Halo Carbaura RCD 50 wheelset review

The Halo Carbaura RCD 50 is the brand’s latest deep-section road wheel.

Halo claims the Carbaura RCD 50 has been built around a “Computational Fluid Dynamics tested, aerodynamic profile”, which has been optimised for use with a 700x28c tyre.

The wheel sits in the middle of the range, with shallower 35mm and deeper 80mm options available to those seeking greater climbing performance or all-out flat land speed.

This mid-level road bike wheelset has proven to be a well-handling and reliable option for road riders and racers looking to upgrade their ride, but could do more to stand out from the crowd in this competitive price bracket.

Halo Carbaura RCD 50 details and specifications

Halo has opted to push the internal width of its latest Carbaura RCD 50 wheels out to 21mm from the 19mm of the previous version. This makes them better suited to pairing with higher-volume (28mm-plus) tyres, which have become the norm on road bikes.

While the Carbaura is listed as compatible with tyres from 25-35c, if you’re looking for a wheelset to use frequently with rubber of 30c or above, an even wider internal width of 22mm or more would best support these wider tyres.

I tested these wheels with 28mm Schwalbe One tyres fitted, which measured up at 29mm.

Halo has opted for a hooked rim on the Carbaura RCD 50, which saves any compatibility headaches when choosing suitable tyres – you can run clincher or tubeless tyres.

Some riders will appreciate this ease of compatibility, though many brands claim hookless rims to be aerodynamically superior due to their smoother transition between the rim and tyre sidewall.

Halo claims the Carbaura RCD 50 wheelset has a profile that's aerodynamically optimised around a 28mm tyre.

That said, given their 28mm external width, they break the widely adopted ‘105 rule’, which suggests a rim should be at least 105 per cent of the width of its tyre to achieve optimum aerodynamic performance.

With this in mind, greater aerodynamic performance may be achievable by using a 25mm tyre.

Many competitors' wheelsets have pushed their internal widths out to 22-23mm, some as far as 25mm, leaving Halo a step behind in the high-volume arms race.

The freehub design utilises a stepped pawl system similar to that used by Industry Nine and Hunt.

In my experience, this system of engagement has proven to be reliable and relatively easy to maintain, although pawls can be a little fiddly to service compared to a system such as a DT Swiss ratchet. It’s important to grease them sparingly to ensure secure engagement.

This system allows for basic maintenance with minimal tools required. You can remove the freehub body, clean and re-grease the drive ring, pawls and springs, and reassemble them again using only a pair of cone spanners.

Carrying out this kind of occasional routine maintenance will likely save you money in the long run, and make full services and future bearing changes a less frequent occurrence.

Shimano users will be pleased to see a steel anti-bite spline attached to the otherwise all-aluminium freehub body, because this will prevent cassettes from biting into the freehub body and becoming stuck in place.

SRAM XDR and Campagnolo freehub bodies are also available.

The Carbaura RCD 50 wheels use Halo's own bladed steel spokes and brass nipples, and a slightly unconventional 2:1 lacing pattern, where twice the number of spokes are positioned on the most load-bearing side of the wheel.

This results in an exceptionally stiff ride feel, but it's worth noting that a 2:1 rim cannot be laced to a traditional hub.

Provided proper maintenance is kept up, this shouldn’t be an issue, but if you’re a rider prone to neglecting and destroying hubs, it may be worth consideration.

The wheels tip my scales at 1,557g including tubeless tape and valves, which is reasonable for their depth and a touch lighter than the comparable Shimano 105 RS710 and significantly pricier ENVE Foundation 45 wheelsets.

Halo Carbaura RCD 50 performance

The Halo Carbaura RCD 50 rims have a matt black painted finish, which looks smart but makes it impossible to assess the carbon finish beneath the paint.

That said, the bead hook and rim bed are consistently shaped, and give no reason to expect manufacturing inconsistencies elsewhere in the rims.

On inspecting the build quality of the Halo Carbaura RCD wheelset, I have found both wheels to be evenly tensioned and true to within ＋/- 1.5mm of lateral and radial runout. This tolerance is to be expected from a wheelset at this level.

Halo has opted to spec the Carbaura RCD with brass nipples rather than alloy versions (alloy is often chosen for tiny weight savings). Brass nipples are regularly proven to outlast alloy, particularly in the wet and salty conditions common in the UK. It's great to see them used here.

Out of the box, the wheels come taped and tubeless-ready, and I found 28c Schwalbe One tyres to be easy to seat. I managed this using a track pump with no difficulty, and with no compressor required.

On the road, the overall ride experience felt fast and responsive, but not mind-blowing, leaning towards the harsh side.

I’ve ridden the Carbaura RCD 50 in some awful conditions and found it to handle well in the wind, though gusts will tug at the front wheel, and riders less sure of their handling capabilities may want to look towards the 35mm-deep option.

On the climbs, there is no apparent flex or inefficiency, but the performance won’t wow you as a shallower climbing-specific wheel might.

On rolling terrain, the wheels held their own well, carrying speed over small rises and holding it in the way you would expect from a wheelset of this depth. They felt efficient at a cruising speed of around 35kph.

The brand's RD2 rear hubshell incorporates a Supadrive freehub, which utilises stepped pawls to achieve a near-instantaneous 120-point, three-degree engagement.

The hub engages solidly, but feels somewhat draggy, and is incredibly loud. You won’t be sneaking up on anybody with these wheels fitted, so if you’re a rider who prefers an understated hum to a hive of furious bees, you may want to look elsewhere.

Crit racers repeatedly punching out of corners, or those looking for a cyclocross or light gravel wheelset would appreciate this fast engagement for short pedal strokes in technical terrain, but the benefits of high-engagement hubs are questionable on the road.

Available for an SRP of £1,049.95 in the UK, the Halo Carbaura 50 wheels sit at a keen price point for the performance on offer. However, they are within a very competitive category.

Our best road bike wheels buyer’s guide shows off the range of wheels available for all budgets, including options from Prime, Hunt and Bontrager that are similarly competitive.

Included accessories

The wheels arrived with tubeless tape fitted and a Shimano HG Freehub body as standard. However, tubeless valves, and spare spokes and nipples, were not included.

With other brands, such as Prime and Hunt, opting to include these spares and accessories with wheelsets of a lower RRP, they would have been good to see here.

Crash-replacement policy

Despite the relatively low initial outlay for the Carbaura RCD 50 wheelset, Halo offers a reasonable crash-support policy.

It offers 50% off the cost of a repair or replacement – whichever is the most cost-effective – for a given wheel, if the wheel is unsafe to ride following an accident (not including the cost of returning the wheel).

Halo Carbaura RCD 50 bottom line

Halo has produced a well-performing, fast and stiff-feeling wheelset, distinctive due to its particularly loud and high-engagement freehub.

However, this won’t be appealing to all riders, and otherwise, the Carbaura RCD 50 doesn’t offer enough to stand out within a very competitive price bracket. It may leave many considering alternatives.

Were the RCD 50 wheelset available at a discount, it might represent a good choice, but coming up against alternatives at similar or cheaper price points, there is little to set the Halo Carbaura RCD 50 apart from its competition.