Test of the Reserve 40/44 Wheels

Among the new wheelsets performing at the highest level, the Reserve models have held a prominent place since the start of the 2023 season, as they are the wheels used by the Jumbo-Visma team of the most recent Giro d’Italia winner, Primož Roglič. We were able to test the most versatile model among Reserve’s five offerings—the 40/44—over several hundred kilometers. These wheels feature a different height design and wide rims that promote stability and comfort.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr

The Reserve 40/44 wheels are high-end carbon wheels manufactured by the American brand Santa Cruz Bicycles, which belongs to the Pon Bike group along with the Cervélo brand. This explains why Reserve wheels have been fitted to the Jumbo-Visma team’s Cervélo bikes since this season, and why they’re found on all models in the lineup starting with Sram Force or Shimano Ultegra builds.

Five rim-height combinations are available, each featuring a front wheel that is lower and slightly wider than the rear wheel. The lineup begins with the 77/Disc pair, featuring a front wheel with a 77-mm-high rim and a solid rear wheel, designed for time trials or triathlons. A 77/88 combination (with an 88-mm rear wheel) is also available, for time trials on slightly more undulating terrain. Next are the 52/63 wheels, which come standard on the Cervélo S5—tall wheels suited for road riding on fast, rolling routes. Next are the 40/44 wheels, which are the focus of this review—a versatile model that will undoubtedly appeal to many riders looking for a single set of wheels to handle everything. Finally, the 34/37 wheels are specifically designed for mountain riding, with particularly lightweight and maneuverable rims.

Each combination is available in three different versions depending on the hubs chosen. For the 40/44 models, prices range from €1,799 with DT 350 hubs to €2,799 with DT 180 hubs (our test version), including a €2,299 option with DT 240 hubs. The top-of-the-line version saves 92 g per wheel set compared to the entry-level model, while still featuring 24 spokes on both the front and rear wheels.

Ever Wider

The two rims on the test wheels have specific dimensions, with a height of 40 mm at the front and 44 mm at the rear. But the differences don’t stop there, since the front rim has an internal width of 25.5 mm and an external width of 33 mm, while the rear rim has an internal width of 25 mm and an external width of 31 mm. This is very wide for road wheels, but it serves a dual purpose: first, to optimize the wheels’ stability in crosswinds despite the rim’s height (with a "U" shape that allows for better airflow than a "V" shape), and second, to enhance comfort by using wider tires—and thus lower inflation pressure—without compromising performance, at least to a certain extent. Not to mention, of course, the benefits in terms of cornering grip, whether on dry or wet surfaces.

The Reserve 40/44 wheels (like the other wheels in the lineup) are designed to accommodate tubeless tires (or tires with inner tubes, if necessary) with a width ranging from 28 to 40 mm. The test wheels are shown here fitted with 700×28 Vittoria Corsa Graphene 2.0 Tubeless Ready tires, which actually measure 31.5 mm wide on the rims. The tire sidewalls thus align perfectly with the rim’s sidewalls, which theoretically improves aerodynamics. By accommodating 40 mm-wide tires, Reserve wheels with this rim size are also perfectly suited for gravel riding, especially since the manufacturer considers them sturdy enough to come with a lifetime warranty (for the first owner).

The DT 180 hubs weigh 94 g for the front and 193 g for the rear, with ceramic bearings and a high-performance cassette body engagement system. They bring the total wheel weight to 1,370 g (excluding the valve and rim tape). That’s impressive, but this light weight is offset by the heavier 28-section tubeless tires (listed at 310 g each), plus the weight of the sealant. Ultimately, the build isn’t exceptionally light, as it’s very close in weight to a pair of Shimano Dura-Ace C50 wheels fitted with 26 tires and inner tubes.

Comfort and Performance

Thanks to the tubeless tires, which measure 31.5 mm wide and are inflated to 5 bar (compared to 6.5 to 7 bar with 25 mm tires), the Reserve 40/44 immediately stand out for their comfort on the rough pavement of the small side streets taken to avoid traffic. It’s always a little hard to admit for an old courier who started cycling with 20-mm tires, but such a wide tire section offers surprising efficiency. Not only do you not feel slowed down (at least when riding at a steady pace), but the increased comfort from lower pressure significantly reduces those annoying little bumps on rough surfaces, which ultimately cause you to lose traction. As for the benefit in terms of grip, it’s outstanding. You feel truly secure when leaning the bike sharply into turns, and you can navigate roundabouts with barely a lift of the foot, even on a wet road.

The choice of such a wide tire is, of course, closely tied to the rim width. A wide tire on a narrower rim causes bulging that compromises aerodynamics and bike control. With the Reserve wheels and these Vittoria tires, direction changes remain crisp, and you don’t feel the sidewalls sagging when you push hard while standing on the pedals. On the other hand, it takes a little getting used to the rounded shape at the top of the tire, which provides very gradual changes in contact when you sway the bike from side to side—unlike 25 tires, for example, which have a shape more akin to a bullet.

In practice, the Reserve 40/44 tires feel quite responsive, though the feedback is less sharp than with highly inflated 25 tires. But we’re only talking about feel here, as the difference is imperceptible on the stopwatch. Ultimately, the wheels are fairly neutral in terms of stiffness and do not fundamentally alter the bike’s usual performance characteristics. On the other hand, they really shine when riding into the wind, offering stability and trajectory control, even in strong crosswinds.

Our take on the Reserve 40/44 wheels

The 40/44 is the most versatile model in the Reserve lineup, thanks to its modest weight and rim height for both the front and rear, which offers an excellent balance between aerodynamics and stability. The rim width requires the use of fairly wide tires, which significantly alter your perception of the road. This setup provides comfort and safety when cornering, without compromising overall performance. On varied routes—featuring bumps, slight inclines, wind-exposed straights, and several city crossings with frequent accelerations— the Reserve 40/44 wheels perform exceptionally well on a versatile bike, making it even easier to ride and capable of handling a wide range of situations. In a way, they enhance the bike’s neutral handling. On a bike designed specifically for fast riding on flat terrain, they add a little extra in terms of ease and maneuverability, and the bike ultimately becomes a bit less demanding.

That said, among the three versions of the Reserve 40/44 wheels, this model isn’t necessarily the best value for the money. The hubs are the lightest in the DT lineup, but they’re expensive and not as smooth as expected. On paper, we therefore prefer the DT 240 version, priced at €2,299.

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