ENVE

SES 5.6 Carbon Chris King R45 Wheelset - Clincher

The impetus for ENVE Composite's creation of the SES 5.6 Carbon Chris King R45 Wheelset stemmed from its desire to provide a wheelset to its sponsored athletes and discerning customers that was more aero than its venerable 4.5, came in within grams of its weight, added in tubeless compatibility, and gave up nothing in the stability department. By optimizing the disc 5.6 rim, already a staple in its rotor toting wheelset lineup, the rim brake going 5.6 gives you a proven aero package in both the wind tunnel and on race courses around the world, with a lightweight build and smooth spinning hubs on a platform that's still the pro's preferred choice of running rim calipers. And with its molded-in brake track featuring its latest heat-resistant resin, you'll have excellent control and stellar modulation in both wet and dry conditions as well as peace of mind and confidence descending steep, extended descents so much so, you'll question the merits of disc brakes on road bikes. Sprinters, triathletes, or anyone who likes to go fast on their bike should give these wheels a look and experience speed without compromise.

This all-new rim is slightly deeper than it's ever-popular 4.5, 6mm more on the front and 7mm more in the rear to be exact, helping to further smooth airflow and reduce turbulence which in turn creates less drag, allowing you to go faster with less effort. As much as outright speed at a wide range of yaw angles developed the profile of the rim, ENVE didn't forget that most rides occur outside the wind tunnel and as such, optimized its shape to help increase stability in both steady and blustery wind conditions for confident handling and predictable descending making it an excellent choice in windy tri's where riding on 7.8's might get you pushed around a little too much. It also took the opportunity to go a bit wider with the internal width to accommodate the current trend towards larger volume road tires (it's optimized for 25mm rubber) and build compatibility with road tubeless or traditional clincher setups, so you don't have to save these excellent hoops for race day use only, you can train on them as well.

As with the rest of ENVE's SES line, the 5.6 rims aren't subjected to static, arbitrary NACA shapes. Instead, the engineers let each wheel's location dictate the ideal depth, width, and profiling in order to reduce lateral forces and increase aerodynamic benefits across a wide range of yaw angles. This approach is apparent in everything from the rim's rounded spoke face up front to a more V-shaped profile in the rear to the different depths and widths seen on the front and rear wheels. SES takes the shallower, more stable front wheel and deep, aerodynamic rear wheel philosophy to its logical extreme.

As the SES name implies, these wheels are built using the Smart ENVE System to create a rim that's as strong and stable as it is aerodynamic. ENVE wheels enjoy the reputation of having one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios in the industry because of a jealously guarded process of molding in spoke holes, nipple seats, and valve stem holes rather than drilling them after the fact. ENVE routes the carbon fibers around each hole to maintain continuous fiber integrity, which results in both increased rim rigidity and lower weight versus the industry standard of drilling the holes post-curing which cuts and abrades carbon fiber.

The rims are laced to Chris King's excellent R45 hubs that enjoy a loyal following as they are supremely durable, roll quickly, and engage with precision and speed with its exclusive ring-drive system. You'll enjoy a top-quality wheel build with high, uniform spoke tension that keeps the wheels on your bike and out of the truing stand. ENVE is also able to remove the inner bladder once the molding process is complete, which results in a lower overall weight and better wheel balance than processes that leave the bladder in place. This is a lengthy and costly extra step, but it results in a wheel that spins smoother and is significantly lighter than it would be if the bladder was left inside.