The Scope Artech 4.A wheels are the all-road model in the Artech range, hence the ‘.A’ label. There are also the .G gravel and .T triathlon lines, as well as the standard Artech. All of the wheels share the same technologies, however.
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
Design details
The wheels are built around a brand new hub, a source of much of the weight trimming. It’s made from the ‘Topology Optimised’ 3D-printed Scalmalloy material. Scalmalloy is primarily composed of aluminum, magnesium, and scandium and is designed to be incredibly lightweight while also being able to be made into highly intricate shapes.
This is why the hubs are somewhat reminiscent of bone structures, which are formed by the direction of the stresses applied to them. The principle is applied to the hubs to make them strong against torsional, lateral, and vertical forces, with the aim of offering unparalleled stiffness, something that many of the best road bike wheels look to attain.
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The 3D printed hub is quite a work of art and takes cues from bone structures and stress structures
(Image credit: Future / Andy Turner)
Internally, Scope uses its Diamond Ratchet SL, which is made of titanium and uses a diamond-like carbon coating for durability. There’s a 36T ratchet with a 10-degree engagement, while the bearings are either standard SKF or CeramicSpeed, available at an additional cost.
Carbon spokes claim to drop weight and enhance aero
(Image credit: Future / Andy Turner)
The reasonably deep Carbonlite Aerospokes provide strength and improved aerodynamics. On the front wheel, there are six radial spokes on the non-rotor side and 12 two-cross spokes on the rotor side, while the rear also uses a 2:1 ratio with 8 one-cross spokes on the non-drive side and 16 two-cross spokes on the drive side to better balance the asymmetric forces through the drivetrain.
The fish scale pattern is the calling card of the Artech wheel range
(Image credit: Future / Andy Turner)
The rims are another unique aspect of Scope’s design and stand out from the crowd. Whereas most wheels are smooth or feature dimples like Zipp, Scope has used patented AeroScales. Scope claims they “generate velocity streaks travelling at different speeds over our rim surface. This has a stabilising effect on the airflow and reduces drag.”
The rim profile is also designed using Scope’s Algorithm Enhanced Aerodynamics (AEA) to be as aerodynamic as possible. Local Reinforcement carbon technology is then applied around the spoke holes to strengthen those areas, resulting in less carbon required across the entire wheel.
All tools and maintenance supplies come in the boxes
(Image credit: Future / Andy Turner)
This results in a pair of wheels that, with rim tape and valves installed, weigh 1,206g – impressively light for a 45mm rim with 25mm internal width and 33.84mm external width. The rims still use hooks rather than microhooks or hookless; for a wheel this light, they buck the trend by not specifying a weight limit.
All standard road hub options are available from Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM, while off-road options such as Shimano Microspline and Campagnolo N3W are also available. White or Black graphic options can be specified upon purchase. The wheels also feature a very smart tool bag and proper wheel bags.
Performance
Fitting tyres is always the first part of testing wheels. I personally don’t like rim tape as much as solid rim bed profiles. However, this means additional material and external spoke nipples, which can marginally impact aerodynamics. Traditionally, I have found Acope wheels quite tight to get tyres onto, and that remains the case with the Artech. The 25mm internal width also makes fitting standard road tyres, optimised for 21mm internal widths, a bit more challenging.
The 25mm internal width on the 4.A. A for All-road
(Image credit: Future / Andy Turner)
What really does strike you is the weight, or rather lack of. With tyres, rotors and all elements fitted, these are a properly lightweight set of wheels, especially considering their 45mm depth, and out on the road, it makes for a tangible difference. Aerodynamics has taken the market by storm, but unless you go from a round-tubed bike with shallow rims to a full-on hyperbike, I don’t find much difference from one product to the next. That’s not to say the benefits don’t exist, but 33kph feels very similar to 30kph even if that is 10% faster. What is noticeable, and remains something highly romanticised by cyclists, are lightweight components.
Every acceleration away from a junction or traffic lights, every surge up a steep incline, your efforts are rewarded in spades. Combining a very lightweight hub with a lightweight rim, where rotational weight/inertia has a greater effect during changes in velocity, the Artech feels nimble under acceleration. I have noticed a genuine difference accelerating up climbs with these wheels. At a constant pace, the weight does help, but is not as perceivable. However, for crit racing or races with any climbing, these are a superb choice.
Ratchet systems have become commonplace since the DW Swiss patent expired
(Image credit: Future / Andy Turner)
Adding to this accelerative performance is the stiffness. The aforementioned topology-optimised hubs are an interesting design, carefully sculpted to deal with the directional forces that the wheels come under from lateral movements, torsional twisting forces, and the vertical forces from the spoke tension and weight. Even with a relatively low spoke count by disc-brake wheel standards, the wheels are incredibly stiff, reacting well to acceleration, cornering, and braking with no lull. It’s not at all jarring, but just makes the wheels feel very connected with the frame and pedalling forces. The Carbonlite spokes may also help with this, given their tensile strength.
The Artech range covers 20, 40, and 60mm road options with deeper TT and triathlon depths as well
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
Aero-bladed spokes also contribute to the aerodynamic performance, as does the rim profile. At 45mm deep, these are not quite a dedicated ‘flat day’ aero offering, sitting more in the all-round category. However, I feel no discernible difference between these and the Vision Metron 60 SL wheels, which I’ve previously reviewed and really liked. I can’t tell if the scales help or the AEA rim, but a telling sign is that professional teams use these unmissable wheels even when they’re not sponsored by Scope; part of why the road and time trial variants are often out of stock is due to WorldTour purchases.
In crosswinds, the 45mm depth, very wide profile, and scales seem to result in a wheel that reacts in a predictable manner. They still feel the forces of the wind, but it has been consistent and reliable, so easily controllable, so much so that I was able to remove a gilet in some crosswinds without too much trouble.
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
The Scalmalloy material can react to rain and water, giving a discolouration and surface texture shift if the wheels are not properly maintained. Scope provides a cleaning spray and a cloth for these wheels and instructs owners to properly clean the hubs after rides in the rain or after cleaning the bike with water.
It has no performance impact on the wheels, I have been told; it is purely an aesthetic byproduct of the material, and one the brand will hopefully provide a solution for. However, it does feel a bit odd that wheels this expensive require a special treatment. But then looking after a Ferrari requires a lot of expensive additional specialist care compared to a Honda Jazz – that’s the price of performance in some cases. But what a price it is.
Value
On the face of it a £3498 / $4398 for a pair of bicycle wheels is ludicrous. You can buy a reasonable carbon bike, even with electronic gears and carbon wheels, for that amount of money. It’s not as extreme as Lightweight’s Obermayer Evo Disc Carbon Road Wheelset Tubeless Ready Schwartz Ed, which is £7,559/ $8,695. Even the Princeton Carbonworks Peak 4550 Evo starts at around £3,799/ $3,150, while the new ENVE SES 4.5 Pro starts at £4,100/ $3,750. In this context, the Scope actually appears to be good value, as they are lighter and cheaper than the competition, have no weight limit, and are all-road-usable wheelsets.
However, compared to the likes of the Vision Metron 60 SL, which are £1,000 / $2,000 cheaper, it’s hard to say these wheels are that much better. Even more so looking at the likes of the Scribe Élan SL 40 wheelset (we’ve reviewed the SL 50), which is only a claimed 40g heavier but comes in at £1,199 and features ceramic bearings as standard rather than a £500 add-on.
Realistically, the Scope Artech 4.A wheels are not good value for money. They are firmly in the halo category, where value for money becomes less of a consideration and people are buying these because they want the best, even if that comes at £1,000 for a watt or 50g saving. However, in raw performance terms, they are exceptional, and I would argue, among premium offerings, potentially the best option available.
Tech specs
- Price: £3,498/ $4,398
- Weight: 1,206g
- Hubset: Artech 3D printed
- Freehub options: Shimano HG11/12, SRAM XDR, Campagnolo
- Rim depth: 45mm front/rear
- Internal rim width: 25mm
- Spoke count: 18/24 front/rear
- Rim: Hooked
