum and enjoy the ride more for it.

Yes, 130 kg including bike and luggage.

Final assembly of every wheelset happens in the Netherlands, and we ship everything from the Netherlands too. UCI approval takes place in Italy. You can also read our story.

Once your payment has come through and you've received a shipping confirmation, we aim for the following:

• Netherlands: 1 to 2 working days
• Europe: 3 to 5 working days
• Outside Europe: 7 to 10 working days

These are indications and depend on the carrier. If an item isn't immediately available from stock, for instance with a pre-order or made to order production, we'll let you know with an expected delivery time. Your order confirmation always shows whether something is available straight away. See also our shipping policy.

• Netherlands: free from €75, below that €7.95
• Europe: free from €200, below that between €14.95 and €24.95
• Outside Europe: €50 per order

You'll always see the exact cost before completing your order. For deliveries outside the EU, import duties and customs charges may apply. These are payable by the customer. All the details are in our shipping policy.

Options include iDEAL, Bancontact, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay and Klarna. Your order is processed as soon as payment comes through.

Yes. As soon as your parcel is on its way you'll get a shipping confirmation by email with track & trace. We ship with established carriers such as PostNL, DHL and UPS.

Yes, all prices include 21% VAT and exclude shipping costs.

Two years on material and manufacturing defects, from the date of purchase and for the first owner. Normal wear isn't covered: the braking surface of carbon rims, brake pads, bearings, decals and paint layers are wear parts. For damage after a crash there's our crash replacement programme. The full conditions are in our terms and conditions.

A crash is bad enough as it is. If your rim or wheelset is damaged in the process, we won't leave you facing the full retail price: we'll look at a suitable solution together with you. Send us photos of the damage and your order number, and we'll be in touch quickly. Read how crash replacement works.

In that case always contact us first, and don't work on it yourself or let someone else do so. This isn't us being difficult: modifications not carried out by us or an approved dealer can void the warranty, and small play can quietly get worse. We'd much rather put it right for you straight away.

You have 14 days from receipt to change your mind, without giving a reason. The wheels then need to be complete, unused and undamaged, and where reasonably possible in the original packaging. You're of course welcome to unpack them to see what you've received.

Return shipping costs are yours to cover, unless something went wrong on our side, in which case we'll arrange it. Once your return has arrived and been checked, you'll be refunded within 14 days via the same payment method. See our refund policy for the full text.

Send us your order number and a photo of the contents via the contact page and we'll send the missing part straight on.

Two spare spokes, two nipples, two tubeless valves, two valve extenders and a manual. Brake rotors aren't included.

After a wet or salty ride, rinse them with lukewarm water and mild soap, then dry them properly. Don't use aggressive degreasers on the rim.

If you ride a lot through autumn and winter, pay extra attention to the moving parts. Dirt and moisture creep in everywhere, and you'll notice it as odd noises and extra resistance before you see it as wear. So check your freehub regularly for contamination, because a dirty freehub is by far the most common cause of creaking noises. Cleaning and greasing it in good time saves you a lot of hassle and considerably extends its life.

On a rim brake wheel your brake pad presses directly onto the rim, so the braking surface slowly wears away. How fast that happens depends heavily on where and when you ride. Moisture, sand and mud act like sandpaper between pad and rim, so riding in the rain year-round or descending a lot wears faster than mostly riding flat roads in fine weather. With normal use and good care you can expect somewhere around 5 to 10 years.

A few things that make the difference:

• Always use brake pads suitable for carbon rims. Pads meant for aluminium rims will wear your rim away at an alarming rate.
• Always switch pads when alternating between aluminium and carbon rims. Embedded dirt particles can cause irreparable damage to the carbon braking surface.
• Clean your brake pads periodically and pick out any embedded grit or stones.
• Rinse the braking surface after a wet ride so sand doesn't stay on it.
• Keep an eye on the braking surface: if you can see or feel a hollow, or braking performance noticeably drops off, let us take a look.

Not sure whether your rim is still good? Send us a photo of the braking surface via the contact page or the chat and we'll take a look with you.

Spare spokes are included, but please contact us first. Spoke tension determines the strength of the whole wheel, and work not carried out by us or an approved dealer can void the warranty.

Yes. Let us know which wheel model you have and what you need via the contact page or the chat. Rim tape and tubeless valves can be ordered directly.

If you order a wheelset with tubeless, we've already done this for you. Doing it yourself: apply the rim tape tightly and without air bubbles across the full rim width, fit the valve, mount the tyre, inflate until the tyre audibly seats into the rim hook, let the air out and then add the sealant. Never done it before? Feel free to have your bike shop do it the first time, or ask us in the chat. We're happy to talk you through it.

Yes, you can rent a bike case from us from €35 per week. Handy if you head to a training camp or a race abroad once or twice a year, since you don't need to buy a case of your own. We don't ask for a deposit. The rental fee is payable no later than 3 days before the rental period starts. Check our rental page for availability and the full rental terms.

A bike case is a product in use. Small scratches, light wear and other marks that come with normal use are no problem at all, and we don't charge for them.

If something more serious happens, report it to us within 24 hours via the contact page or the chat, ideally with photos. We'll then look at exactly what happened and find a suitable solution together. Do also check the case on arrival: if you spot damage then, let us know right away with a photo.

If the case is carried during your trip by an airline or transport company, responsibility for that transport lies with you. Check your carrier's terms and consider travel or transport insurance.

Cancellation is free up to 14 days before the rental period starts. Cancel between 7 and 14 days beforehand and we charge 50% of the rental fee. Within 7 days of the start date the full rental fee remains payable.

To cancel, email info@autumn-wheels.com. The cancellation takes effect once we've confirmed it by email. Want to change your reservation? Just ask and we'll see whether it fits within availability.

We do. Ride for a team, compete in triathlon or sit on a club committee? Take a look at our Partner Up page or send us a message. We'd like to hear what you're after.