Anybody with a eager eye on biking tech might have noticed that Demi Vollering, Tim Merlier and a handful of different Specialised-sponsored professionals have been successful races aboard a brand new model of the model’s Roval Rapide CLX wheels lately. Subscribers to Cyclingnews may have additionally seen them in our current Giro d’Italia tech gallery, and know that they are set to be referred to as the Rapide CLX II Crew.
In the present day, we are able to carry you all the main points, as Specialised has lifted the covers, confirming the wheelset’s identify, what makes them completely different, and most pressingly, why it made the swap to silver hubs.
The headline figures are a weight of 1,390g (a lack of 130 grams when in comparison with the CLX II), an aerodynamic enhance of 0.5 watts (settle down now), and higher wind-up stiffness, which primarily interprets to sooner acceleration and higher braking response.
Specialised is launching with the tagline “The quickest race wheels. Interval” however even when that’s true, it is not likely the story right here.
These are a restricted version wheelset, totalling 1500 in quantity worldwide, with a distinct building technique to the CLX II wheels. They’re made in the identical manufacturing unit, however utilizing the “finest craftspeople” they’d, utilizing completely different resin, smaller layup overlaps, and a redesigned hub.
The place they actually stand aside from the CLX II, nevertheless, is that they arrive in a primo presentation field full with a complete host of equipment.
This contains silver stitched Roval wheel baggage, a full complement of substitute DT Swiss Sinc bearings, each Shimano HG and SRAM XDR freehub our bodies, a hoard of spare DT Aerolight II spokes and nipples, a pair of silver alloy centre-lock disc rotor lockrings, an S-Works branded Dynaplug Racer Professional tyre plug instrument, spare plugs, two Specialised Turbo RapidAir tyres, a pair of S-Works water bottles, and even a construct card for every wheel exhibiting the spoke tensions, trueness and extra.
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Greater than only a marginally higher wheelset, the Rapide CLX II Crew wheels are a ticket to an unique membership, a premium expertise, and a greater product with a extra full service. It is an all-inclusive vacation, an ad-free expertise, a business-class ticket with speedy boarding.
The dangerous information is that to hitch the CLX II Crew workforce, you may must fork out £3,000 / $3,800 / €3,700 / AU$6,000. It is a £500 / $1,000 / €1,000 / AU$1,600 premium over and above the CLX II wheels.
We have spent the previous week placing them by means of their paces, so learn our Roval Rapide CLX II Crew evaluation to see whether or not we expect they’re price that premium.
The design
In line with Roval, there have been initially solely ever set to be 50 of those wheelsets, they usually had been designed particularly for Specialised professional riders. With such a small quantity to make, the model says it was capable of assault the method with a distinct mindset to the Rapide CLX II, which is constrained by the capabilities of a manufacturing line tasked with making tens of hundreds.
The method began with rethinking the carbon layup of the rim, with smaller overlaps between every layup. This was extra time-consuming, however it resulted in 40 grams saved per rim.
With the rim designed, consideration turned to the hub, and beginning with the DT Swiss EXP internals, the model designed its personal low-flange hub shell. Roval claims the brand new hubs enhance spoke wind-up stiffness for sooner acceleration and braking response, and save 50 grams throughout the pair. Two grams of that saving comes courtesy of the swap from black to silver, eradicating the powder coating from the equation and easily clear-coating the hub.
Curiously, whereas manufacturers like Cadex and Hunt have lately switched to carbon spokes, Roval determined to stay with DT Swiss Aerolight II spokes. I requested the Roval product supervisor why, and his response was an fascinating perception into the whole-bike-system strategy that Specialised and Roval takes, one which impartial wheel manufacturers are much less capable of make.
Roval examined the burden and aerodynamic efficiency of seven completely different spoke fashions, and though carbon fibre spokes would have been lighter, Specialised concluded they’d have been round 1.5 watts much less aerodynamic. Given the S-Works Tarmac does not want any assist hitting the UCI’s minimal restrict of 6.8kg, the model was glad to take the burden acquire and retain the aero profit.
Is that this S-Works meets Roval?
The Rapide CLX II wheelset will proceed in line, and it’ll proceed to be specced on the S-Works Tarmac SL8, so though there are parallels to be drawn, this is not Roval’s S-Works equal.
As an alternative, the CLX Crew wheelset might be a restricted version aftermarket improve whereas shares final. With that stated, in Specialised’s advertising materials for the brand new wheels, it says “That is only the start,” so we’ll have to observe this house.
They’re in the stores at chosen sellers and at Specialised’s personal web site immediately.
