ENVE

SES 2.2 Alloy Hub Wheelset - Clincher

Cyclists who spend their days in the mountains and hills will fare best with some lightweight climbing wheels that won't hold them back on the challenging climbs, high-speed descents, and unpredictable weather conditions encountered on these types of rides. Constructed using ENVE's industry-leading carbon technologies, the SES 2.2's are built for the steep grades and the long, winding roads of your favorite local climbs. Their low weight propels you up steep mountain roads with surprising efficiency, while the textured brake track adds impressive all-weather braking performance on the descents. And despite their shallow rim depth, the 2.2's underwent extensive wind tunnel testing to ensure that aerodynamic drag is reduced as much as possible, and that stability remains constant in changing wind conditions.

Mountain roads place heavy demands a wheel's braking capabilities, and ENVE ensured the shallow 2.2 rims would be more than ready to take on those demands by developing a new, molded-in textured brake surface. Paired with the new ENVE black brake pads, the brake track claims to improve performance by 30% over previous ENVE models. This new system addresses the challenges of braking in both wet and dry conditions, adding reassuring consistency on the days you get caught in a surprise rain shower on a winding, narrow descent.

In a departure from the rest of the SES line, ENVE chose to keep the depth and external rim width the same for each wheel. We assume this is because, at just 25mm deep, the aerodynamic gains of fiddling with respective depths wouldn't be the same as on deeper dish wheels. Instead, the 2.2s' 25mm depth and 27mm external rim width work together to achieve an ideal balance of stiffness and low weight that make these wheels capable featherweight climbing machines. Pair their generous width with tires in the 23 - 28mm range for lower rolling resistance, plush comfort, and more confident cornering on the way back down.

ENVE wheels are known for having one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios in the industry, and the 2.2's are shaped using the same highly regarded Smart construction system as the rest of its wheels to ensure their stability and reliability. ENVE painstakingly molds spoke holes, nipple seats, and valve stem holes into the wheels rather than drilling them after curing. This construction method reduces unnecessary material and guarantees fiber integrity, lowering the weight of the wheels and increasing their structural integrity thanks to the carbon fibers being continuously molded in one uniform direction.

ENVE also removes the inner bladder, resulting in lower weight compared to composite manufacturers who leave the bladder in the rim once the wheel is complete. While the removal process takes time and involves some added expense, it results in a lighter rim and a perfectly tensioned wheel build.

ENVE offers the SES 2.2 wheelset with multiple hub choices, and this particular set uses their new Alloy Road Hub, built to surpass the performance and longevity of aftermarket hubs while at the same time keeping the cost lower than the ENVE Carbon hub option. ENVE claims the premium stainless steel bearings are an upgrade over the previous generation's ceramic bearings, achieving an ideal balance of rolling efficiency and long-term reliability. Perfect Preload technology reduces friction and improves bearing life, while the precision-machined hub shell bolsters both lateral and torsional stiffness while reducing the hubs' overall weight.