Review: Ryan Builds Wheels Club Gravel Wheelset with Disc Brake

Unless you’re racing, carbon and a deep section aren’t the main features you need in a gravel wheelset. You want them to be reliable, robust and work well with wide tires, and that’s exactly what the Ryan Builds Wheels Club Gravel Disk Brake wheelset focuses on. Handcrafted in the UK, these wheels are also priced competitively.

For more options, check out off.road.cc’s guide to the best gravel bike wheels and our guide to the best road bike wheels.

> Buy now: Ryan Builds Wheels Club Gravel Disk Brake wheelset for £418 from RBW

I recently tested the road version of these bikes and was impressed, so it will come as no surprise that I have the same feelings about these Club Gravels overall.

The construction (which I’ll get into in a moment) makes for impressive ride quality. On a gravel bike, this isn’t quite as crucial due to the role of the high-volume tires, but if you’re running them with a tightly inflated set of wide slicks, you’ll be grateful for it.

> How to choose the optimal tire pressure for your bike – balance between speed, comfort and grip

The ride is smooth and since there is no road noise, there is no compromise in the feedback from the tires to the driver.

The lateral stiffness is also great, especially noticeable on the steep climbs when I was out of the saddle and leaning the bike heavily from side to side. On descents, this stiffness meant that the front end of the bike felt tight under high cornering loads and when I was braking hard.

The wheels worked well with a range of gravel tires thanks to the rim width, which ensured that the tires had a natural, curved shape and no top-heavy “lightbulb” effect.

> Buying guide: The best gravel bike tires

The Club Gravels also impressed in terms of durability, withstanding the rigors of my local gravel roads, which are mostly rocky and have many hidden potholes. They were absolutely smooth when they arrived and continued to run just as smoothly after the test period was over.

Build

The 22mm deep Club Gravel rims are made from heat treated 6066 T6 aluminum alloy and the spoke beds have been tested to over 300kgf. The heat treatment is done after the extrusion and welding processes to ensure consistent strength throughout the rim.

They are available with either 24 or 32 spokes, we have the latter. You can also choose between 700C and 650B diameters.

Internally they are 25mm wide so they will work comfortably with gravel tires up to about 50mm and you can still use 30/32mm road tires without it affecting the shape of the tire in any way.

The wheels come with tubeless tape and valves, and the rims are hooked with a double bead lock for a secure fit. I installed a set of 36mm WTB road tires, 40mm treaded gravel tires, and a 45mm set of smooth Panaracer GravelKings without any major issues. The narrower tires required some leverage to screw the final section onto the rim, but it wasn’t so tight that I would have had trouble removing them by the side of the trail if I needed to repair a flat.

All three tire sizes were able to be mounted on the rim using a floor pump, making tubeless an easy solution. Due to the number of tires and wheels I test, I run a lot of setups with tubes – otherwise I would use so much sealant in a month! I ran these with tubes and everything worked absolutely flawlessly.

The Bitex BX106 hubs roll smoothly and have remained so even after many dusty rides on the trails and some rain.

They come with an aluminum freehub with anti-bite protection, which is a strip of steel on one of the splines that prevents your cassette from catching on it when under load, but if you need extra strength, a solid steel freehub is also available.

The freehub engages the drivetrain quickly thanks to six pawls and 48 engagement points. All brands are represented, with Shimano, SRAM XDR and Campagnolo’s standard road cassette available at the same price. Shimano’s Microspline and Campagnolo’s N3W 13-speed add £10 to the wheelset price.

Not only can you specify the freewheel in relation to the hubs, but you can also choose the housing colour. There are various anodised finishes to choose from, such as our blue, which can be matched to the aluminium Sapim nipples. Brass versions are also available.

You can also choose from a full range of axle options.

Sapim racing spokes are included in the standard build price of £410, but you can upgrade to D-Light or CX-Ray for an extra ten pounds.

Including tape and valves, the total weight of these tires is 1,700g on the road.cc Scales of Truth.

Value

Considering that each set of wheels is hand-built in Bristol, I’d say the price is very competitive. You can also upgrade to other rims – Kinlin RD 3-FT – if you want a sturdier build without the price going up. And all those color options or spoke spec changes give you a decent level of customization.

I tested the BORG31 wheelset in 2021, a hand-built all-round set suitable for all types of riding. They weighed about the same but had 19mm internal diameters on the rims, so I’d say the RBWs have the edge with wider tires.

Given the price increases of the last few years, it’s no surprise that they’ve gone up a bit to £559.99 – not a huge amount, but still £140 more than the RBWs.

When I recently tested the Spa Cycles Elan Ti bike, it came with a set of hand-built Spa Cycles wheels. They were tough, durable and used similar components. With a Kinlin rim, the same Bitex BX106 hubs, Sapim CX-Ray spokes and an upgrade to blue nipples, the price is £415.

Diploma

Overall, it’s a sturdy and durable wheelset that will work well for your gravel bike, commuter or touring bike. Another bonus is the fact that you can get some customizations like color anodized hubs and nipples at no extra cost.

> Buy now: Ryan Builds Wheels Club Gravel Disk Brake wheelset for £418 from RBW

Verdict

Strong, reliable wheels with great handling and a bit of bling at no extra cost