I currently own a Specialized Crux (2021) expert with Sram Rival. I race fairly regularly and the entirety of my cycling time is focused towards getting the best result possible at the next event. (And not being to broke to have to sell a kidney).
I am currently running the stock Roval Terra C (1600g) with Pathfinder 42s
What Gravel race wheels (And tire combo if you have one) do yall recommend. I can not really justify spending more than 2k with the way life is right now. So some uber expensive carbon one off wheelset probably is out of the question.
Some wheels I am considering are Zipp 303 XPLR, Reserve 40/44 Gr, and No.6 45mm deep gravel wheels. Looking forward to yalls suggestions.
We make a wheel called the FLO G700 thatâs an aero gravel wheel. Happy to discuss tires and pressures should you need help. Tires are really based on terrain and rider bike handling skills so itâs hard to pick just one.
ENVE SES 3.4 and 4.5s are both great overall wheelsets for road and gravel. They are over 2k but have seen these discounted around 20% at times at places like Biketiresdirect.com.
I just received some deep 64mm and wide 40mm (ext.; 32mm internal) from Nextie. Ping @teddygram he can hook you up (they can be hookless or hooked btw).
You have carbon wheels already with 25 mm inner rim width (i. e. modern). They are not super light or very deep.
You did not say what you are looking for. E. g. do you want deeper wheels or lighter wheels? What rim depth are you looking for?
Your current wheels are so good that getting something substantially better is likely quite expensive. The impact of lighter components is much smaller than we think. The impact of improved aerodynamics depends on the speed.
You could get Chinese wheels with no local support, but even then, what are you looking for in your race wheels? And would you be ok with likely no crash replacement policy and local support?
Iâve been wonderingâwhy donât we have a single, ongoing âmega threadâ dedicated to wheels? Weâve got tons of separate threads scattered across road, MTB, gravel, and everything in between, each with opinions, questions, and reviews. Wouldnât it make sense to consolidate all that wheel talk into one central place?
It could be a great resource for anyone looking for advice, comparisons, or just to geek out about hubs, rims, spokes, and everything wheel-related. Thoughts?
I have the same bike and had two sets of Terra Cs for gravel and road. What are you trying to maximize with new wheels? Super low weight? Aero? Fat internals for lower tire pressure? Budget?
Looking for something on the deeper side. I average 17 to 18 for 100 mile raceâs. So aero is defiantly a consideration. I donât really want anything narrower than 25mm internal. But I would do up to 23 if it was a great wheelset.
I honestly am not sure when it comes to warranty and support. I have never broken a wheel but I am starting to ride in lead groups for longer and longer where you hit crap constantly. I would probably be willing to pay a little extra for a good warranty but I simply donât have the ability to spend 2.5k on any wheelset no matter the warranty.
I feel like if we did that, there would be wayyy to much to sort through. If someone is looking for hill climbing wheels, they got to sift through banter about gravel wheels and dh wheels. Plus all the other stuff that we talk about because heaven knows we never stay on topic (Cough meme forum Im looking at you)
Hmmm, still, if it were me, Iâd honestly either save my money. Youâd probably benefit more from doing an awesome bike trip somewhere (Lake Garda if you are located in Europe) or simply looking for the wheelset you actually think is going to give you a leg up.
However, keep in mind that deeper wheels tend to be stiffer (simply a function of their depth and physics). So they can be less comfortable, which is a factor for offroad riding. E. g. the best wheels I have ever ridden in terms of comfort were 3T Discus C35 LTDs, which were only 35 mm deeps. These things were just the right combination of stiff and comfy, carving corners felt like being on rails.
If you care mostly about aero gains, Iâd get an extra wide, 45ish mm deep wheelset. 3T makes the Discus 45|40 wheels, which have an outer diameter of 40 mm. Those should be more aero than other, narrower wheels. But they are not very light. I have its narrower 45|32 sibling, and the wheels are excellent.
Been very close to pulling the trigger on some of the new LB Airia (300g lighter than my current wheelsets, yet wider and deeper), you could do a mixed 47/52 combo or 52/52..
I think you just have the itch to get something new. You have a great set of wheels. I donât know how much aero benefit youâd get from deeper wider wheels, but I suppose that would be the direction youâd want to go. @jonthornham has put out some info on aero for gravel on a podcast he did with Derek Teel. I remember they discussed all things aero. Might be worth a listen and help you make a more informed decision.
I think the others above are on the mark - since you are taking budget into consideration, this seems like it would be fairly expensive marginal gain. However, since you asked, I have Yoeleo SAT C45 DB Pro NxT Gravel on my Crux. Actual weight 1417g (660+757) according to my kitchen scale; Iâm happy with them.
Depending on course, Iâve used TB 2.1 (only in front), G-One RS 45 or Michelin Power Gravel 47 in the rear.
S Works Crux owner here using it for gravel racing and CX with Enve 3.4 SES rims that are amazing. I use Conti 45mm Terra Speeds and the combo is VERY fast. I seem to go downhill faster than nearly everyone during gravel races. Canât recommend them enough and yes, you can find them for close to $2K. I also have a pari of Enve AG-28s and they are $1600 or so and quite good, but no where near the ride qualify of the 3.4.
Not to veer this thread off course, but the Conti Terra Speed are excellent: they were recommended to me on this forum, they are very quick, havenât shown wear after 1,000+ km and cost only 25 ⏠a piece
