I’m likely going to get either the ENVE SES 3.4 or 6.7 wheelset built with a PowerTap. They’ll be my everyday wheelset, so I’m interested to get more feedback regarding how well the 6.7s climb.
I’ve read plenty about how great the 3.4s are as everyday wheels, but having something deeper for triathlons would be nice. Though, the races I gravitate towards often feature a bit of climbing.
About me: 165 lbs and I like climbing and time-trialing equally.
IMHO “climbing wheels” are a misnomer - what people should really be talking about are “descending wheels.” I have probably 20K miles on 6.7s, and while I love them and they can certainly serve as everyday wheels and they climb plenty fast, they are not the most fun in gusty crosswind descents. Sure the U-shape results in a pretty linear “push” when the wind grabs them, but it can still be disconcerting when the wind is really howling. I got a pair of 3.4s for days that will be spent climbing in the canyons here in SoCal. I feel a LOT more confident descending on the 3.4s. But for any crit and a lot of road races, the 6.7s would be my wheel of choice.
I have both, well my wife has the 3.4 and I have the 6.7 as every day wheels. It’s more down to descending on crosswinds as the 6.7s can be a little twitchy on bad days. The 3.4s are fine on the worst days however aren’t as aero…
Same here: I ride 6.7’s and wife has 3.4’s. We also have 8.9’s, reserved mostly for racing. Amazing wheels. The 6.7’s are great for almost any day. If I know it’s going to be windy, I may swap the front out for a Flo 30 or similar. This means swapping pads, but that takes less than 5 minutes. It’s worth it for peace of mind (I live in a hilly area with occasional high winds). I’m also around 165 lbs. and don’t have much trouble handling them.
I use my 6.7s as daily riders and have for 2 years. No issues, even in gusty winds on the mountain. Only a couple of times have I thought I’d rather have 3.4s.
I’ve ridden 6.7s, built around PowerTap hubs, for the last 2 seasons for both training and racing. Any deep wheel is going to have a bit of a twitch in cross winds, but these seem to handle it well.
I, too, ride a set of Enve 6.7 with PowerTap hub. They live full time on my tri bike and I ride flats, up, down, windy, calm - everything. They’re great. When we talk of a climbing wheel we usually talk of a that wheel being as light as possible. The Enve 6.7s are relatively light in comparison to other wheels that are in the range of a 60mm or 70mm deep wheel but they are not in comparison to a wheel that’s 1 or 2mm deep like a true climbing wheel would be. The genious of the Enve 6.7 is that they are durable so that you can ride them as your everyday wheel and they provide the aerodynamic aspects you want out of a deeper wheel and - while all deep wheels result in some movement in cross winds or at higher speeds (read: descending) - this wheel set is more stable than any other deep wheel I’ve ridden. It’s a great call for an everyday rider.
All you need. Definitely durable enough, especially if you are not in the mountains riding the brakes. If you live in the mountains would go with aluminum brake track.
I own an LBS and have ridden those exact wheels. They are great and durability will not be a problem except on the brake track possibly if you are going down big hills.
HOWEVER, a power tap in a set of Hed C2’s will ride so better for training. The difference in ride quality is enormous.
I have used them for 1.5 years as daily training and racing wheels. IMO, equal to the HED 3 Tubulars… i.e. bomb-proof. Ran tubulars w/ Chris King hubs, and they were absolutely fantastic. Combined w/ the Enve’s 5-year warranty, I don’t think there’s any comparison. I’ve only recently added an 8.9 set (& Disc) for racing. I love the entire Enve SES line-up. Go for it, and don’t look back.
Love my 6.7s. They ride well in hilly areas, although strong gusts require some extra handling. Added an aero-jacket from wheelbuilder and am confident I won’t need another set for quite a while.