When the Roval Team set out to create a wheelset built purely for speed, they wanted to make it more than just fast. Not that being fast wasn’t a priority, but they were tired of wheels that only performed well in a straight line. In the end, they developed the CLX 64—the fastest wheel that they've ever tested.
One of the first questions Roval get about the CLX 64 is, “Why 64 mm instead of 65 mm?” To put it simply, it's because 64 mm simply tested faster than 65 mm. One millimeter—that's how deep Roval's testing goes. Having an in-house Win Tunnel allows them to run every possible variation, and after two years of development, 80 variations in rim design, and nearly 300 hours studying tyre and frame interactions in the Win Tunnel, they found 64 mm to be the fastest iteration for normal riding conditions. In fact, it's even faster than the 80-plus-millimeter-deep wheels they were tested against. Being able to use a shape that’s nearly 20 mm shallower than the competition, yet just as low in drag, makes for a wheel that has drastically less side force and steering torque. This translates to less buffeting and more confidence in even the gustiest winds.
Another positive of a shallower rim depth is the reduction in weight that follows using less material. Many deep carbon wheels feel “slow” due to their high inertia value. What's that? Inertia is the amount of force it takes to accelerate or decelerate, and wheels that are built around heavier rims lack the liveliness that many riders crave. Being over a half-a-pound lighter than the other wheels in its aero category, the CLX 64 accelerates, decelerates, and changes direction with less effort.
The rim is not the only component of the CLX 64 that contributes to its aero prowess though—in order to create the fastest wheels, Roval focused on the wheels as a system, not just a rim with “other parts,” and Aero Flange (AF) hubs play a significant role. Designed completely in the Win Tunnel, their AF hubs feature an incredibly small frontal aero, without sacrificing stiffness, making them aerodynamically efficient.
Taking the advantage a step further, these wheels were developed to work in harmony with modern-width 24C tyres. The 21 mm internal rim width spreads the tyre out, in this case to 26C, making it seamlessly meet the rim. Not only does this create a system with low aerodynamic drag, but one that has exceptionally low rolling resistance and inspiring grip in the corners. And to make sure they've checked all of the feature boxes, Roval also made the rim tubeless-ready.
To top off the multitude of performance features of the rim, they chose the highest quality build components to pair the CLX 64 front with. Starting with DT Swiss Aerolite bladed spokes, which test faster than their round counterparts in the Win Tunnel, they hand-lace the 64 rim to their AF hubs that house CeramicSpeed’s legendary bearings.
Features
- Rim Type: Carbon clincher, 2Bliss Ready.
- Rim Material: Carbon.
- Braking Surface: Carbon, 12 mm.
- Rim Depth: 64 mm.
- Rim Width: 20.7 mm internal, 29.9 mm external.
- Spoke Pattern: Radial (front), Radial/Cross 2 (2:1) (rear).
- Spoke Count: 16 (front), 21 (rear).
- Spoke Type: DT Swiss Aerolite T-head.
- Nipple Type: DT Swiss Pro Lock hexagonal.
- Front Hub: Roval AF1, CeramicSpeed bearings, quick-release.
- Assembly Method: Hand-built.
Included
- 2x Roval padded wheelbags.
- 2x Roval steel quick-release.
- Roval tubeless plugs and tubeless valve.
- User guide.
