Parcours is a British wheel brand dedicated to making aerodynamics more accessible. Having launched the Alta 650B wheelset last year in a bid to supply the best gravel bike wheels on the market.
This small-diameter model follows on the heels of its 700c sibling – the Parcours Alta – building on these foundations and enabling the brand to explore its #ridefurther concept even more.
We’ve already reviewed the Parcours Ronde all-road wheels and Parcours Strade road wheels, so the team here at Cyclingnews is pretty well versed in the quality to be expected of the brand, and it’s fair to say that the Alta 650Bs are no exception.
I’ve spent a lot of time with these wheels, riding them over a variety of terrain, mostly in the surrounding areas of Bristol, plus a couple of stints away in the Purbecks and Lake District. Here’s how I got on with them.
Design, aesthetics and specification
The Parcours Alta 650B rims are, without a doubt, very classy looking hoops with beautiful matte-finish and gloss black-on-black decals. This gives them an understated, elegant aesthetic that’s recognizable while maintaining subtle branding.
The carbon tubeless-ready disc wheelset features a 25mm internal rim width and hookless rim profile, optimizing them for a wide range of best gravel tires – tubeless, of course – between 32mm and 45 + mm wide.
They’re built around Parcours’ own precision-machined alloy Disc Centerlock hubs, complete with EZO cartridge bearings. 24 Sapim CX-Ray spokes in a two-cross pattern at the front and rear for robustness against rough surfaces.
Off the shelf, the hubs are fitted for use with 12mm thru-axles, but for other standards there’s an option to use an adapter kit. Meanwhile, for £ 200 extra, you can have them laced around a SON Delux 12 dynamo hub for unlimited light while on the move.
Performance
My sample Alta 650B wheels came with a tube of Hutchinson Touareg tires already fitted, but for the sake of fair testing, I removed them, topped up the sealant, and replaced them again. Using the Topeak Joe Blow Booster reservoir pump, setting them up with the Ronde tires last year, I’m happy to say.
For use, I fitted them to the Stayer Groadinger AS gravel bike, which was originally kitted out with Stayer’s own Gravel Adventure Disc wheelset that I rated extremely well, so it’s fair to say that the bar was already set pretty high.
Still, swapping out to the Parcours Alta 650Bs, I found they delivered a good ride. They’re pretty lightweight, tipping my scales at 1,372g (608g front / 764g rear), and they’re well-built and durable. They’re definitely strong, standing up to some pretty rough descents in the Lake District and Purbecks, and I’d say they’ve got up well and look surprisingly unscathed for the hammering they’ve received.
Riding over the rough stuff, despite their stiffness, the Alta 650B wheels do a good job of gliding over the bumps and smoothing out the terrain, while carving through mud is easy. Thanks to their stiffness and responsiveness, the wheels feel very agile and make it easy to sprint and accelerate out of corners quickly. While the angle of engagement is not low (ie fast) as it does with a 26-tooth ratchet ring with a four-pawl system, that angle is 13.8 degrees – it’s not too much thought by this .
This is mainly due to gravel bikes tend to have larger gears than mountain bikes, and so when you take into consideration the distance you have to travel for a free ride, 13.8 degrees mountain bike hub.
I will say that compared to the Stayer wheels, I have been left wanting a little, and I am excited to put those back on the bike. With a Swiss GP 350 hub at their center.
Verdict
Overall the Parcours Alta 650B wheelset delivers a good quality ride feel, fast acceleration, stiffness and responsive handling, and lightweight agile manoeuvrability, all for under £ 850. This is not something to be sniffed at by any stretch of the imagination.
The wheels look great, they’re easy to set up tubeless, they’re built to last and they feel solid. They can take great value for money. If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your bike without breaking the bank, a set of Alta 650B wheels is a great option.
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Ride Quality | Good at holding speed, stable, smooth and confidence-inspiring | 8/10 |
| Stiffness | Decent stiffness and fast accelerating, without any discomfort | 8/10 |
| Aesthetics | Beautiful and sleek, with subtle branding | 9/10 |
| Tubeless Compatibility | Tubeless setup is easy and they come with everything you need | 9/10 |
| Hubs | Serviceable, smooth and quiet | 8/10 |
| Value for money | Excellent value, offering a ride and spec that’s comparable to wheels twice their price | 10/10 |
| Overall rating | 87% |
Tech Specs: Parcours Alta 650B gravel wheelset
- Price: £ 849 / $ 1,149 (standard build), £ 1,049 / $ 1,419 (Dynamo build)
- Weight: 1,372g (608g front / 764g rear)
- Internal rim width: 25mm (hookless)
- External rim width: 30mm
- Rim depth: 35mm
- Hub: Parcours Disc Centerlock
- Spokes: Sapim CX-Ray
- Spoke count: 24 front / 24 rear
- Lacing pattern: Two-cross