Oquo Launch Five Model Wheel Range Made in the Basque Country.

·Thursday 27 October 2022

Oquo are a new Basque Country-based brand with five wheels on offer, including carbon and alloy rims with a focus on longevity.

Oquo’s new five-model wheel range is split into two categories, Mountain Performance for Cross Country and Trail use, while the Mountain Control category focuses on the Trail and Enduro end of the spectrum.

This isn’t just any other wheel brand though, there’s plenty of neat features on both the carbon and alloy rims before they’re laced to the venerable DT Swiss 240 and 350 hubs.

Oquo’s rims, regardless of material are front and rear specific. These asymmetric rims are also designed to even out spoke forces and the tension required on each spoke, that should, in theory lead to a stronger and more reliable wheel.

It’s not something we’ve seen before, but Oquo’s spoke holes are angled to meet the spoke at its entry angle. This again is aimed at reducing stress on the spoke head and reducing the likelihood of breaking a spoke. The spoke beds are also reinforced to offset the force exerted by the spoke on the rim. In an effort to reduce pinch punctures whilst running tubeless, the edge of the rim had been widened considerably to spread the force of an impact.

All Oquo wheels are built with DT Swiss 240 and 350 hubs, depending on the model, and all wheels come laced with Sapim spokes. All the ingredients are built into a wheel using custom-built machines mainly to produce the exact same wheel every time, the finished product is then checked by hand.

One thing Oquo take very seriously is quality control. Very tight tolerances mean that a wheel will stay true and strong, and a visit to their HQ recently certainly showed the fine variations that are accepted. All wheels go through a test lab torture chamber and ‘Wrecking Crew’ lifespan to test for any weakness in the wheels.

Beyond the fine tolerances and testing, Oquo will also be offering custom painted rims on their top end carbon models.

Mountain Performance

Oquo’s Mountain Performance range is three wheels strong, the range-topping MP30LTD, MP30Team and MP28Pro. The Mountain Performance range focuses on a blend of stiffness and low weight without being uncomfortable or flimsy.