ENVE

25 Classic Carbon Road Wheelset - Clincher

Tubular tires are great for racing, as long as someone else is paying, but clincher tires are about 1000 times more practical for most of us. That doesn't mean they're slow, though. For proof, just check out the ENVE 25 Classic Carbon Clincher Road Wheelset, a rocket-powered package that performs nearly as well as tubulars for not much more than half the price.

With a 25mm rim depth, the 25 Classic is all about one thing—pure speed. Fast on climbs, flats, and descents, it weighs just 1376g per wheelset, so the rotational mass—how hard it is to get your wheels rolling, basically—is extremely low, which makes for efficient riding no matter where you are.

Weight is only half the equation, though. Even the lightest wheel has to be stiff, and rather than drilling holes or using short fibers to weave gaps into the rim, ENVE's patented construction process creates spoke holes, nipple seats, and valve stem holes by routing continuous carbon fibers around each hole. Longer fibers have more strength, so the rigidity of the carbon structure is maintained and the weight is reduced around the inside of the rim. By keeping the stiffness-to-weight ratio high, ENVE keeps the 25 Classic highly aggressive, capable of being ridden hard on roads or cyclocross courses.

As far as boosting speed goes, the build is as important as the construction. ENVE hooked the 25 Classic up with DT Swiss 240 hubs to keep you rolling free of resistance, and laced it up with DT Swiss Aerolite bladed spokes to keep aerodynamics high and rotational weight low. This wheelset comes with either a Campagnolo- or Shimano-compatible freehub, both of which are 11-speed compatible, and the whole package is hand-built in the USA to ensure exceptional quality and attention to detail.