Roval 2020/2021 Road Wheelsets

[pmprego]

https://cyclingtips.com/2021/03/nerd-al ... s-roubaix/

Nice interview with roval people and the question about not being tubeless compatible. To bring back the roval tubeless topic

[refthimos]

The Rapides have been sold out everywhere, even the Specialized website, for a loooong time. While we all know supply chains remain challenged, does anyone know if the lack of availability is due to that or instead Specialized waiting to release the speculated tubeless version (which I think we all agree was the intention of the current version)?

[uppis]

Does anyone know are rapides fastest with 25mm or 28mm tires, haven't found anything offical from Specialized? What sizes and tires are people running? I haven't got my wheels yet, but 25mm sounds little wide considering the profile of the wheels. Also going to run tubes for now.

The front wheel works great with a 25c or 26c (Specialized TC). A 28c likely is hardly a penalty, but they are designed for 26c TCs.
The rearwheel is a different story. It is designed around the 26c also, but they ballon over the rim a little. Aerodynamically, a narrower tire would be faster I guess, but then there is comfort/ confidence and crr... So I guess a 25c/26c is the best compromise here also.

Okay, thanks, 25mm it is then!

[bruno2000]

The Rapides have been sold out everywhere, even the Specialized website, for a loooong time. While we all know supply chains remain challenged, does anyone know if the lack of availability is due to that or instead Specialized waiting to release the speculated tubeless version (which I think we all agree was the intention of the current version)?

If you are in europe, you can easily get them through webshops like Bike24 from Germany or Lordgun from Italy.

[tommyboyo]

The Rapides have been sold out everywhere, even the Specialized website, for a loooong time. While we all know supply chains remain challenged, does anyone know if the lack of availability is due to that or instead Specialized waiting to release the speculated tubeless version (which I think we all agree was the intention of the current version)?

I think they have decided to double down on clinchers now anyway?

[refthimos]

If you are in europe, you can easily get them through webshops like Bike24 from Germany or Lordgun from Italy.

I'm not sure about "easily," as Lord Gun is sold out and if you prefer the black graphics over the white graphics, Bike24 appears to have only one front wheel in stock and no rears. With that said, it doesn't look like these are getting restocked - the Specialized website has shown them as unavailable since at least November as far as I can recall.

[jadedaid]

Bike24 should have wheelsets in stock if you're ok with the white colour way. I ordered a set, will see if/when they arrive.

Good question on whether Roval is coming out with the tubeless version. When I looked into Enve 4.5AR wheels I was told there's a 4 month wait so may just be a general unavailability of parts issue? Would be interesting if anyone has more info on this.

[jimja]

Bike24 should have wheelsets in stock if you're ok with the white colour way. I ordered a set, will see if/when they arrive.

Good question on whether Roval is coming out with the tubeless version. When I looked into Enve 4.5AR wheels I was told there's a 4 month wait so may just be a general unavailability of parts issue? Would be interesting if anyone has more info on this.

If they do come out with the tubeless Rapide, I'm in.

Re: the availability of Enve 4.5 AR, it's currently a rim issue, I believe. I had picked up a front wheel for tubeless compatibility and put in an order at Wheelbuilder for a back wheel. While they accepted my order, they told me that they weren't scheduled to have the rim available for months to build and that if I wanted a build, I needed to get myself into the queue. I imagine other places are also in the same boat. That being said, when I put my Rapides back on, the front 4.5 doesn't have anywhere near the kind of stability of the Rapide. But if the shortages persist, it might be a good time for me to sell my lightly used Enve 5.6 Chris King set!

[aeroisnteverything]

Does anyone know are rapides fastest with 25mm or 28mm tires, haven't found anything offical from Specialized? What sizes and tires are people running? I haven't got my wheels yet, but 25mm sounds little wide considering the profile of the wheels. Also going to run tubes for now.

The front wheel works great with a 25c or 26c (Specialized TC). A 28c likely is hardly a penalty, but they are designed for 26c TCs.
The rearwheel is a different story. It is designed around the 26c also, but they ballon over the rim a little. Aerodynamically, a narrower tire would be faster I guess, but then there is comfort/ confidence and crr... So I guess a 25c/26c is the best compromise here also.

The balooning of the 28s over the rear rim is an illusion. GP5000 28 measures pretty much exactly 28mm when installed. Might go out to 29 after riding. The rear rim width is 30.8mm. It's narrower at the rim-tyre interface though, which gives you that impression of the tyre being wider, but then goes out wider again at about mid point of the rim.

Btw, I don't know why folks are having troubles mounting tyres on these. I just installed the aforementioned Conti clinchers on these by hand, no problem. I did warm up the tyres a bit before hand on the radiator to about room temperature (so they are not refrigerated - it's damn cold in the shed!), and stretched them by hand a bit before mounting, but really nothing special. Tyres come on/off with no undue difficulty, as long as the beads are in the centre channel.

[FlatlandClimber]

Well, usually I try to match tire width to the rim interface, not the maximal width at some point. At least for me it makes sense, that the entire rim/ tire combination works as an aero system, not just the tire and the widest point of the wheel. I ride my Swissside wheels for TT with 23c Contis, although the rim is 32mm at the widest point. At the interface however, the transition is silky smooth.

[aeroisnteverything]

Well, usually I try to match tire width to the rim interface, not the maximal width at some point. At least for me it makes sense, that the entire rim/ tire combination works as an aero system, not just the tire and the widest point of the tire. I ride my Swissside wheels for TT with 23c Contis, although the rim is 32mm at the widest point. At the interface however, the transition is silky smooth.

I guess... Thouhg an alternative theory is that the rim is designed like that for a reason, and if they wanted it to be 30.8mm at the rim-tyre interface, with flat rim sides until the taper at the tip, that could have been easily accomplished.

[jadedaid]

My set came in today, won't get a chance to ride them until next week. Will be trying these with turbo cottons in 26mm. Intrigued to see how they handle the local european roads where the GP5k have been nigh on indestructible.

Weights are with the standard rim tape they shipped with. Little higher than I was hoping for, but seems on par for the course.

Front: 658g
Rear: 762g
Wheelset: 1420g

[jimja]

Honestly it's so hard to get it into the channel. I mean seriously it's brutal.

Stuck the other wheelset on for now and thinking of how to proceed. No way these can be my summer wheel/tyre setup for doing epic rides.

Ryan's tubular switch idea could be a confidence booster, I even have a guy locally here whose been helping me with some tricky bike work so I could get him to do the setup while doing another job I want done too shortly (lower front disc brake mount to 140mm - one screw is a bugger and might round out, spent ages getting other one done, not going through that again).

I think I might have figured out why some of us have been having trouble even getting the first bead on even if you've clearly got the bead in the center channel, whereas others have no problem. It could be the ambient temperature and temperature of the tire rather than your technique.

When I was trying to install in a "cold" 60 degree garage, even with the tire in the center channel I couldn't get the first bead on - not even close. Put the tire aside. Now that it's warmer, and I accidentally left the tire in the sun while I was doing something else, the same tire (but warm) popped on easily by hand using the same center channel technique I've used before.

[Tonytony]

26 or 28mm in front and rear on the rapides? The front wheel is 35mm ext so a 28mm is not a real aero penalty or am I wrong? I'm a little bit worried about the wide front wheel

[BadBoyR]

26 or 28mm in front and rear on the rapides? The front wheel is 35mm ext so a 28mm is not a real aero penalty or am I wrong? I'm a little bit worried about the wide front wheel

Was wondering this, however spesh have recommended 26 as the most efficient for aero. I stuck to 26.


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