ENVE 4.5 vs 7.8 for road bike

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi,

Currently running 6.7 tubulars on my 2014 Cervelo S3 and 2015/2016 was an expensive year for tires so I’m considering the move to clinchers/tubeless for cost and also the perceived gain in less crr if the right tire is used. Looking at the 4.5 which is apparently as aero as the 6.7s but lighter and then the 7.8 which is touted as the fastest set ENVE offers but at a weight penalty. I live in a fairly flat area and these would be used daily (22 mile morning ride with 130m of elevation overall).

I’m looking for some opinions on what set to go with.

Aesthetically I prefer the 7.8.

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roval 64’s
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3

roval 64’s

I’ve come across the occasional thread about how amazing these are on paper but not so much in reality. I would like to focus on the ENVE options but would you mind elaborating on your suggestion?

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I’m a fan of something like a 4.5 on the front and a 7.8 on the rear.

5

Haven ridden the enve’s you mentioned and own some still… if your area has little to no wind… go 7.8 otherwise 4.5. I personally chose 4.5 because my area can get windy… hell I even have to put on the 2.2s for really windy days.

6

3 sets of Enves (3.4, 4.5, 6.7) and disappointed in all of them. Reynolds Aero 72 are still the best road wheels I’ve had. Were I in the market now, I’d look to those or Knight (which I tested as faster).

7

i wanted a set of 4.5 but unfortunately i was not able to find a set in my price range… i went with a Roval CL64 (No ceramicspeed bearings) and hope that i can get good results with that! my current set up is FLOs 60/90 alum on my sworks venge and while they did their job just fine, there are quite heavy & i think my front wheel is broken now because it makes a whole lot of noise that it’s never done before, i gotta talk to chris to see if he can help me out!

if you find the 4.5 set then go for it otherwise I’d go Roval as well if i were you!

8

I ride 6.7 clinchers on my s5 and love them. That’s about as deep as I would want to go on a road bike. The main reason for this is group riding in a tight pack. I don’t want to get blown around too much. If I had to choose between the two sets you mentioned, I would get the 4.5s, or have wheelbuilder to a custom set with a deep rear and shallower front.

9

Hi,

Currently running 6.7 tubulars on my 2014 Cervelo S3 and 2015/2016 was an expensive year for tires so I’m considering the move to clinchers/tubeless for cost and also the perceived gain in less crr if the right tire is used. Looking at the 4.5 which is apparently as aero as the 6.7s but lighter and then the 7.8 which is touted as the fastest set ENVE offers but at a weight penalty. I live in a fairly flat area and these would be used daily (22 mile morning ride with 130m of elevation overall).

I’m looking for some opinions on what set to go with.

Aesthetically I prefer the 7.8.

Personally, I think the 4.5s will look better on the roadie. Unless you’re crit racing, I don’t think the time penalty is a big deal.

That said, how many flats did you have? Even at $100 per tire, it will take a while to recover the difference in the cost of the 4.5s and what you could sell the 7.8s for.

Have you considered sealant in your tires?

10

I have both the 7.8 and the 4.5, disclaimer I live in a very hilly and often windy area (San Francisco). That said, I think your best bet by a longshot are the 4.5s. The lower profile handles better, feels more robust in corners, and generally seems like a more durable, solid wheel.

The 4.5s are not currently tubeless compatible (unless that has recently changed) but the 7.8s are, so if that is a driving factor, go with the 7.8s. There is a lot of differing information regarding which is faster - tubeless vs. latex tube, but I have yet to convert my 7.8s to tubeless mostly due to dissatisfaction with tubeless tire options.

Chris

P.S. Shameless self promotion, I am selling a great pair of 4.5s if interested

11

Haven’t paid attention since I bought my wheels, but did they quit making the 6.7 clincher? I guess if the 4.5’s are truly as aero, then what’s the point, but I would have gone that direction at the time if money was no issue (6.7 that is).

I’d ride 7.8 if it was purely on my tri bike though.

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I’m a fan of something like a 4.5 on the front and a 7.8 on the rear.

mismatched (size) wheels don’t look good on road bikes. I’d vote for 4.5 on a road bike; 7.8 is too deep

13

Haven ridden the enve’s you mentioned and own some still… if your area has little to no wind… go 7.8 otherwise 4.5. I personally chose 4.5 because my area can get windy… hell I even have to put on the 2.2s for really windy days.

That’s very windy. Can’t say it gets like that here all the time but Spring and Fall tend to be windier.

3 sets of Enves (3.4, 4.5, 6.7) and disappointed in all of them. Reynolds Aero 72 are still the best road wheels I’ve had. Were I in the market now, I’d look to those or Knight (which I tested as faster).

What was it about the ENVE’s that disappointed you?

Personally, I think the 4.5s will look better on the roadie. Unless you’re crit racing, I don’t think the time penalty is a big deal.

That said, how many flats did you have? Even at $100 per tire, it will take a while to recover the difference in the cost of the 4.5s and what you could sell the 7.8s for.

Have you considered sealant in your tires?

I replaced 4 tubulars and wore out the same number so 8 tubulars in two years covering only 6000 miles in that time (lots of time taken off due to a bad injury in 2015). I don’t run sealant when the tires are new but carry Vittoria’s pit stop with me on each ride just in case. Used a few of those in the past couple of years, sometimes with success. I even invested in a tubular sewing kit but have yet to bother trying.

I use Vittoria Corsa Elite’s.

I have both the 7.8 and the 4.5, disclaimer I live in a very hilly and often windy area (San Francisco). That said, I think your best bet by a longshot are the 4.5s. The lower profile handles better, feels more robust in corners, and generally seems like a more durable, solid wheel.

The 4.5s are not currently tubeless compatible (unless that has recently changed) but the 7.8s are, so if that is a driving factor, go with the 7.8s. There is a lot of differing information regarding which is faster - tubeless vs. latex tube, but I have yet to convert my 7.8s to tubeless mostly due to dissatisfaction with tubeless tire options.

Chris

P.S. Shameless self promotion, I am selling a great pair of 4.5s if interested

Tubeless isn’t a factor, I have a lot of trouble getting them setup with my cross bike and give up each time I attempt to. I looked up your ad and have it tabbed should I decide to go that route.

I’m a fan of something like a 4.5 on the front and a 7.8 on the rear.

mismatched (size) wheels don’t look good on road bikes. I’d vote for 4.5 on a road bike; 7.8 is too deep

I concur.

To everyone else that replied but I didn’t quote, thank you for your input. Overall I think I’m leaning towards the 4.5’s but can get 6.7 clinchers for cheaper so have to think this over a little more.

14

I own a couple shop and I’ve ridden all those wheels extensively. You can’t go wrong either way, and if something is telling you to get the Enve’s, do it, you won’t regret it.