Light. Strong. Well-Priced Particle Wheels GCX30 for Gravel: No BS Review

pinnacle wheels gcx30 review — Particle Wheels GCX30 Wheelset

Particle Wheels

“With the ever increasing number of carbon wheel brands out there, it can be difficult to know which ones to trust. We are registered in Hong Kong and are the first carbon wheel brand founded by an American-Chinese team.” – Particle Wheels Website

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“Our focus is on providing unmatched transparency and honest marketing, customer service, and quality, performance wheels made from rims, hubs, carbon spokes, and bearings sourced from the best manufacturers.”

Particle Wheels GCX30 Ultralight Road & Gravel Wheels

“The GCX Ultralight is the ultimate road and gravel wheelset. The wheels built for high performance, featuring a choice between 3rd and 4th generation carbon spokes, star ratchet hubs, and an advanced carbon fiber layup. They are also durable, having passed our 90 joule vertical impact test, more than twice the industry standard UCI Vertical Impact test.”

Particle Wheels GCX30 Review Video

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In this video, JOM of Gravel Cyclist presents his long term review of the Particle Wheels GCX30 Wheelset.

Written Real-World Riding Experience

Nowadays, consumers are spoiled for choices when it comes to carbon fiber wheels. Ten years ago, the technology to build a superlight and reliable wheel didn’t exist; with all of these choices of light and super light wheels, you may need to sort through the chaff to get to the wheat because not all carbon wheels are the same in terms of construction materials, build methods, warranty, reliability, pricing and so on.

This Particle GCX30 wheelset sample as spec’d for me will set you back $US 1,499. The price also includes a three year warranty, with a lifetime warranty available for $US 200.

Ultra long term use of this wheelset will determine the longevity of these 4th generation straight pull carbon spokes, but in the months I’ve been riding them, no spoke breakages, no spoke no noises and very importantly, a durable build that has stayed around and true for someone of my body weight and riding style. Particle does supply some spare spokes and nipples which is always a nice touch. I would prefer to see a 24 spoke front and rear wheel option for perhaps someone over 180lbs / 82kgs, particularly if you feel you’re hard on wheels.

I wasn’t able to torque these wheels about the place laterally, which may be attributed to those straight pull carbon spokes, which I’ve found to be stiffer, in a good way, vs a traditional steel J-bend spoke. However, a larger or stronger rider who cranks serious power through to the wheelset with a history of torturing wheels, may have a different experience.

Another source of this wheelset’s low weight is the 25mm internal rim width. This width will cover the needs of most riders, but as 27mm internal rim widths are considered a norm at the time of this video, some riders will prefer a wider option. Something to think about. The rim depth of 30mm I feel is perfect, you get much appreciated lower weight and there’s much less chance of a 30mm rim vs say a 50mm rim suffering in a cross wind.

I state this virtually every review, appropriate tire pressure makes the absolute biggest difference to a gravel bike’s feel, too many riders over inflate their tyres, be sure to check out my handy tyre pressure chart linked below. It’s difficult to put a finger on it, carbon spokes can make a wheel stiffer and lighter, but too much stiffness in a wheel designed for gravel is never a good thing. I didn’t notice a harsh or dead feeling ride atop the Particles, but I don’t think these spokes are an option for every rider. If you’re looking for top end performance, definitely consider this technology and this wheelset.

For much of this review, I mostly rode the Panaracer Gravelking X1R in 700c x 45mm, which was a stellar tyre to ride with this wheelset. Be sure to checkout my review of these tyres linked below. This wheelset favors a larger tyre casing in my opinion, but technically Particle have optimized this rim’s profile for tyres between 30mm and 32mm wide.

Hub performance with a DT 36 tooth ratchet drive is excellent as expected, but if you need more points of engagement, a 45 and 54 tooth variant is available. Honestly, I never think about hubs during these reviews too much, I expect them to spin smoothly with barely any bearing seal drag, which sums up these Particle wheels. Higher end bearing options are available.

The presentation of these wheels is simple, but I love the glossy rim finish. It reminds me of an earlier wheelset by Campagnolo, sans a big price tag. Adding to that, they match any bike nicely.

Wheels are the best performance upgrade for any type of bicycle. The Particle Wheels GCX30 is no exception and is a wheel I would consider for Allroad use, meaning miles of rough pavement too plus gravel everything else, no worries. These lightweight wheels are a joy to ride enhancing acceleration while holding that speed once they’re cranked up. Just under $US 1500 is still going to offend some people for this spec, but look at the pricing of similar wheels elsewhere, and there’s plenty of customizing options, including deeper rims if that’s your thing.

To learn more about this wheelset and build your own, visit the Particle Wheels Website

Additional Photos

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