Recommend aero wheels: Roval CLX 64 vs ZIPP 808FC

[mexer]

Hello!

I have read many topics regarding aero wheels in this and other forums, and I’m interested in getting new wheels (currently using Zipp 404 preFC).

After reading Tom Anhalt (fantastic, congratulations btw!) and others, from all the available options I’ve checked, the two ones I like the most are:

Roval CLX 64
ZIPP 808 Firecrest

I can get both at an almost similar price (maybe a bit cheaper the 808, but not a big difference so this is not a problem).

I’m mainly interested in pure performance-aerodynamic. These will be race only days, and I won’t use them in windy/wet days, so handling difference isn’t really important.

Roval CLX 64 are a bit wider, which would probably allow the use of a bit wider (better CRR) tyre with less aero penalty, but ZIPP 808fcs have a 17mm (if I’m not mistaken) deeper rim.
Also CLX 64 are a bit lighter, but since my courses are almost totally flat, I dont think this makes a big difference.

In the rear wheel I use a disc, so only front wheel matters (although I want to get the wheelset so that I can also use it in my road bike sometimes).

I’m a pure cyclist (for now I have only participated in relay triathlons with friends for fun) and my average speeds are around 45km/h (28mph) in the case this can help make the decision.

To add more info, my TT bike is a Felt IA16, and my race road bike a Cervélo S2.

Thank you very much! (And more if you read all this! ;))
Have a nice day!

P.S. I know difference between wheels probably isn’t big (in the case there is any!), but since the price is the same (more or less) and I like them both, if one is 0.1% better than the other I would probably get it!

[GreenPlease]

If you’re not going to use either in windy conditions the aerodynamic differences between the two will be almost inconsequential. What tire were you planning on using? GP4000 SII I’d go with the Zipp 808, Specialized Turbo Cotton I’d go with Roval CLX 64.

[Thomas_Gerlach]

Hello!

I have read many topics regarding aero wheels in this and other forums, and I’m interested in getting new wheels (currently using Zipp 404 preFC).

After reading Tom Anhalt (fantastic, congratulations btw!) and others, from all the available options I’ve checked, the two ones I like the most are:

Roval CLX 64
ZIPP 808 Firecrest

I can get both at an almost similar price (maybe a bit cheaper the 808, but not a big difference so this is not a problem).

I’m mainly interested in pure performance-aerodynamic. These will be race only days, and I won’t use them in windy/wet days, so handling difference isn’t really important.

Roval CLX 64 are a bit wider, which would probably allow the use of a bit wider (better CRR) tyre with less aero penalty, but ZIPP 808fcs have a 17mm (if I’m not mistaken) deeper rim.
Also CLX 64 are a bit lighter, but since my courses are almost totally flat, I dont think this makes a big difference.

In the rear wheel I use a disc, so only front wheel matters (although I want to get the wheelset so that I can also use it in my road bike sometimes).

I’m a pure cyclist (for now I have only participated in relay triathlons with friends for fun) and my average speeds are around 45km/h (28mph) in the case this can help make the decision.

To add more info, my TT bike is a Felt IA16, and my race road bike a Cervélo S2.

Thank you very much! (And more if you read all this! ;))
Have a nice day!

P.S. I know difference between wheels probably isn’t big (in the case there is any!), but since the price is the same (more or less) and I like them both, if one is 0.1% better than the other I would probably get it!

I had CLX 64s, couldn’t sell them for the life of me until that report came out. I really liked them but the downside was braking. I thought Zipp firecrest braking was better, but now that they have the new show-stopper brake track in the NSW. If the CLX 64s had better braking I would hands down go with them, but I value my life, especially in the rain.

[mexer]

Thank you both for your answers!

And yes, that’s exactly what I had thought about tyres.
If ZIPP 808, then gp4000 sII 23, (tho I know a SS would be faster, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the puncture risk), and if I get CLX 64 then Turbo Cottons 24 seem the way to go after reading Tom reports.

[alperk]

Question regarding the tire choice – I have read on bicyclerollingresistance that Turbo Cotton sizing is a little different than advertised when they are mounted on a 17C rim.

Keep this in mind when buying Specialized tires: 24 = 23, 26 = 25.

Considering that, wouldn’t Turbo Cotton 24s mount similarly on Zipps?

[mexer]

Hey there!

Finally I think I will go through the CLX 64 route.

From all the tests I’ve seen, their aero quality looks similar, as the slightly deeper rim from the Zipp 808 (or HED JET 9+/Swiss Side Hadron 800+) won’t probably help much at the typical speeds of a TT on a close to windless day, and the CLX 64 is a bit lighter (120g), which BTW won’t probably make any speed difference, so not really something important, but maybe it will be a bit better in the case I use it for climbing on the road bike.

The main con, as some of you already stated, is that the CLX braking capacity isn’t as good as the other ones, but well, I don’t think I’m going into long descents so that this can be a real problem.

I still have a pair of days to make the final decision, but unless I discover something new, it looks like the decision is already taken

Thank you very much for the inputs!

[gphin305]

Not to throw a wrinkle in the decision or maybe I missed something but did you ever consider Enve? I made the switch from a Zipp 900 disc/404 (non-Firecrest) to a set of Enve 8.9s on my P4 and have been very satisfied. Had a slight issue when I got them but Enve customer service was right on top of it. And I’d rather buy a product designed and made in Utah versus made in Taiwan. The 8.9s have been discontinued (still might find them somewhere) but the replacement 7.8s seem to have very good reviews. Just a thought.

[Thomas_Gerlach]

Not to throw a wrinkle in the decision or maybe I missed something but did you ever consider Enve? I made the switch from a Zipp 900 disc/404 (non-Firecrest) to a set of Enve 8.9s on my P4 and have been very satisfied. Had a slight issue when I got them but Enve customer service was right on top of it. And I’d rather buy a product designed and made in Utah versus made in Taiwan. The 8.9s have been discontinued (still might find them somewhere) but the replacement 7.8s seem to have very good reviews. Just a thought.

But the 7.8 SES haven’t been proven aerodynamically. In the last years I have had CLX 64s, 808s, 808 NSW, HED JET 6s, 7.8. I applaud Spesh for putting the data together.

[pk1]

Not to throw a wrinkle in the decision or maybe I missed something but did you ever consider Enve? I made the switch from a Zipp 900 disc/404 (non-Firecrest) to a set of Enve 8.9s on my P4 and have been very satisfied. Had a slight issue when I got them but Enve customer service was right on top of it. And I’d rather buy a product designed and made in Utah versus made in Taiwan. The 8.9s have been discontinued (still might find them somewhere) but the replacement 7.8s seem to have very good reviews. Just a thought.

But the 7.8 SES haven’t been proven aerodynamically. In the last years I have had CLX 64s, 808s, 808 NSW, HED JET 6s, 7.8. I applaud Spesh for putting the data together.

it is the main blackmark against enve that there is very little data for their wheels (though they did post a graph here a while ago). spesh, flo and others have stepped up the game in that regard lately and it is to be applauded. however i wouldn’t quite call it “proven aerodynamically” in that there are lots of little ways in which test protocol can be manipulated to ensure the desired results. proven to be in the fight is the best you could really say and i think few would argue enve is not in that area too. the spesh test for example used their own tire which they designed around. they also gave weight comparisons to enve but did not include any enve wheels in their aero tests.

[kileyay]

Save your money. Get some china carbons from Nextie and purchase “The Truth” – this alone could save you up to 10 watts. Spend the rest on tunnel time to test a dozen or so different tires. Not tire types – you’ll need to test the same tire type (preferably the optimal one) but just different actual tires. Because if you roll the wrong one of those dozen, you could lose another 10 watts.

Can’t argue with data.

[mexer]

Hey there!

I just wanted to add I finally (after a pair of months wait time) received my wheel. The chosen one was the Roval CLX 64.
I still haven’t been able to test it, because of my work schedule last weeks, but hopefully I will be able to do it soon!

By the way, instead of buying the pair of Roval, I took the Roval front and a pair of HED Jet 6+ for the road bike, as I think alu braking surface will help a lot (I still haven’t mounted these ones).

Thank you all for your advices!

P.S. Yes, that’s my “sexy” pyjama (ouch haha), and the front brake wasn’t totally assembled when I took the pictures!