ENVE

Classic 65 Chris King Carbon Wheelset - Clincher

Tradition dictates that wheels like ENVE's Classic 65 Chris King Carbon Wheelset, with their ring-of-Saturn depth, are likely too heavy to climb with anything other than a saturnine disposition; however, with a claimed weight within 300g of the low-profile Classic 25, they fall squarely in the middle range of most other manufacturer's 40-60mm rims. The wheels' benefits on flats are obvious, but that low weight means we're willing to think twice about ENVE's claim that the Classic 65 is also advantageous for hill climb events. Whatever the case, you'll have plenty of time to think of reasons supporting this claim while you wait at the top or the finish line for your riding buddies to catch up.

Climbing aside, though, the Classic 65 Wheelset is designed to hold speed. While low-profile box section wheels do provide slightly less rotational mass on climbs, these hoops will dust them in every other application with the confidence of Valverde in an Ardennes sprint. The depth speaks for itself, but the Classic 65's stiffness-to-weight ratio is less obvious until you're turning these wheels in anger.

The wheels owe their efficiency to ENVE's proprietary molding process, which creates all spoke and stem holes during the lay-up in order to avoid post-curing drilling and machining. This increases strength and structural integrity by wrapping the fibers continuously, with no interruptions to introduce weak points and fatigue-able joints. It also lowers weight, because less material is required to achieve the same strength. ENVE also uses a removable internal bladder to ensure perfect wall thickness, which adds more integrity while further decreasing weight.

The inclusion of Chris King's R45 hubs ensures that the gains made by the combination of stiffness, low weight, aerodynamics, and — of course — the exertions of your engine aren't wasted on an unresponsive pair of pawls. Instead, the R45's 45 points of engagement mean that the wheels almost anticipate your pedal input, reacting immediately so you aren't caught out by a counter move after making a late catch. The hubs' signature drone also has the added benefit of alerting inattentive hangers-on that you're freewheeling.

Finally, the wheels can't just be fast; they also have to stop. This is an unfortunate aspect of cycling, but — while sharing roads with larger, heavier, four-wheeled vehicles — it certainly beats the alternative. Pre-ENVE, poor, unreliable braking was perhaps the number one complaint we heard (and made) about carbon wheels. Post-ENVE, virtually every other manufacturer has had to up its game by developing better carbon brake tracks or falling back on aluminum spines. ENVE forced the cycling industry into the future by importing the latest aerospace-grade, high-temperature resin and carbon fiber for an almost immediate response to braking action that dissipates heat to avoid the dreaded glass transition point that we've all experienced, even if only vicariously. The Classic 65 stops when you tell it to, not when it buckles from heat.