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ENVE adds wider, tubeless compatible SES 3.4 disc and rim brake wheels, new Road seatpost & Road Disc Thru Axle fork

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Already ENVE’s best selling wheelset, their popular SES 3.4 is about to get even better. Originally created as a “climbing wheel with an aero advantage” the 3.4s are part of the Smart ENVE System line up using their patented SES rim profile. The goal with the newest iteration was to refine the ride qualities and improve the wheels overall, not necessarily in one specific category. Notably, the wheels are wider with the same internal width front and back, tubeless compatible, and truly rim and disc brake specific…

When road disc was on the horizon, we heard a lot about the potential to make disc brake specific wheels lighter than rim brake wheels because they didn’t need a brake track and didn’t need to withstand the heat or clamping forces of the rim brake caliper. For the most part, that hasn’t materialized, but ENVE is making it happen. Without a brake track and with a disc specific layup, the disc rims are about 40g lighter than their rim brake counterparts.

However, the disc brake wheels do have four more spokes on the front wheel so the wheel sets end up heavier for the Chris King R45 disc build, but the DT 240 CL disc wheels squeak out a victory at almost 30g lighter. Sure, once you add in the rotors and the heavier disc brake calipers the rim set up will still probably be lighter, but the fact that a disc brake version with more spokes is lighter than a corresponding rim brake version is substantial.

The rim brake and tubular versions use ENVE’s molded-in brake track technology made from unidirectional carbon fiber that produces 30% more stopping power. The brake track has a raised texture that is said to provide excellent wet weather stopping that is almost equivalent to dry stopping, and uses a high temperature resin to keep things from melting and falling apart on long descents.

Both rims have undergone improvements to the overall profile, though some of the results aren’t what you would expect. The new 3.4 profile is actually slightly less aerodynamic over multiple yaw angles, but the trade off is a lighter rim that is wider, and offers a better ride through tubeless compatibility. To ENVE, the development of the new SES 3.4 took a “holistic” approach to the overall performance which resulted in a 21mm internal width optimized for 25mm tires and a similar width front to back, though the rims still have different depths – 38mm front and 42mm rear. According to aerodynamicist Simon Smart whose own name is a part of the SES moniker, “Drag reduction is only one part of the equation. In order to make a fast wheel, attributes such as stability, rolling resistance, shape of the tire bed, and the construction of the rim itself must be carefully considered to produce maximum efficiency on the road. The new SES 3.4 carefully balances all these attributes for a net gain in efficiency over other wheelsets in this category.”  The tubular rims are similar, designed around 25mm tires with a 29.7mm/38mm front and 29mm/42mm rear provfile.

Sold as “Road Tubeless Ready,” the rim and disc brake wheelsets will ship with a rim strip and valve extenders for normal tubed use, plus a tubeless kit with tape and valve stems to run them tubeless out of the box. The rim brake wheels will also include titanium skewers and brake pads, while the disc version gets the same minus the brake pads. Pricing is set at $975 per rim ($899 for the tubular), and complete wheelsets running $2,700 for a set of tubulars with DT 240 hubs, to $3,500 for the rim brake wheels with ENVE’s ultralight hubs (see chart above for pricing).

Rim brake versions are available now, with disc brake and tubular options shipping April 1.

In other news from ENVE, the company has launched a new version of their carbon seat post. Considered Road specific, the post is shortened to 300mm and includes a new Di2 battery plug for improved electronics integration. Unseen is a new laminate that is said to be exclusively tailored to road cycling which along with the shorter length makes it lighter at 168g for the 0 offset or 178g for the 25mm offset in 25.4 and 27.2 diameters. Bikes with larger diameter seatposts will still need to use their existing 400mm seat post.

 

Built with their horizontal twin bolt system with titanium bolts, the head has clamps for 7mm and 7x10mm rails and a reversible cradle for 0-18° and 9-27° of adjustment. Sold with the post, the battery plugs will also be available aftermarket in three sizes – 25.4, 27.2, and 30.9/31.6. Posts will run $275 with additional battery plugs sold for $20.

Finally, wheels don’t get all the disc brake fun as there is a new Road Disc fork from ENVE as well. This one borrows the 12 x 100mm thru axle dropout from their gravel fork but in a road specific package.

Some riders will be happy to hear that while the fork keeps the axle to crown height at 370mm to fit many road bikes, the fork still has clearance for 32mm tires. Designed for flat mount disc brakes (140mm or 160mm rotors), standard disc calipers can be run with an adapter and the fork has internal routing through the left leg. Available in both 43mm and 50mm rakes, the fork is only offered in a 1.125 – 1.25″ tapered steerer that’s 350mm long and weighs 425g. The fork does not appear to be fender compatible like their gravel fork, and is priced at $575. Available now.

enve.com

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iiwas
7 years ago

29mm and 29.7mm wide? I guess there aren’t too many disc wheel frames accepting rims that wide.

John
John
7 years ago
Reply to  iiwas

That’s just shortsightedness on the part of frame builders. The 23mm tire is dead, and yet they continue to churn out frames that don’t have clearance for 25mm or 28mm tires, let alone wider rubber. Eventually they’ll complain about online sales when their customers go elsewhere.

carlo
7 years ago
Reply to  John

the 23 tyre is dead??? go mountain bike!

Charlie
Charlie
7 years ago
Reply to  iiwas

Frames for 28mm tires should accept these wheels.

We will see more wheels with 21mm inner width in the future. HED, Zipp 303 Disc/30 Course and ROVAL CLX (https://bikerumor.com/2017/01/13/roval-components-introduces-wide-tubeless-super-light-clx-50-carbon-wheels-axles-brakes/) have also gone this way.

The tire gets stiffer and can be run with less pressure with less rolling resistance, added comfort and better handling. Use a 23/24mm tire for best aerodynamics and a wider tire for comfort.

For a 28mm tire even 25mm inner width make sense…

jasonmiles31
7 years ago

Pretty amazing that Enve can make the rims 40g lighter (each or total?). To my eye it seems like the new rims are bigger in general.
http://gifmaker.cc/PlayGIFAnimation.php?folder=20170216042Peu14y1s5ESDbP67Zjcte&file=output_Fdd69g.gif

Flatbiller
Flatbiller
7 years ago

“climbing wheel with an aero advantage”

Here we go again…now it’s wheels that are getting the “Let’s subdivide (and subdivide again) every part on a bike so that we can make more cash and inundate riders” treatment. We just went through it with bike wheel sizing, and now those sizes are going to be split into new categories again.

Shall I create some new categories? Just for kicks, let me try. Others, please chime in:

– climbing wheel specializing in technical switchback climbing
– climbing wheel specializing in fireroad climbing with driveside wind (15º)
– climbing wheel specializing in fireroad climbing with non-driveside wind (25º)
– climbing wheel specializing in fireroad climbing with driveside wind (25º)
– climbing wheel specializing in fireroad climbing with non-driveside wind (35º)- climbing wheel specializing in fireroad climbing with driveside wind (35º)
– climbing wheel specializing in fireroad climbing with non-driveside wind (-15º)- climbing wheel specializing in fireroad climbing with driveside wind (-15º)
– climbing wheel specializing in fireroad climbing with non-driveside wind (-25º)- climbing wheel specializing in fireroad climbing with driveside wind (-25º)
– climbing wheel specializing in fireroad climbing with non-driveside wind (-25º)
– downhill wheel with no aero advantage
– downhill wheels with aero advantage
– standard XC wheels on courses with less than 800 feet of vertical
– please chime in….

JNH
JNH
7 years ago
Reply to  Flatbiller

Roadies have always been like that. They want some climbing wheels, some sportive wheels, some aero road wheels, some deep section spoked TT wheels, some Disc Tri/TT wheels, some training wheels…

Robin
Robin
7 years ago
Reply to  Flatbiller

Whopping exaggerations certainly make your point valid.

Flatbiller
Flatbiller
7 years ago
Reply to  Robin

Trying to reconcile your reply with JNH’s.

HxsHeck
HxsHeck
7 years ago
Reply to  Flatbiller

should i buy
“climbing wheel with an aero advantage”
or
“aero wheel with a climbing advantage” ?

which one would be a better choice for sportive rider who average 14mph?

ChrisC
ChrisC
7 years ago
Reply to  Flatbiller

Maybe try to think of this in terms of skis. You can get full rocker skis designed for nothing but deep powder on one end of the spectrum and full camber, narrow waist skis for hard packed corduroy on the other. In between, manufacturers make skis intended for 20/80, 40/60, 60/40, and 80/20 for on/off piste skiing.

Think of the wheels the same way. If you live in the heart of the Alps, you’ll probably favor a wheel that is 80/20 – light/aero. If you live in Oklahoma, you’ll probably want the exact opposite. But if you live off the front range in Colorado, you might want something more like 50/50. There’s nothing wrong with the manufacturer trying to meet all of these niches.

I don’t intend to put words in your mouth, but I bet your real beef is with riders who want a 100/100 wheelset. If so, that’s on the customer, not on the manufacturer.

carlo
7 years ago
Reply to  Flatbiller

3t create the “aero gravel”… but since there are costumer following that line, everything is justified

BlackDog
BlackDog
7 years ago

Awesome!

CXisFun
CXisFun
7 years ago

Fenders guys, FENDERS!

aeroking
aeroking
7 years ago

Where are these products made?

OldTimerCat1
OldTimerCat1
7 years ago
Reply to  aeroking

Rims = USA
Forks = Vietnam
Seatposts = ? Maybe China? Who knows.

Comrad
Comrad
7 years ago
Reply to  OldTimerCat1

Rims = USA, Mountain stem = USA, everything else china

Eric
Eric
7 years ago

These disc wheels are just about exactly what I want. Very happy to see the wider internal width.

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