Aerodynamics, stability, feedback, light weight, road feel — which is the most important characteristic of a wheelset?

Divide a wheelset’s characteristics into five dimensions: aerodynamics, stability, feedback, lightness, and road feel. Aerodynamics, stability, and lightness are self-explanatory, but what are feedback and road feel?

Bola pays great attention to a wheelset’s feedback, because part of the joy of road cycling is how the bike communicates with the rider. Feedback is not the same as stiffness: if higher stiffness automatically meant better feedback, then fully integrated, ultra-stiff wheelsets would always win—but they don’t. Humans aren’t machines, and equipment that’s simply “harder” isn’t necessarily better. Put simply: a very stiff wheelset might let you hold a hard effort for 10 seconds, but a wheelset with appropriate feedback can help you sustain effort for a minute.

Is road feel just comfort? Not entirely. If you compare wheels you’ll find some that are comfortable yet feel “loose”; such wheelsets can make fast descents on rough roads feel unnerving. Tubeless tires have already raised comfort levels a lot, but they can’t completely change road feel.

Which of the five characteristics is easiest to achieve? You might not believe it, but it’s weight — if you’re willing to sacrifice the other traits, a wheelset can be made very light. People often comment, “My custom wheelset only weighs 12xx grams,” as if lightness is all that matters. Of course BX doesn’t say lightness is bad, but lightness can’t stand alone: climbing wheels need to be light, provided they also have good feedback.

Some might argue, "I'm just a casual rider; I only care about how good the wheelset looks." Actually, that's not the case.
If you are riding for leisure and don't seek the thrill of sprinting to your limit, the most critical factor for a wheelset is ride quality (comfort). After all, aerodynamics only matter when you're riding at speed, and feedback is only obvious when you're pushing your limits. However, ride quality accompanies you throughout every ride.
Bola strongly recommends that leisure riders choose wheelsets with an internal width of 23mm. This allows tires to balloon out wider, granting "free" comfort without adding weight or rolling resistance.
If we look at recent tests by Bola, the SCOM VOSO AERO stands out. It offers excellent ride quality, allowing a Michelin Power Cup 25c tire to expand to 29.4mm. In comparison, the MEGA SL is slightly faster for sprints and climbs at the same price point, but its ride quality doesn't match the SCOM VOSO AERO.
In Bola's tests, we always clarify the characteristics of each wheelset and their ideal scenarios to help you make the right choice.

Some say feedback is "voodoo" (pseudoscience), but it undeniably has an effect. Others argue that Bola's one-minute climb test is meaningless. In reality, it is designed specifically to demonstrate wheelset feedback. Feedback determines the maximum power you can sustain.
Currently, Bola uses the same Rally RS 200 pedals to record power data. Although I am just returning to form after an injury, my current one-minute average power is around 540W. This should reach the median level for amateur riders, qualifying me to evaluate wheelset feedback.
Many find it hard to control power output in a one-minute effort, leading to inconsistent results. However, the more you ride, the more you realize how subtle equipment feedback can be—you can distinctly feel whether you are dragging the bike or if the bike is propelling you.
If you look closely, you'll notice that the MEGA SL and Jingteng PRO+ C50 recorded the same time (52 seconds) in the same test, with average powers of 543W and 546W respectively. Does this mean their feedback is identical? Absolutely not.
The carbon-spoked PRO+ C50 makes it easier to hit your peak power. That is why, in the conclusion, Bola stated that the PRO+ C50 is less demanding on the rider (doesn't pick riders).