REYNOLDS ATR DISC WHEELS Review

In 2015, the Reynolds ATR Disc Wheels, a new carbon disc brake wheelset intended for the adventure bike market, was introduced. “ATR” is short for “All Terrain Road” and I recently completed the build of a Moots Routt 45 adventure bike that used a set of these new Reynolds ATR Disc Wheels and I found them worthy of a few words.

Reynolds ATR Disc Wheels Heavy Duty Carbon Rims

If you think about it, wheels used with higher pressure and narrower road tires will frequently need to be stronger than a standard mountain or road wheel as there is less protection from a narrower and higher pressure road tire and the surface they are used is often firmer than many trails while rougher gravel applies more abuse than pavement. Reynolds addressed this by essentially taking the Reynolds MR5 rims from their 2015 29 Trail Carbon mountain bike wheelset, drilled them for 24 spokes, and mounted them to different hubs. The Reynolds ATR Disc wheels have a carbon fiber rim 28mm deep, an internal width of 21mm, and an external width of 29mm. This is a very wide rim, and is indicative of the intended use for which these wheels were built – gravel roads, even very rough ones, using wider tires than a traditional road wheelset. Hence the designation of “All Terrain Road”.

Reynolds ATR Disc Wheels Tubeless Compatibility

The clincher rims on the Reynolds ATR wheels are tubeless tire compatible, and they come with the necessary rim strips and valve stems. Of course, they can still be used with tubes if that is your preference. In the case of this particular Moots Routt, we used Schwalbe G-One tubeless tires and Orange Seal tubeless sealant. The tires are nominally 1.35″ wide (34.29 mm), according to the printing on the tire sidewall. However, given the internal width of the Reynolds ATR rims, the tires actually measured 37mm once they were mounted. I have said it repeatedly, but will do so again. Do not go strictly by the tire width designated by the tire manufacturer. The width of a tire can vary by as much as several millimeters, depending on the internal width of the rim. Be sure to check that the desired tire will indeed fit on your bike with the rims you intend to use before purchase and don’t just assume because a manufacturer said that your frame will accept up to a 28mm that it will with a new wider rim.

Reynolds ATR Disc Wheel Hubs

The carbon rims on the Reynolds ATR wheels are mounted to Reynolds own alloy hubs with 24 straight pull spokes front and rear, laced in a 2 cross pattern. The wheels come with a wide variety of adapters for mounting the wheels on the bike. If your bike uses conventional skewers, that is how the wheels come from the factory, including the skewers. However, Reynolds also supplies adapters to convert the front wheel to either a 12 mm or a 15 mm thru axle. Adapters are also provided to convert the rear wheel to a 142 X 12 mm thru axle. The Reynolds ATR hub is designed to accept Shimano center lock brake rotors, but parts are provided to adapt the hubs to accept 6 bolt rotors instead, such as the SRAM Centerline. Of course the cassette body on the Reynolds ATR is 11 speed compatible.

Reynolds ATR Disc Wheel Weight

I weighed the Reynolds ATR wheels when they came out of the box. Reynolds quotes a weight of 1,535 grams for the wheelset on its website. Our scale here in the shop said that the front is 660 grams, and the rear is 780 grams, for a total of 1,440, including the rim strip, but not the skewer. This is a rare instance where the claimed weight of a bike component is actually more than the actual weight we get on our scale. Maybe they were including the skewers in their weight, but I’m not sure why they would… Either way, the Reynolds ATR wheels make for a pretty light disc adventure wheelset.

Reynolds ATR Disc Overview

When Reynolds designed the ATR wheelset, it was their intention that this wheel would be suitable for the roughest of unpaved roads. Using what amounts to a mountain bike rim shows their intentions very clearly. These Reynolds ATR wheels will take you pretty much anywhere you want to go on a bike with drop handlebars and no suspension fork. The Reynolds ATR wheels are very durable, and will provide a stable platform for whatever tires will fit on your adventure bike. The tubeless compatibility of the Reynolds ATR is an added plus while the carbon fiber rims improve ride quality, while saving weight, over many allow options. When mounted tubeless with the Schwalbe G-One tires, the ATR’s are very comfortable combination. Add the light weight, and you have a winning combination that has garnered great reviews, at a very competitive price of $1,550 for the pair. The Reynolds ATR wheelset is hard to beat at it price.

The Reynolds ATR Disc Wheels would be a great upgrade for many adventure bikes. Interested? Stop in or contact us, and we can help with wheels and all your other adventure bike needs as well.