Oquo RP50 LTD review: mini-hook wheelset that's light enough for the road and tough enough for gravel

Oquo's Spanish-made all-road/gravel RP50 LTD wheels use a mini-hook design to retain tyres.

The RP50 LTD is classed as a gravel wheelset, but it has fast become the brand's go-to wheelset for a wide range of professional races. It's already been raced at Roubaix, Unbound and last year's Tour de France and is set to be the wheel choice for this year's classics for pro riders at Lotto-Intermarche.

At £2,110 / $2,499 / €2,400.64, this range-topping LTD version of Oquo’s RP50 gravel wheelset is cheaper than Hunt’s highest-specification (CeramicSpeed) Limitless Gravel 40s (£2,499), but more expensive than Zipp’s 303 XPLR SW (£1,600) and ENVE’s ‘affordable’ Foundation AR40s at £1,800.

It's a premium package that includes valves, rim tape, Oquo tubeless sealant and quality padded wheel bags. However, if the price is still a bit rich for you, Oquo tells me a ‘Team’ version of the RP50 is on the way with a less premium hub at a reduced price.

• Read more: Best gravel wheels in 2026 – top-rated gravel wheelsets and buying advice

Oquo RP50 LTD specifications

Oquo pioneered the mini-hook rim design in its original wheelsets. The mini hook differs from hookless in that it preserves clincher-tyre compatibility while still enabling tubeless.

Although the mini-hook shape isn’t a new ‘standard’, it's still classed as a hooked design according to the ETRTO (given it’s still at least 0.5mm deep), but the shallower depth makes for easier fitting and standard clincher compatibility when it comes to tyres.

The rims are rated to 6.5-7 BAR / 95psi – higher than hookless rims, which come with a 5 BAR / 72.5psi maximum.

The rim shapes are new for these second-generation wheels. As the name suggests, the RP50 is 50mm deep, but now with a broad external width of 34mm, and an internal width of 25mm from the inner face of each mini-hook.

This premium LTD option of the RP50 gets Oquo’s new Q10 hub design. The shell is CNC-machined from 7075 T6 aluminium billets, which Oquo says features superior durability to steel, while being lighter and stiffer.

The ratchet freehub, called Shark Ratchet, has a 45-tooth engagement with a full ceramic coating treatment to keep friction low. The 45 teeth result in an 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 this grease will perform at temperatures down to -50ºC, which was handy for the cold (and very wet) winter testing conditions I exposed the wheels to.

The build is completed with Sapim CX-Ray spokes and Sapim alloy nipples. It’s good to see Oquo using a standard widely available spoke rather than a proprietary design, making both maintenance and repair less of a hassle.

The hubs come with a claimed weight of only 175g for the rear and 104g for the front – that compares to DT Swiss’ top-end 180 EXP hubs, at 192g and 93g.

Oquo says the overall weight is 1,421g a pair. My test pair weighed in at 690g for the front and 770g for the rear with a SRAM XDR freehub, for a total of 1,460g including rim tape and valves – Oquo’s claimed weight is therefore pretty accurate accounting for the tubeless kit.

Compared to similar-depth rivals, they’re 83g heavier than Hunt’s 1,378g 40mm-deep Limitless Aero Gravel wheels (£2,499 / $2,899 / €2,899), although they are 10mm deeper. The road-going 40mm Zipp 303 SW is 1,440g, and Hunt’s road SUB50 Limitless a claimed 1,380g.

Zipp’s deeper (54mm) 303 XPLR wheelset weighs 1,496g (£1,600 / $2,100 / €1,800), with Oquo’s offering 36g lighter.

Oquo RP50 LTD setup

I set up the RP50 LTD wheels with a pair of Maxxis Rambler HYPR-X 45mm gravel tyres. Fitting was a breeze, with none of the tightness I usually find trying to lift a tyre over a hooked rim, or the need for plenty of lubrication as I often find necessary with stiff hookless rim walls.

Impressively, the tyres sealed first time with a standard electric mini-pump. I didn’t need to resort to a compressor or tubeless tank.

The tyres have maintained their pressure since then, only losing a couple of psi when left standing for a few days in cold weather – not enough pressure loss to result in any leaking sealant, just a soft tyre.

Oquo RP50 LTD performance

The Oquo wheels are noticeably stiff when sprinting. I couldn’t feel any lateral flex when sprinting on tarmac, climbing out of the saddle or pitching the bike over rough gravel and root-ridden singletrack.

On singletrack, they felt very similar to Hunt’s Limitless Gravel 40s (which I’ve also run with 45mm Maxxis tyres). Even the pickup from the freehub when accelerating feels remarkably close (Hunt’s hub has a 7.5-degree angle of engagement compared to Oquo’s 8 degrees). 

When it comes to gravel roads, the Oquos feel a bit more stable at speed, and holding speed feels akin to Zipp’s 54mm 303 XPLR. Like the Hunt and Zipp wheels, they also don’t ride ‘hard’. They deliver a smoothness that proved a perfect match for the 45mm tyres I ran with them. 

They’re streets ahead of super-stiff gravel wheels I’ve tried from Reserve and ENVE.

Aesthetics aren’t a consideration when it comes to performance, but I've had plenty of admiring comments on the sharp-looking hubs, understated graphics and the smooth slate grey carbon finish that elevates these wheels above the competition.

Usually with hand-built wheels assembled using traditional spokes, nipples, and hubs, I’d expect an element of ‘settling’ – a few creaks and squeaks as the wheel assembly beds in. I’ve had no such announcements from the RP50 LTDs, though, which suggests the wheel builders at Oquo’s Basque base are doing plenty of quality control and post-assembly work. 

That bodes well for Oquo’s lifetime warranty and crash repair/replacement terms.

The question of hooked, hookless or mini-hook is a hot topic right now. Over the last few years, I’ve tried all these systems and come to the conclusion they all work as they should with the major caveat of the tyres you use.

Hookless suits larger tyres, hooked is more road-oriented and mini-hook sits comfortably between the two.

The issue with wheel systems, however, is down to the quality (control) of the tyres. Too often, I have found two seemingly identical tyres can have a wildly different fit. One will slip on and seal easily, while another will be a battle and never quite seal properly. 

Oquo RP50 LTD bottom line

The Oquo’s 25mm inner width and the fact these are mini-hook profiles gives them more versatility. Unlike Hunt and Zipp’s gravel offerings, which are both hookless and therefore tubeless-tyre only, the RP50 LTD wheels retain clincher compatibility.

These wheels would happily run 30mm road tyres with a tube true to size – and up to a 50mm gravel tyre, depending on the casing profile. In the very congested space that is gravel wheels, Oquo is offering a quality, sensible choice here.

The RP50 LTD is the all-road option, if you will, a wheelset that's light and sprightly enough to be used on the road, yet tough and compliant enough for the extremes of gravel.

Oquo, unlike its rivals, offers custom finish options with a choice of logo designs and a palette of 11 colours. If you dream of matching your wheels to your bike, Oquo may well have the solution.

If you’re looking for a wheelset that adds versatility to your bike, look no further.