I first read about the ATR wheels a few months ago on the Reynolds website. At 29 mm wide and fairly light-weight, they sounded like they were perfectly designed for the type of dirt road riding, racing, and adventuring I love to do. I immediately called Tom Gosselin at Reynolds to purchase a Demo set for the shop. We build a lot of 24 mm wide format rims for CX and road, but have yet to put together anything quite like these. I was curious how the additional width would impact the ride quality. And so, I immediately set them up on my bike.
I put my road bike away back in September, and transitioned to my gravel setup, which, this year, is a Felt F4x. Living here in the middle of NH, my gravel riding involves not only flat dirt roads and rail trails, but also many of the more obscure and gnarly paths. My “Adventure rides” most often include a mix of snowmobile trails, class 6 roads that are no longer maintained, single track, and whatever dirt roads are required to link these exciting features together.
What I noticed immediately with the ATR wheelset was its ability to climb super rocky uphills. With a wider stance, the wheel feels much more sure-footed, making it such that I could crawl over stuff that I have never been able to climb before. When I ran them at a super technical local cross race (Hanover Cyclocross), the wheels easily navigated up super steep root covered climbs that on my previous wheelset I struggled with. They made me a better racer, at least in part because I was able to run them at lower tire pressures than previous set ups.
The wheels are tubeless-ready, and, to be perfectly frank, the only reason that I have not converted them is that I am lazy and have yet to have a single flat. They are currently set up as through axle front and rear, but they come with axle adapters for quick release if you need them.
Throughout the years, I have ridden a variety of different wheels and set-ups, and all I can say is that these are not coming off my bike. Their width and stability make you a better rider. Their design makes it such that even when you’re rolling dirt roads at 40 psi, the wheels feel fast. The quality of the wheels is great. Even after being ridden on (and banged around) for several hundred miles, they are still totally true and round. All things considered, I believe that the Reynolds ATR wheels are a perfect option for ANY dirt road cyclist – from the rail trail commuter to the cyclocross racer. If you are interested in taking a set out for a demo ride, please let me know and I will reluctantly take them off my bike to let you have spin on them. I will even take you out for a little adventure if the weather is okay.
Dick Drummond
Drummond Custom Cycles
I first read about the ATR wheels a few months ago on the Reynolds website. At 29 mm wide and fairly light-weight, they sounded like they were perfectly designed for the type of dirt road riding, racing, and adventuring I love to do. I immediately called Tom Gosselin at Reynolds to purchase a Demo set for the shop. We build a lot of 24 mm wide format rims for CX and road, but have yet to put together anything quite like these. I was curious how the additional width would impact the ride quality. And so, I immediately set them up on my bike.
I put my road bike away back in September, and transitioned to my gravel setup, which, this year, is a Felt F4x. Living here in the middle of NH, my gravel riding involves not only flat dirt roads and rail trails, but also many of the more obscure and gnarly paths. My “Adventure rides” most often include a mix of snowmobile trails, class 6 roads that are no longer maintained, single track, and whatever dirt roads are required to link these exciting features together.
What I noticed immediately with the ATR wheelset was its ability to climb super rocky uphills. With a wider stance, the wheel feels much more sure-footed, making it such that I could crawl over stuff that I have never been able to climb before. When I ran them at a super technical local cross race (Hanover Cyclocross), the wheels easily navigated up super steep root covered climbs that on my previous wheelset I struggled with. They made me a better racer, at least in part because I was able to run them at lower tire pressures than previous set ups.
The wheels are tubeless-ready, and, to be perfectly frank, the only reason that I have not converted them is that I am lazy and have yet to have a single flat. They are currently set up as through axle front and rear, but they come with axle adapters for quick release if you need them.
Throughout the years, I have ridden a variety of different wheels and set-ups, and all I can say is that these are not coming off my bike. Their width and stability make you a better rider. Their design makes it such that even when you’re rolling dirt roads at 40 psi, the wheels feel fast. The quality of the wheels is great. Even after being ridden on (and banged around) for several hundred miles, they are still totally true and round. All things considered, I believe that the Reynolds ATR wheels are a perfect option for ANY dirt road cyclist – from the rail trail commuter to the cyclocross racer. If you are interested in taking a set out for a demo ride, please let me know and I will reluctantly take them off my bike to let you have spin on them. I will even take you out for a little adventure if the weather is okay.
Dick Drummond
Drummond Custom Cycles
