Many riders own great rim brake bikes. Whether made from metal or carbon, properly cared-for bikes can last decades and provide riders with many more years of enjoyment.
But they can only keep going if there are parts to keep them running. Many parts can be shared between a rim-brake bike and a disc-brake bike. But there’s one crucial part that is specific to a rim brake bike: the wheels.
One advantage of disc brakes is that the braking surface is a small and easily replaceable metal rotor. But for rim brake wheels, the braking surface is the rim itself, which means the structure of a rim brake wheel is worn down as the brakes are used, necessitating the eventual replacement of the wheel, or at least the rim. And there’s always damage from crashes and other incidents to consider.
The problem for people who love and continue to ride their rim brake bikes: Rim brake wheels—and rims and hubs—are disappearing from the marketplace, leaving them fewer and harder-to-find parts when a replacement is necessary.
Like many of you, this household has some beloved rim-brake bikes: my wife’s beautiful pink Colnago C60 and my speedy orange Mosaic RS-1.
Okay, my Mosaic AND my Seven, Stoemper, Vynl, Rock Lobster, and Specialized. Yes, I have a problem.
Some of my frames are stripped and in storage, but my wife’s Colnago is still in use, and I ride the Mosaic and Specialized whenever possible. They’re amazing bikes with many miles and years left in them.
But I recently had an anxiety attack: What will I do when I need to replace the wheels on these bikes we still love and ride? This question sent me down a rabbit hole: Who still makes rim brake wheels, I wondered? And what does the future of the rim brake wheel look like?
I sent 10 wheel brands a series of questions asking about the current demand for rim brake wheels, if their rim brake wheels were still in production (or were they simply selling through old stock), and if they were developing any new rim-brake wheelsets.
The response was largely the same. Demand for rim brake wheels is very low; brands are “open” to continue to manufacture their existing rim brake wheels “if the demand warrants”; and most are not developing new rim brake wheelsets.
I was working on a lovely spreadsheet to accompany this article, listing all the available rim brake wheelsets, pricing, and specs from a wide selection of brands. But it quickly became apparent that while some of the larger wheel brands still show rim brake wheels on their websites, most of those wheels are sunsetting and disappearing from the marketplace rapidly. My spreadsheet was becoming obsolete as I was working on it.
Overall, the larger brands’ sentiment toward rim brake wheels today is summed up by this statement I received from Specialized, which makes wheels under the Roval name: “We are dedicated to providing the best possible cycling experience for our riders. That’s why we are focusing exclusively on disc brake wheels, which offer superior performance, increased safety in all weather conditions, and are now accessible to all riders.”
But there are exceptions. An especially notable one is Mavic, which, in a move that’s very against the grain, introduced a new rim brake wheel in 2024—the $1,000 Cosmic S 40—and continues to produce three others as well. Its current collection of rim brake wheelsets for the road is priced from $350 (Aksium) to $2,300 (Cosmic SLR 40) per set.
“There are millions of cyclists still using their beloved rim brake bikes,” Mavic’s global PR manager Michel Léthenet told me, “and they are keen to upgrade them with performing wheels with […] reliable braking power.”
The new Cosmic S 40 features a 40mm deep tubeless-compatible carbon rim with 19mm internal width. The wheels are drilled 18 front and 24 rear, and simple round J-bend spokes (making replacements easy to source) are used, with durable steel nipples externally located for easy truing. The wheels ship with tubeless valves and brake pads.
A highlight of the Cosmic S 40’s is its laser-etched brake track for increased friction and performance, which is especially crucial in wet conditions. This is a detail usually reserved for only the most expensive carbon rims.
A grand for a nice carbon rim brake wheelset with laser-etched brake tracks is a pretty good deal, too. However, I want to highlight a few technical details I noticed. There is no XDR driver body available for this wheel—HG and Campy (not N3W) only—it has round spokes (something I find odd because Mavic touts the rim’s aerodynamics), and it’s somewhat heavy at 1,764 grams (claimed).
Still, this is a new carbon rim brake wheelset in 2025, which makes it a unicorn. And as an owner of several rim brake-equipped road bikes I still love riding, I am very appreciative of Mavic’s effort.
Or I was until Mavic’s North American sales and marketing manager emailed me: “The Cosmic S40 rim brake will not be available in the US,” and then offered to send me some of Mavic’s new disc brake wheels to review.
*Insert sad trombone*
I am bummed the new Mavic rim brake wheel isn’t available in the USA, but grateful that they do sell three road wheelsets for rim brakes here.
And there is hope that Mavic will continue to offer rim brake wheels for a long time. As evidence, I point you to the $400 Mavic Crossride 26 UB wheelset. That’s right, in 2025, Mavic still makes and sells a wheelset for 26” rim brake mountain bikes with quick-release dropouts—a style of bike that’s been out of fashion for more than 25 years.
Unsurprisingly, Campagnolo is also continuing to carry the rim brake torch. The make both wheels and rim brake groups and Campy still offers rim brake groups with mechanical shifting.
If you don’t count the time trial wheels, Campagnolo offers eight different rim brake wheelsets. Campy’s wheels are excellent, and riders often forget that they offer Shimano HG and SRAM XDR driver bodies for their wheels. So you can run some Campagnolo on your bike no matter what drivetrain you have.
There are six additional rim brake wheelsets under the banner of Campagnolo’s Fulcrum brand. That makes an impressive collection of 14 rim brake wheels from the Italian brand.
Besides Mavic and Campagnolo, I found a few brands that (seemingly) are actively supporting rim brake riders. Astral, Boyd, HED, Hunt, and Velocity offer several rim brake wheelsets. All but Velocity offers both carbon and aluminum rim options.
As happy as I am to see that there is currently a decent selection of rim brake wheels available, I believe this is a “for now” situation. In the eyes of most brands and riders, rim brake bikes are largely legacy/vintage products. Demand is decreasing, and it no longer makes sense to develop wheel systems for rim brakes.
But all is not lost, my fellow rim brake enthusiasts.
The future of rim brake wheelsets looks like it is in good hands in the form of component builds from independent wheel builders. While “system” wheelsets from larger brands for rim brakes are (largely) extinct, wheel builders can assemble great wheels from individual components.
The independent wheel builder will be the place to go for new rim brake wheels, so long as hubs and rims are available. I’m not worried about parts supply: People still make wood rims in 2025, so I feel confident that at least aluminum hoops for rim brakes will be around for a long time.
The silver lining is that component builds allow more personalization and use standard parts that are easier to replace and repair.
Wheelbuilder.com and Prowheelbuilder.com are larger outfits that build any sort of wheel. But numerous small—often one-person—builders turn out superb handbuilt wheels. Some of the smaller builders I have personal (positive) experience with and recommend are Sugar Wheel Works, Black Mountain Cycles, and GravyWheels.
Another good place to look for rim brake wheels is brands specializing in retro-style equipment. Rivendell, Velo Orange, and Crust all offer rim brake wheels. Remember that brands like these won’t use carbon rims and are less likely to provide tubeless compatibility.
After going down this rabbit hole, I feel assured that I’ll be able to keep this household’s rim brake-equipped bikes rolling for a long time. Sure, there are fewer choices, and we’ve likely seen the last of the super light wheel “systems” for rim brake bikes. But I feel heartened that we’re returning to the safe hands of skilled wheel builders to keep our beloved bikes on the road.
A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.
