Glad to hear it!
The Enve 45s weigh about the same as the S model, they are a tad lighter. I wouldn’t call any aero wheelset that weigh about 1,500 g boat anchors, but that’s just me. Plus, the importance of weight is grossly overestimated and other factors such as ride quality, robustness and warranty are not given enough credit, because they cannot be neatly summarized into a number.
Why, what are you missing? I don’t think it is worth paying extra for the non-S version. Save the money and spend it on e. g. a cycling trip or other doo dads, I say.
Why stick to Zipp? If gravel riding is your jam, I’d say go for something entirely different, 3T’s Discus 45|40, which are the gravel-y sibling to my 45|32s: they have an internal width of 29 mm, i. e. they are built to last and will give you aero benefits with 35–40 mm gravel tires.
interesting thread with some very knowledgable people chiming in…
1 Like
I’m not saying the ENVE’s alone are boat anchors, but they are quite heavy compared to other options. Warranty wise, I don’t think anyone offers more than Zipp
The Firecrest’s are ~300g lighter, sure weight isn’t everything, but that is a significant difference, especially when the majority of that weight is at the rim. the Firecrest is the 25mm internal I wanted vs the S’s 23mm. And the Firecrest gets a nicer hubset.
Gravel is my main jam, but i also enjoy conquering mountain climbs and want to run a 32mm tire for pavement.
The 303 Firecrest ticked the most boxes for me.
1 Like
Having a set of 858, I can’t confirm the whale fin Design helping with anything.
My DTSwiss ARC1100 80mm dB are significantly more stable in the wind.
1 Like
i thought that the Enve warranty is pretty good and a bit better than the new Zipp warranty offerings. i’m basing this on the fact that Enve allows for replacement also for damages outside of riding accidents.
am i wrong? It’s been a while since i’ve read the warranties but i know i’m looking to Enve’s specifically because of their warranty.
2 Likes
What do they offer that others don’t? Looks like coverage for damage in transport which is definitely not a bad thing, but also kind of gimmicky considering I don’t see anything mentioning crash replacement
$1600 is a lot of money bruh. No matter how you slice it. It may not break the bank for some, but for sure are not inexpensive and will in fact break the bank for many.
Cycling is ridiculously expensive
3 Likes
Joel you spelled Coffee wrong.
1 Like
I bought Enve in December 2016 and the warranty is pretty fantastic. Based on this thread I looked and saw SRAM upgraded the warranty for Zipp starting with wheels purchased in 2021.
2 Likes
from Zipp’s website:
When you buy new Zipp wheels and components, you’re now backed by a lifetime warranty for sales globally. This includes manufacturing defects, of course, but also for damage for intended use while riding.
ENVE’s warranty is equally good.
@Cleanneon98 see above. I would say they aren’t offering more than ENVE, but I think Zipp has the better wheelset currently. If I could have gotten the 3.4AR’s for $2k and they were 100g lighter, then they would be a competitive option. The foundation wheels aren’t in the same ball park as a set of FC’s imo. 21 vs 25mm internal and 200g heavier, for $300 less.
Touche bruh… Touche… Although. I do use my machine everyday, sometimes 2x. Will get more usage than the wheels
I paid $1200 used for my Aeolus 5 wheels (2400MSRP) in 2017 and have done many thousands of miles on them and they are still in great shape, only needed to be trued once when I broke a spoke. In the same time I know guys who have completely worn through new sets of China carbon hoops. To some extent, you get what you pay for, I personally wouldn’t want cheap carbon wheels because I just wouldn’t trust them. $1600 isn’t a small amount of money but probably about as low MSRP wise as I’d feel comfortable riding on. Disc brakes change this to some extent
1 Like
I agree, I wouldn’t trust cheapo carbon wheels.
1 Like
Plus, warranty is something worth paying for. I’d rather pay for Zipp’s 303S or a pair of Hunt wheels with warranty.