You’ll be faster with more aero wheels. IMHO you should get the 4.5ARs. On my new bike I did the same, instead of 35 mm deep wheels, I got 45s with a wide rim (from 3T, but the same principles apply).
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Interesting. Yeah they are 150g lighter but I get your point. Think 4.5ARs are probably the ones then.
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Hey sdawg, we’re pretty much the exact same weight and coming from the same place as far as the extended climbs go. I ride with a fast crew so similar to you, was hoping to find a bit of an advantage. I ended up I deciding on the 3.4 AR’s. They might not look quite as sexy as the 4.5’s but having spoken with Enve, they left no question in my mind that the 3.4 was the perfect do it all wheelset. They give up practically nothing to the 4.5’s in terms of aerodynamics and are also less likely to flat.
Good luck with your decision, let me know which you end up going with.
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Thanks for the response! Very interesting! Now I’m leaning back to the 3.4AR. They will be going on my Tarmac SL7 which is already pretty aero. Are you happy with them? Sounds like you are, but any other tips?
It’s a tough decision with a lot of $ on the line.
You remind me of myself. Likely over-analyzing each facet of your decision. I think you are probably going to be fine with whatever set you get. You aren’t debating between different brands, just different sizes. The SL7 comes with the 5/6 combo for the pro version or s-works, correct? Maybe that is your key. Go with the 5.6 and be done with it. I think for me, the money put into the aero wheels I would want to see something a little deeper than just the 3.4 (personally). I would go with the 4.5 or 5.6.
Maybe toss a coin and go with it! 
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Huh. Did they say why the 3.4’s were less likely to flat than the 4.5’s? Are they a different design other than the depth?
Hooked vs hookless? I’ve not looked at the 4.5AR.
Yes, it was very tough decision for me as well particularly given the big $$$ but my guess, is you won’t go wrong with either. And I’m sure the ride on that SL7 of your with either set would be absolutely stellar!
Good luck with it!
Hey mwglow15, my understanding of why it’s less likely to flat is because of the hookless bead. Not absolutely certain though why the 3.4 would be any less likely than the 4.5 as they are both hookless.
Flatting - not in road situations where the concern is glass/metal. Hook/hook-less makes no difference.
At low tire pressures with a tire wider decently than the rim, where you see more rim impacts, yes. On the road with current rim/tire combo, this doesn’t happen. It did when you had 15mm internal rims with tubes, you could hit a pot hole edge or something when turning into an uphill, but this isn’t current.
This also relies on a wider, curved rim lip, which the Enve doesn’t have here.
Wider angle curved mtb lip ~4.25mm - https://www.enve.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/M525_profile-600x0-c-default.jpg
Standard road lip ~3mm - https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5pN9nt__GsZP_b9K_JztbvFxYf0tDL-k7rw&usqp=CAU
Ironically, the hookless rims have a narrower lip than their hooked (4.25 vs 3mm) https://mk0enveb2cprodu22kyt.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/PinchGraphic.jpg
I’d go hooked for road so you can run a non-tubeless tire if you want. Hookless requires tubeless tires for the strong bead. Otherwise, it’s not a big deal - you’re talking about a 1.5 mm hook.
I’m new to the forums (first post actually), but saw this topic and possibly have some feedback. I purchased a set of 3.4s from an online supplier after doing a fair amount of research. They just arrived. After opening the box and examining the wheels, the very first thought that went through my head was, “Dang-it! I wish I bought the 4.5s.” They are lower profile than what I believed they would be. That said, they’re still great looking wheels and incredibly lightweight. I’m excited to put them to use and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. I only slightly regret the decision not to get a little more aero wheel based on looks alone.
Good luck with your decision.
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Can’t you just return them and get the 4.5s?
You’re absolutely correct, I could do just that and it’s under consideration. The 4.5s are slightly more expensive. I’m trying to determine if my initial reaction was simply knee jerk and if I should instead rely on the research I’ve already conducted regarding the 3.4s. I think someone else in this thread stated “you can’t go wrong with either.” They look to be great rims, but I haven’t fully unwrapped them from the packaging until I make my final decision.
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Just return them and get the wheels you really want. At that price, you should not spend money on something you don’t 100 % want.
did you get the AR’s?
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Agree with Oreo. If that was your reaction, rather than excitement, send them back. What’s the price difference?
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I’ve had the 5.6 disc for four years and on flats/rollers they are great. But windy descents in the mountains? Thats when I wish the 3.4s were on the bike.
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