Hi
i’m in need of a new set of wheels for my road race/training bike and pondering these 2 options.
spec-wise they seem much of a muchness, albeit with different approaches - roval being more conservative.
does anyone have any practical experience switching between the 2 wheelsets or other relevant input?
price is a bit higher on the envesweight is close enough to evensimilar depthsroval has a hooked bead for full tire compatibility whereas enve are hookless so limited compatibility and max 80psi but my preference is gp5000s TR at or below 80psi anywayroval 21mm internal vs enve with a whopping 25mm internal which seems more all-road orientedroval has a very wide 35mm external front for stability with a more standard 30.7 rear, enve 32mm on bothroval have dt swiss hub internals including ceramic bearings which are nice in principle, not really clear what the enve hubs are likeroval have 18 spokes front, 24 rear, dt aerolite with external nipples. enve are 24 both wheels, internal nipples, i think sapim cx-ray?
Between the 2, I would choose Enve over Roval every time. (except for Roval 321 disc wheel)… anyways I never feel like Roval builds a stiff enough wheel for me.(82kg) I can feel the flex in sprints and cornering. I’d give a look at Aeolus RSL 51s from Bontrager to add more confusion to the mix.
BTW Enve hubs are Mavic and they have been fine for me.
thanks for the enve hub detail, i figured they would be using somethinfg decent but good to know for sure.
i’m 73kg so stiffness is not as important for me, though up to a point its still a good thing.
i’m somewhat constrained by shop/availability so its between the 2 options unless there is a really compelling reason to look at something else
I’ve logged quite a few miles on the new 4.5 from a week in the Italian Alps to riding the flats of Central OR. It’s a phenomenal wheel set–fast, relatively light and very user-friendly. In the ENVE lineup it’s a bit of a goldilocks wheel in that it’s nearly as fast as the prior generation 7.8 out to 10 degrees yaw. Data here, scroll down to “The SES Difference” and click on aero chart.
As far as hubs go, I don’t have experience with Roval’s but have logged thousands of gravel miles on ENVE hubs on other wheels and have yet to service them. They still spin just as freely without any noticeable friction.
I have Roval CL40’s on my Roubaix road bike and I ride them exclusively. I forgot they are carbon and I don’t do anything special. I ride them like they are a set of Mavic open pro’s. for that reason, I bought a set of rapids CLX (not the II, last years version). I have not ridden them since I haven’t signed up for any races!
Adding my further research mostly for benefit of anyone else with this choice in future.
I can’t find any wind tunnel test comparing the 2 wheelsets, however I do have comparisons between each and the roval CLX50 (which happens to be what I am replacing).
While keeping in mind that comparing differnet tests is fraught with issues, I see:
Specialized themselves show that the rapide only betters the clx50 at high yaw – it actually manages negative drag, perhaps due to the incredibly wide front which is also supposed to be amazing for stability in crosswinds.
Enve show that the 4.5 smashes the clx50 at all yaw angles
Making a leap, that suggests that the 4.5 is faster at low yaw, maybe similar at high yaw.
I‘m quite drawn to the roval claim of incredible crosswind stability but unsure if its really any better than the enves.
Enve have the better reputation on most fronts and might be faster – if nothing else they are actually aero-optimised for 27-28mm tires whereas the rapides are optimised for 26mm which is narrower than I’d be thinking to run these days. I’m always suspicious of these “optimised†claims though – both meet 105% for 28mm tires.
Cycling news have a comparison of the 2 wheelsets https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/cadex-vs-roval-vs-enve-the-best-wheels-for-your-bike/ they suggest the rapides accelerate better while the enve hold speed better – not sure why that would be unless the rapides are stiffer or have lighter rims, suspect its BS.
Here is a related article
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/wind-tunnel-tested-which-road-wheels-are-the-fastest/
Personally I have Hunt 35’s which I got for my Parlee RZ7
https://us.huntbikewheels.com/products/hunt-30carbon-aero-disc-road-wheelset-1319g-30deep-27wide-999?variant=33472762085421
Incredible price. 1400 grams with rim strips.
Unfortunately they are almost too vertically stiff (even at 60 psi). The rear end will skip out going over small rocks/cracks. It makes the bike feel jumpy.
I opted for Hed Vanquish 40’s. They feel extremely fast but are also much more comfortable. I was able to hang with my tri team on super fast segment (down hill and undulating flat) and even take pulls up front. Everyone else was on tri bikes.
Larger point is there is wind tunnel testing, cross-wind stability, and ride comfort in addition to weight and price.