What is the general consensus of ENVE wheels these days? I know they’re expensive, but are they still considered a premium wheel compared to what’s been released recently?
Little back story. I’ve always wanted a set of ENVE wheels. I just think they’re really swoot looking. And for years they were always regarded very highly, if not a little expensive. But it seems like in the last 2-3 years, Chinese wheelmakers have grown in number and in quality, and at prices around half of what the big brands charge. But then the tariffs came into effect and for Americans, Chinese wheels were in question. Some places won’t even ship to the US, or we might get the price doubled on arrival. With that in mind I came back to ENVE, as I could get a 30% discount. I was ready to pull the trigger on a set of 6.7s. But then this morning, the China tariffs have a 90 day pause, or return to reasonable levels let’s say.
So, with that in mind, are ENVE wheels still worth it? Is there a comparable deep 60+mm wheelset for cheaper? I also can get a 30% discount on Roval, but I don’t think they offer anything that deep as of now (Sprint wheels rumored in future). Craft have the 6575 for a slight weight decrease (like 50g). Slightly cheaper.
I guess my question boils down to, are ENVE just paying for the name or are they still regarded as top end wheels?
I have lusted over Enve wheels too. I am not brave enough to go to the China carbon market just because I like warranty / customer service. Enve does great at that. However, when it came time to buy new wheels I went for Reserve over Enve. I just don’t think Enve does anything better than someone like Roval, Reserve, or even Zipp nowadays to make them worth the premium price. I feel like others have caught up. Also, I don’t love that they are hookless and internal nipples. Reserves are so much easier to maintain, bombproof, and have lifetime warranty. That is just my two cents. That being said if you value made in USA and can’t resist the white Enve logo look - they are still probably (never actually ridden any) an amazing set of premium wheels - with a premium price tag.
I think Enve can compete with the top, but in my mind, Enve isn’t any better than anyone else’s wheels. I certainly think they are a premium price, so you just have to decide if you are willing to pay it. You will hopefully get good service/support if ever needed.
Unfortunately they don’t offer what I’m looking for. The 52/63 are the closest, but pretty heavy. And I know weight isn’t that important but they’re like 350g heavier than my previous Farsports 58mm wheels.
The next step up is the 77/88 which is really deep. And heavy. And more expensive than ENVE.
I wish they would offer like a 65mm depth with like a 23-25mm internal.
Cost is definitely a factor and on that front Enve loses to many Chinese brands (tariffs not withstanding). And hookless is a dealbreaker. Very limiting for tire choices as of now. Geopolitics aside it is tough to see western brands competing on price vs features offered. I have 6 different Chinese wheelsets from 4 different manufacturers and have been very pleased with the performance. This is after coming from a set of Zipp 404’s for context. The benefit of warranty coverage is a legitimate thing but I can say that one company I have multiple sets from, Lightbicycle, has provided excellent customer service after crash damage.
FWIW, I’ve had many Enve wheelsets and never had an issue with any of them. Just bomb proof wheels that you can keep moving from one bike to the next .
Personally I see wheels as a great investment due to the fact that I usually keep them longer than frames and groupsets.
I’m somewhat ashamed to say that part (if not most) of the reason I want ENVE is because I think they’re the best looking wheel out there. The tri-logo is just sexy.
Actually running their gravel wheels now and have been very happy. Really solid wheel. Haven’t looked at the road offering but look good for the price.
I’ve got a set of the 4.5’s and they are the best wheels I have ever felt. The fact they do look nice doesn’t hurt either. Now, I just need to get fast enough to really challenge them.
I also am recent purchasers of 4.5’s. Wondering what you feel the difference is. I personally have no issues with them, but don’t know if I can tell any differences versus past wheelsets.
They are lighter and spin-up faster than the Roval CLX’s I have. Granted the Envy are set up tubeless, but they are still the lightest and most responsive tubeless wheels I have used. They just feel more snappy.
I like Enve wheels, but they are heavy compared to most. Their new innerdrive hubs is very sweet and has been working flawlessly for me. Company offers great support but same can be said for Reserve. I have no experience with zipp or rovals.
If I had unlimited money I may get a pair as they look super nice with the logos spinning and have decent specs… But there are s lot of better value options out there so as long as I don’t have money to throw away it won’t happen. But if you have the money and like how they look get them..
I bought the 6.7s. I’ve always wanted ENVE and I know they’re expensive, but YOLO. It’s not going to break me and they look sweet. And I got 30% off so that helped.
To me, the Enve road / gravel wheels are looking long in the tooth. E.g., the G23s are only 23mm internal width which seems narrow by today’s standards, especially as the SES 3.4 road wheels are 25mm internal width
I see no reason to get the G23 instead of the AG25 that now also comes with innerdrive hubs, the G series likely should probably be updated soon, maybe with something to compete with the XPLR wheelset
For a company that started with wheels and then components, their best products are their frames and their worst in now their wheels. The rims are very heavy by comparison to other manufacturers (not more durable either) and their aero properties are not at the bleeding edge.
I say this having just purchased a MOG built with their products.
I cannot fathom why anyone would buy hookless rims, let alone pay a 2x premium vs what you can get from China for perfectly functional and substantially lighter hooked rims.
