Halo Vapour GXC gravel wheel review

Halo wheels has a bombproof reputation among the most demanding dirt riders and its road and CX wheels have always proved rock-solid, too. The GXC wheels are Halo’s lightest alloy option, yet with a mid-width rim that’s perfect for 25-35mm tyres. Responsive freehub and easy axle switching make them versatile value, too. 

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The GXC rims use a flat-base 22mm deep profile with 28 spokes front and 32 rear for handling more load and stress. The spokes are standard ‘hook through’ J-bend so you should be able to replace them easily anywhere in the world. The rims come blue taped but you don’t get tubeless valves included so remember to buy them as well. 

The GXC hubs use the ultra-fast-reacting 120-point engagement Supadrive freehub that we’ve been brutalising on MTBs for years without a single issue. The HG version we tested gets replaceable steel strakes to stop the cassette gouging the splines, or you can choose SRAM XDR or Campagnolo options. You can also switch axle ends to fit QR frames/forks or 15mm forks but you’ll need adaptors to fit six-bolt rotors to the centre-lock splines.

Weight is reasonable for a sturdy gravel/touring wheel but the freehub engages soon as you twitch your feet on the pedals. They’re laced up with enough compliance to make them feel surefooted and comfortable rather than uptight and racy, but that smoothness really helps conserve speed and energy on rougher sections. This helps offset the fact that 40mm and wider tyres tend to look pinched and feel a bit wobbly, unsurprisingly they worked fine with Halo’s 38mm GXC tyres. The Halo range jumps straight to the Enduro at 33mm internal too, so there’s no intermediate 25mm XC/fat gravel rim to go for. 

Verdict

Halo’s GXC rims are a little narrow by the latest standards, but if you don’t need a broad tyre base, they’re impressively bombproof in terms of impact and extended mileage. 

You still get instant pick-up from the reinforced and versatile hubs, and easy speed that’s almost hidden by their surefooted, smooth-rolling character.

Tech Specs: Halo Vapour GXC gravel wheels

• Price: £149.99 + £259.99 = £409.98
• Weight: 780g + 1027g = 1807g 
• Width: 21mm internal, 26mm external
• Sizes: 700 (tested) and 650