With Interbike missing from the calendar, more companies than ever were using the 2019 Sea Otter Classic to show new products. Wheel companies certainly were no exception to this trend, with brands big and small showing off their latest wheels, many of which were aimed at the gravel movement.
We take a look at a few of the new carbon models from Mavic, Irwin, ENVE and Reynolds that caught our eyes. [Also see our recent gravel tire round-up]
Use the Next button to scroll through each.
All of our coverage of new bikes and products is available in our 2019 Sea Otter Classic archive.
ENVE Composites
While many of us ride 17-21mm wide (internal) rims for 40mm gravel tires nowadays and find them wide compared to the 13mm wide rims of 10 years ago, several companies are pushing rim widths further, even for narrower road tires. ENVE is one such company.
ENVE officially launched its latest SES 3.4 AR “Aero Road” wheelset on Thursday of Sea Otter.
ENVE’s new 25mm-wide SES 3.4 AR aero road wheelset is designed to be aero with 28-32mm road tires. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
The rims, like the SES 4.5 AR rim, are a whopping 25mm wide (internal) and are optimized for improved aerodynamics when using 28-32mm tires. ENVE describes these wheels as the ideal mixed surface wheels.
A few of us journalists walked by the 25mm wide ENVE SES 3.4 AR rim and assumed it was a mountain bike rim. We were wrong. It’s designed for 28mm road tires. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
The wheels feature the company’s Wide Hookless Bead anti-pinch flat technology, with a blunt outer edge of the bead that is said to reduce flats. The front and rear rims are not symmetrical, as the front is 39mm deep and 31.2mm wide, while the rear is 43mm deep and 30.5mm wide.
ENVE’s new 25mm-wide SES 3.4 AR aero road wheelset comes stock with ENVE alloy hubs, J-bend bladed spokes and Centerlock rotor mounts. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
The wheelset starts at $2,550 with ENVE’s own alloy hubs, with an option for Chris King R45 CL hubs for another $650.
ENVE’s new 25mm-wide SES 3.4 AR aero road wheelset turns 28mm road tires into 31mm wide. They’ll consume most of a modern road bike’s tire clearance. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
ENVE cites its testing that reveals superior aerodynamics with wide road tires but admits that when you get up to 40mm gravel tires, those benefits over its G23 gravel wheels are lost. Still, if you’re looking for a high-end wheelset to handle both road racing and gravel/cyclocross duties, the wide SES 3.5 AR could be worth a look.
More info: enve.com
