Wind tunnels give you numbers. Roads give you a verdict.
Last week we shared the Silverstone data, where the new 52/58 Superlight Aero needed 276.2 watts to hold speed at 0° yaw, the lowest of any road setup in that session. The sports scientist who ran that test was Andy Turner.
Now Andy has finished his full road review for Cycling Weekly. The wheels came off the tunnel stand and went racing: 1,500 km of training, bunch rides and handicap road races on broken British tarmac.
His score: 4.5 out of 5.
We did not write this review, pay for it or see it before it went live. That is exactly why it matters to us. A tunnel tells you how a wheel behaves at one speed and one angle. A season of real riding tells you whether you would want to own it. Here is our summary of what Andy found, where he pushed back, and how the 52/58 compares on price with the wheelsets he lined it up against.
| Publication | Cycling Weekly |
| Reviewer | Andy Turner, Sport and Exercise Scientist |
| Published | 14 September 2026 |
| Score | 4.5 / 5 |
| Tested over | 1,500 km, including handicap road races averaging over 45 km/h |
| Wheelset | No.6 52/58 Superlight Aero |
| Price | £1,699 / $2,199 |
"I'd choose these over Enve or Princeton wheels without question."
Andy Turner, Cycling Weekly
The 52/58 Superlight Aero: 52mm front, 58mm rear, UD gloss finish.
What is the No.6 52/58 Superlight Aero?
The 52/58 Superlight Aero is a hooked, tubeless-ready carbon road wheelset with a 52mm front rim, a 58mm rear rim and carbon spokes, at a published 1,267g.
It sits in the middle of our 2026 ProjectSpeed road range, between the 42/48 Superlight All Round and the deeper 58/65 Superlight Aero+. Andy weighed his test set at 1,281g with rim tape fitted and a Shimano HG freehub. That is 14g over our published figure, about 1%, and his number includes the tape.
| Our published spec | What Cycling Weekly found | |
|---|---|---|
| Rim depth | 52mm front / 58mm rear | Quick at race pace; Andy, a taller rider, would lean deeper |
| Rim width | Front 32mm ext / 25mm int Rear 30mm ext / 24mm int |
30mm tyres sat flush with the rim |
| Weight | 1,267g (Shimano body) | 1,281g on his scales, incl. rim tape |
| Rim | Hooked, tubeless ready, Toray T700/T800 | He prefers hooked for road pressures above 75 psi |
| Spokes | Carbon, 16 front (3.8mm) / 20 rear (5.0mm), 2-cross | Balanced, with some compliance |
| Hub | Zero Gravity v.3, 45T ratchet | Fast pickup in on/off bunch racing |
| Bearings | Tripeak ceramic, standard | No play after 1,500 km |
| Tyres | Best 28-30mm, fits 28-35mm | Corsa Pro Speed easy, P Zero Race TLR tighter |
| Limits | 110 psi max, 110 kg rider | |
| Freehubs | Shimano HG 11/12, Shimano MSR, SRAM XDR, Campagnolo N3W |
Zero Gravity v.3 hub: Tripeak ceramic bearings and a 45-tooth ratchet as standard.
How does the 52/58 ride on the road?
Cycling Weekly found the 52/58 quick on the flat and on climbs, steady in gusty wind and comfortable on broken roads, though not quite the stiffest wheel Andy has ridden.
He raced them in his local handicap series at average speeds over 45 km/h and said the wheels never held him back. On steady climbs they held speed. On steep pitches they got up to speed quickly, which is where a 1,281g deep-section wheelset earns its keep.
On stiffness he was straight with us. In his experience a well-laced steel-spoke wheel with a higher spoke count can feel a bit stiffer. He still called the 52/58 well balanced and far from flexy, and the compliance meant rough roads did not feel harsh.
The 45-tooth ratchet got credit in bunch races, where you are on and off the power all the time. The ceramic bearings had no play after 1,500 km. And he liked the gloss finish, because matte rims show every water mark.
Hooked bead, 25mm internal at the front. A 28-30mm tyre sits flush with the rim wall.
Is the 52/58 fast in the wind tunnel?
Yes. In Andy's Silverstone session the 52/58 on 30mm tyres was the fastest road setup at 0° yaw and 40 km/h, needing 276.2 W to hold speed against 284.9 W for the Vision Metron SL 60.
For the review he also ran the 52/58 against the Metron SL 60 on the same tyres across different frames. The No.6 was faster at every speed and yaw angle tested. Andy calls it a limited comparison, and we agree: a few frames on one day is not a full aero study. It is still worth noting, because the Metron has the deeper 60mm rim you would normally expect to win.
| Setup (0° yaw, 40 km/h) | Weight | Power to hold speed | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| No.6 52/58 Superlight Aero, 30mm tyres | 1,267g | 276.2 W | Fastest |
| Vision Metron SL 60, 28mm tyres | 1,642g | 284.9 W | +8.7 W |
| No.6 Anniversary 50/58 (previous model), 28mm tyres | 1,280g | 285.0 W | +8.8 W |
Full results from the 27 April 2026 session.
*Data provided by Andy Turner, Sports Scientist and Performance Specialist. Tested at Silverstone on 27 April 2026 by ATP Performance. Full write-up: Road Wheels: The Quietly Big Result.
How does the 52/58 compare on price?
At £1,699 / $2,199 the 52/58 costs about half the UK price of the Scope, Enve, Zipp and Princeton wheelsets Cycling Weekly compared it with, at a similar weight.
Andy was clear that this is still real money, and he put the gap over lower-priced carbon down to development, with wind tunnel time as part of that cost. His point was that the 52/58 is not built to compete with the Scope R4 or the standard Hunt 5AM Limitless. It is priced against halo wheelsets, and there it looks like strong value, with ceramic bearings included.
| Wheelset | UK price | US price | vs No.6 (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| No.6 52/58 Superlight Aero | £1,699 | $2,199 | n/a |
| Princeton Wake | £4,000 | $4,275 | +£2,301 |
| Enve SES 4.5 Pro | £3,999 | $3,750 | +£2,300 |
| Scope Artech 6 | £3,498 | $4,398 | +£1,799 |
| Zipp 454 NSW | £3,400 | $4,200 | +£1,701 |
| Hunt 5AM Limitless UD Spoke | £1,999 | $2,599 | +£300 |
| Hunt 5AM Limitless | £1,699 | not listed | £0 |
| Scope R4 | £1,498 | not listed | -£201 |
Prices as listed in the Cycling Weekly review, 14 September 2026.
What did Cycling Weekly not like?
Three things: carbon spokes can be damaged by a side impact, the price is still a serious outlay, and the 52/58 may not be quite as stiff as the very stiffest wheels. He also noted we have no UK dealers yet.
All four are fair. Here is how we see each one.
| What the review flagged | Our take |
|---|---|
| Carbon spokes and side impacts | A stone flicked up in a bunch can hit any spoke. Andy's test set came with spares for the front and rear, since the two use different diameters (3.8mm and 5.0mm). The nipples are external, so a swap is a normal workshop job. |
| The price | At $2,199 it is a considered purchase. We would rather be judged against the wheels it races with, and on that list it sits at about half the UK price. |
| Perhaps not the stiffest | We chose some compliance on purpose, because most of our riders train on real roads. If maximum lateral stiffness for a heavy sprinter is your priority, ask us before you order. |
| No UK dealers yet | True today. We sell direct, so spares and support come straight from us. |
Which No.6 road wheelset should you choose?
Pick the 52/58 for racing and fast group rides, the 58/65 if you want more depth, the 42/48 for hilly or windy days, and the 28/28 for long climbs.
Andy mentioned that as a taller, heavier rider he would lean towards a deeper rim. That is what the 58/65 Superlight Aero+ is for. In the same tunnel session our 42/48 All Round finished 1.8 W behind the 52/58, which is a small price for a lighter, calmer wheel in crosswinds. All four share the Zero Gravity v.3 hub, Tripeak ceramic bearings and the same freehub options.
| Wheelset | Depth (F/R) | Weight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28/28 Superlight Climb | 28 / 28mm | 1,043g | Long climbs, lightest build |
| 42/48 Superlight All Round | 42 / 48mm | 1,146g | Hilly routes and windy days |
| 52/58 Superlight Aero | 52 / 58mm | 1,267g | Racing and fast group rides (the reviewed wheel) |
| 58/65 Superlight Aero+ | 58 / 65mm | 1,349g | Flat, fast courses and bigger riders |
Published weights with a Shimano freehub body. All four are $2,199.
The 52/58 is raced by DAS Hutchinson and CAMS Majaco.
If you want the race side of the story, we covered how CAMS Majaco tested the wheels in the bunch and why we support DAS Hutchinson. For the physics, read The Ridiculous Business of Saving Seconds.
The wind tunnel gave us the numbers.
Andy's 1,500 km gave us the verdict.
Four and a half stars, from the person who measured before he wrote.
Read the full Cycling Weekly reviewSee the 52/58 specs and pricing
Questions riders ask about the 52/58
What score did Cycling Weekly give the No.6 52/58?
Cycling Weekly gave the No.6 52/58 Superlight Aero 4.5 out of 5. Andy Turner's review was published on 14 September 2026 after 1,500 km of testing, including local road races.
How much does the No.6 52/58 weigh?
We publish 1,267g for the pair with a Shimano freehub body. Cycling Weekly weighed its test set at 1,281g with rim tape fitted, a 14g difference.
Is the No.6 52/58 hookless?
No. The 52/58 uses hooked, tubeless-ready rims with a 110 psi maximum pressure. It fits 28-35mm tyres and is at its best aerodynamically on 28-30mm.
Is the 52/58 faster than the Vision Metron SL 60?
In Andy Turner's Silverstone session at 0° yaw, the 52/58 on 30mm tyres needed 276.2 W to hold speed against 284.9 W for the Metron SL 60, a gap of 8.7 W.
Which teams race on the 52/58?
Cycling Weekly notes the 52/58 is ridden by DAS Hutchinson, a UCI women's team, and CAMS Majaco, the Ineos Grenadiers development team.
