ENVE

SES 3.4 Carbon Tubular Road Wheelset - Chris King R45 Hub

ENVE touts the SES 3.4's as a climbing wheelset with an aero advantage and we couldn't agree more. This is especially true with the even lighter SES 3.4 Carbon Tubular Road Wheelset with Chris King R45 Hubs at your disposal. As featherweight as most low-profile climbing specific wheels, it gives the climbers on Team Dimension Data a responsive wheelset that doesn't hold back on long and steep Alpine and Pyrenean climbs with an aerodynamic advantage in the run-ins to the climbs and in the valley floors that's more efficient than many wheels with an even deeper profile.

At the heart of this wheelset is a pair of Chris King R45 hubs, just like the ones used by Dimension Data, featuring its patented Ring Drive freehub mechanism for quick and positive engagement, perfect for surprise attacks and sprints. The made in-house bearings that roll extremely smoothly with very little drag and are fully serviceable. The hub's geometry helps build up a laterally stiff pair of wheels that aren't often found on wheelsets of this weight. Further contributing to this stiffness is a rim set with a wider profile than its predecessor. As a staple of the SES lineup, the 3.4's latest rim shape exudes the brand's mantra of versatility by balancing stability, for more confident handling, and an aero shape that slices through the wind at more variable yaw angles.

This rim profile features a massive 27.5mm external rim width on both the front and rear compared to the previous 3.4's 26mm front and 24mm rear combination. ENVE chose this width based on wind tunnel testing and real-world applications for the best aerodynamics with a 25mm tubular, allowing for lower tire pressure translating to a smoother, more efficient ride with better traction than the outgoing 23mm standard.

From the beginning of the SES project, sans the climbing specific 2.2, ENVE utilized a shallower front and deeper rear rim pairing, and for this set, the depths are again staggered, but much closer together with the front rim gaining 3mm to a 38mm depth and the rear dropping 3mm to land at a 42mm depth compared to the older 3.4's. The idea still remains the same though as does ENVE's claim of improved handling and stability in variable wind conditions without sacrificing any aerodynamics. On the road, you'll enjoy a wheelset that scoots right up to the rear wheel of any draft and drops the watts needed to extend a solo attack while not having to fight an unruly bike in variable wind conditions. The improved brake track has us considering if disc brakes are really necessary with the in-molded Gen 2 textures brake offering a 30% increase in stopping power with the ability to retain 95% of its braking power when being used in wet, rainy conditions. Good peace of mind when you're on the start line of a race and it's a question of when not if, it's going to rain.

As with all its rims, ENVE uses its most sophisticated technology and engineering techniques to create this stiff and aerodynamic wheelset. The ENVE SES series boasts the highest strength-to-weight ratio on the market, due in part to ENVE's patented process of molding in spoke holes, nipple seats, and valve stem holes. Knowing that carbon fiber gains strength from continuous fibers, ENVE routes the fibers around each hole in a 100% intact design, which allows a lower weight at the spoke face and adds overall rigidity to the rim. ENVE also removes the rim-shaping inflatable bladder in the rim, which, while time-consuming, serves to reduce rim weight and makes for a perfectly tensioned wheel build.