ENVE

SES 7.8 Disc Wheelset - Clincher

Opting in on the power and modulation of a disc brake road whip shouldn't mean that you have to give up on the never ending quest for speed and aerodynamics. With that in mind ENVE brings you the SES 7.8 Disc Wheelset, which boasts all the wind-cheating, screaming speed of the original SES 7.8 paired with equally aggressive disc brake stopping power.

Like the rest of ENVE's SES line, the 7.8 rims aren't subjected to static, arbitrary NACA shapes. Instead, the engineers let each wheel's depth requirements dictate the ideal dimensions 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 inner face to the different dimensions of 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 is 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.

When laced to one of our favorite hub models, DT Swiss' 240s, this system facilitates higher, more uniform spoke tension than standard bladder molding. ENVE is also able to remove the inner bladder once the molding process is complete, which results in a lower overall weight than processes that leave the bladder in place. This is a lengthy and costly extra step, but it results in a wheel that is perfectly tensioned and significantly lighter than it would be were the bladder left inside.