Oquo's new CS-level wheels feature dedicated aerodynamic carbon spokes that reduce weight while increasing stiffness.
The Basque brand tells us this isn’t a simple case of replacing steel with carbon, though. Instead, each wheel – from the shallowest 45mm-deep RP45 LTD CS through to the time-trial and triathlon special 80mm-deep RA80 LTD CS – has been redesigned to make the most of the carbon spokes' properties.
Oquo, like Newmen, Reserve and DT Swiss before it, is using Vonoa’s carbon spokes. Here, they have flat-bladed aero spokes that taper from 2mm to 3.3mm wide.
The carbon spokes' properties also ensured Oquo was able to drop the spoke count across the range, reducing rotational weight.
By shifting down to 20 spokes, Oquo has been able to redesign its own Basque-made Q10 hub flanges front and rear.
The rim has also been reprofiled to take advantage of the reduced drillings required for 20 spokes rather than 24.
Made in the Basque country
Oquo hand manufactures all its mini-hook wheels in its purpose-built Biscay facility, with in-house assembly, testing and R&D.
The Q10 hubset used on all Oquo’s LTD-level wheelsets is also made in the Basque region.
Oquo says all its physical testing surpasses the minimum UCI and industry standards by multiple levels. All the wheelsets are built by hand to exacting standards, with proprietary technology used to ensure all the assemblies meet Oquo’s criteria.
Performance gains
The claimed drop in weight across the range is around 6%, thanks to a redesign in the carbon layup due to the reduced number of spokes. The changes to the angle-interface at the rim and hub flange play their part in the overall system gains, too.
I recently tested the RP50 LTD wheels at 1,421g a pair, and that drops to 1,371g for the CS version – a reduction of around 3.6%.
That's not a huge saving, but when added to the gains Oquo claims in terms of performance, stiffness is improved by 17% over the standard wheel, even with the reduction in spoke count.
Add a 2-watt aerodynamic improvement over the wheels' steel-spoke equivalents and it’s no wonder the CS models have become the wheelsets of choice for Lotto-Intermarchè.
New carbon-spoke models
- RA80 LTD CS: maximum aerodynamics for high-speed riding, with an 80mm rim depth and 23mm internal width. Designed for time trial and triathlon use. Claimed to weigh 1,576g a pair.
- RA57 LTD CS: with a 57mm rim depth, a 23mm internal width and a weight of 1,373g, this is the wheel for high-speed racing, and the one most likely to be seen at this year’s major tours.
- RP50 LTD CS: with a 50mm rim depth, 25mm internal width and a weight of 1,371g, this crossover wheel is aimed at both road and gravel. Expect to see these at the classics.
- RP45 LTD CS: with a 45mm rim depth and 21mm internal width, this is the lightest wheelset in the Oquo range at 1,223g.
All the wheels are priced at: £2,599 / $3,149 / €2,999 and come with tubeless valves, tubeless sealant and wheel bags.
