Roval’s newest wheels are the Rapide CLX II Crew. It’s gone to nice lengths to make the wheels lighter and extra aero, saving a gram per wheel from the non-coated hubs and a complete second over 40km. It’s additionally stored the hooked tyre beads, because it reckons that there’s an excessive amount of threat of tyre blow-off with hookless.
The newest biking buzzword is all-road – the choice to take your highway bike off-tarmac, however nonetheless get alongside properly on the blacktop. As you’d anticipate, there are a slew of merchandise prepared that will help you get there and we’ve two on this week’s round-up.
Fulcrum’s Sharq wheels have a 25mm inner width rim with a wavy profile – however do they infringe on the patent licensed to Zipp? And bike model Ducati has launched an all-road electrical bike that comes with beefy tyres, an FSA hub motor and a set of bikepacking luggage included.
Roval Rapide CLX II Crew wheels retain their hooked tyre beads
Why paint your hub black when it can save you a gram by leaving it silver?
(Picture credit score: Roval)
2024 appears to be the 12 months of costly wheels, with the most recent Roval wheels hitting $3,800 / £3,000, the worth of an honest carbon bike. Specialised claims that they’re lighter and extra aero – nicely they’d, wouldn’t they – however they’ve additionally retained hooked beads.
Roval hasn’t been a fan of hookless and has eschewed the tech which sees rims for tubeless tyres created with out a wheel hook, whilst rivals Zipp and Enve have gone all-in. In the meantime, Specialised says that hookless tech can’t meet its excessive strain testing necessities with out the tyre blowing off.
Roval says that the brand new wheels shed 130g from the usual Rapide CLX II for a 1,360g wheelset weight. That’s made up of 40g per rim from a brand new carbon lay-up, plus 25g per hub financial savings from a brand new shell. It’s silver as a result of not coating it black saves a gram per hub.
A modified rim profile saves a claimed 0.5 watts when utilizing tyres between 26mm and 30mm extensive, with a one second time saving over 40km.
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It’s not solely the worth tag that makes getting your palms on the brand new wheels difficult. Roval has solely made 1,500 units that can be purchased, the remaining going to its WorldTour crew riders.
Fulcrum’s sawtooth allroad wheels
The Sharq wheels’ wavy profile is claimed to make them extra secure – however does it infringe Zipp patents?
(Picture credit score: Future)
This week, Fulcrum has debuted its new wheels for all-road riders. Known as Sharq, the wheels have a wavy profile to the rim, of between 42mm and 47mm depth, which Fulcrum says makes them much less vulnerable to crosswinds.
The uneven bulges are paying homage to Zipp’s NSW wheels, which raises a right away query: has Fulcrum infringed a patent licensed to Zipp?
Princeton Carbonworks had a brush with Zipp’s proprietor, SRAM, over its personal wavy rim profiles. SRAM’s case in opposition to Princeton went to court docket in February 2023 and resulted in a combined judgment, with one in every of Princeton’s defences dismissed, however its assertion of prior artwork (i.e. that there have been already merchandise utilizing an analogous profile) nonetheless in play.
We have requested Fulcrum about its personal patent, however not heard again. Within the interim, the brand new wheels are on the market for €2,460. They’ve a 25mm inner rim width and a claimed weight of 1,440g and Fulcrum says that they’re aero optimized for tyres from 30mm to 42mm extensive. It reckons they’re an awesome possibility for riders who need to be quick on highway, however nonetheless tackle some off-tarmac driving.
The Sharq wheels had a gravel outing at Unbound final weekend too, being ridden to fifth place by Mattia De Marchi.
Ducati heads off-road with its Futa e-bike
Ducati makes use of an FSA hub motor so as to add further push off-road
(Picture credit score: Future)
Ducati isn’t a reputation you usually affiliate with human-powered transport, but it surely’s launched an allroad bike known as the Futa. Powered by a 250W, 42Nm FSA rear hub motor, the Futa All Highway has a carbon body with an inner 250Wh battery within the down tube. You should buy a 250Wh vary extender so as to add some further mileage.
It’s kitted out with a SRAM Rival 2×12-speed groupset and Imaginative and prescient AGX 30 carbon wheels with 38mm Vittoria Terreno Dry tyres. Ducati claims a dimension medium weighs simply 12.4kg. The Futa All Highway is priced at €7,690 and is offered full with a set of bikepacking luggage.
There’s a road-going model of the Futa obtainable too, which may be had outfitted with the FSA Okay-Drive WE digital groupset or an alternate SRAM Rival possibility.
