ENVE

Classic 45 Carbon Road Wheelset - Clincher

Not too many years ago, carbon-rimmed clinchers were only a dream for many manufacturers. By now, most have something in their collection, but often the wheels are just heavier, less reliable clincher versions of a popular tubular wheelset. Turning that trend around, the ENVE Classic 45 Carbon Clincher Wheelset has been specially designed to offer the best qualities of deep carbon rims -- that they're light, super aero, and fast -- while providing all the practical benefits of clinchers.

Though ENVE takes care to develop and test their clinchers and tubulars independently, both versions are lavished with the same amount of care and innovation. The 45 Carbon Clinchers are not the ginger-haired stepchild of the 45mm tubular, quite the contrary. They have a highly developed braking surface, and this is the key element that makes them so attractive. The poor overall braking properties of most carbon rims have been a huge and legitimate stumbling block for consumers. In reality, nobody wants to spend extra money to go faster only to find that you can't properly slow down when necessary. Seeing this conundrum, ENVE uses the latest aerospace grade high temperature resin and carbon fiber system so that the carbon brake surface can immediately respond to braking action and not build up excessive heat over time. So yeah, this is rocket science after all. It has largely been possible because ENVE has been aided by a grant from the state of Utah, and they've been given access to the test facilities at the Utah Center for Aeronautical Innovation. That's a mouthful, and it is as impressive and unusual as it sounds.

A lot of the hype surrounding ENVE Wheels relates as much to their products as it does to wheels from other manufacturers. Recognizing that the world does not need another line of average wheels, ENVE spends considerable time testing their carbon rims alongside rims from competing manufacturers. That, they believe, is the only reliable way to be sure that they're making improvements to what is already available. That's one of the reasons they have chosen their "go-to, jack of all trades" wheelset to have a 45mm depth. From their testing in the labs and on the real-world roads of mountainous Utah, they discovered that 45mm was an ideal rim depth for all-around road racing wheels. The aerodynamic benefits are there while avoiding serious drawbacks in crosswind situations. Versatility is in their DNA; dry or wet, windy or still, flat or climbing, the ENVE Classic 45 Carbon Clincher Wheelset is stable and ruthlessly efficient.

Weighing in with a feathery 440 gram rim, the ENVE Classic 45 Carbon Clincher Wheelset totals 1458 grams with the DT Swiss 240 hubs and Sapim CX Ray stainless steel spokes. They can be had with Shimano/SRAM or Campagnolo compatible freehub bodies. The wheels have 20 spokes in the front and 24 in the rear wheel. There is no rider weight limit. ENVE also recommends the use of their Grey Carbon Brake Pads to gain the best braking performance.

Note: The rims are covered under the 5 year manufacturer warranty. The hubs and spokes are not covered under the ENVE warranty. We are only able to ship to this product to addresses within the United States.