Basque brand Oquo has given its new generation of wheels a complete redesign, introducing lightweight proprietary hubs and new carbon rim profiles.
The second-generation wheelsets come in three specification levels. The LTD wheels are built with the new Q10 hubsets and Sapim CX-Ray spokes. The Team and Pro-level wheelsets continue with Zipp’s ZR1 hubsets.
The wheels were produced at Oquo's new state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing facility in Bizkaia (Biscay) in Spain's Basque region.
Oquo has had success since launching in 2022, claiming podiums at the Tour de France and in the Mountain Bike World Cup downhill.
The brand was initially an exclusive partner to fellow Spanish manufacturer Orbea and part of the same Basque-based co-operative. It has since shifted to become an independent brand.
Oquo says the new R&D and manufacturing facility gives it the capability of assembling up to 1,500 wheelsets per day and has provided skilled jobs for more than 100 staff.
For the new generation of wheels, Oquo has redesigned the rim profiles, created a new lightweight hubset and expanded the range to include an all-new aerodynamic, race-oriented all-road/gravel option. We first spotted the new wheelset at this year’s Unbound.
Not a clincher, not hookless
Oquo has continued to use the same rim and mini-hook designs it pioneered on the original wheel range.
The mini hook, unlike hookless rims, preserves compatibility with clincher tyres, while still enabling you to use tubeless tyres.
The mini-hook design is rated to 6.5-7 BAR / 95psi for the road, higher than hookless rims, which come with a 5 BAR / 72.5psi maximum.
The tyre interface may have been carried over, but the rim shapes and profiles are new. Development of the new rim shape has been ongoing over the last three years, involving riders from the Orbea and Oquo-sponsored Lotto team.
Testing on the road, alongside wind-tunnel proving, has been key to the new models, according to Oquo.
New lighter and simpler hubs
Oquo originally partnered with Zipp, using Zipp’s ZR1 hubsets throughout its wheel range. For the range-topping second-generation LTD models, it has designed a new hub, the Q10.
The new hub has a shell CNC machined from 7075 T6 aluminium billets. It's a material Oquo claims has superior durability to steel, while being lighter and stiffer too.
The new ratchet freehub, called Shark Ratchet, combines 45-tooth engagement with a full ceramic coating treatment to keep friction low and provide a fast 8-degree engagement angle.
The hubs use custom stainless-steel bearings, and races with low-friction seals and a proprietary water-resistant grease. Oquo claims they will perform even at temperatures as low as -50°C.
The hubs have a claimed weight of only 175g for the rear and 104g for the front. In comparison, DT Swiss’ lightest road option, the DT Swiss 180, comes in at 192g for the rear and 93g for the front. That makes Oquo’s Q10 one of the lightest Center Lock road disc hubsets available.
Tool-less maintenance
The new hubs' assembly is a threadless interface, which means disassembly, inspection and maintenance require no special tools.
As a result of this design, Oquo has paid particular attention to making the seals as robust as possible. It claims the sealing is both ultra-efficient and tough, stopping the ingress of water and dust, which can cause premature wear.
Even switching freehubs between Shimano and SRAM is toolless and requires only the changing of a single part.
The range
The LTD range consists of four models: the lightweight climbing, 35mm-deep RP35LTD; the 50mm-deep, gravel-optimised RA50LTD; the 57mm-deep RA57LTD; and the time-trial specific RA80LTD, which, as the name suggests, is 80mm deep.
The RP35LTD has a 35mm-deep carbon rim with a 21mm internal width, optimised for 28-30mm tyres, with a claimed weight of 1,244g.
The RP50LTD has a 50mm-deep carbon mini-hook rim with a 25mm internal width and a claimed weight of 1,460g. Oquo says this rim profile was developed with input from riders at Orbea-sponsored Lotto. The aim was to design a rim for the roughest road surfaces, including gravel racing.
The RA57LTD is Oquo’s most aerodynamic road racing wheelset, a direct competitor to Zipp’s 404 and the ENVE SES 4.5. With 57mm-deep, 23mm-wide internal dimensions, the new RA57TDs have a claimed 1,460g weight.
Oquo says the rim shape offers the best compromise between lightweight, aerodynamic stability and speed. This is designed to make it the ideal wheelset for mixed courses.
The RA80LTD is Oquo’s time trial and triathlon option. It’s 80mm deep and the 23mm internal-width rims are paired with the Q10 hubset. This results in a 1,626g complete weight, a respectable figure for a wheel of this depth.
All the Oquo LTD wheelsets will retail for £2,110 / $2,499 / €2,399 and ship with tubeless valves, tapes, sealant and wheel bags. The wheels are available with Shimano HG, Microspline, SRAM XDR with Campagnolo freehubs coming soon.
The four new LTD wheelsets are set to see a further upgrade soon, with Oquo confirming it has been busy working on some build upgrades. These are set to debut at this year’s Tour de France, with upgraded wheelsets with the suffix CS becoming available later in the year.
Custom looks
Oquo has taken cues from Orbea’s MyO programme to bring customisation to the new wheels. It tells us it could only achieve this by bringing assembly and manufacturing completely in-house. That also means a choice of graphic decal styles and colours across all models.
