Rapide CLX II vs LB WR50 vs Prime Primavera

[voicycle]

So yesterday I spotted the Roval Rapide CLX II's in a Black Friday sale for 37% off RRP and pulled the trigger because there were only two sets in stock. I'd always wanted something like them but would never have been willing to spend £2300-2500 (I don't think I've seen them discounted here in the UK before). This discount and the weak pound means they're about the same cost as top Chinese rims on DT240 hubs once you get done with VAT, import duty, etc.

I also bought the new Prime Primavera 56 wheels at 20% off RRP. These were just released and seem like an incredible new offering - have found a couple of positive comments from development teams but no real world experience from owners yet. They don't have staggered rim depths and the front rim isn't quite as wide as the Rapide externally, but at 23c they're wider internally than the Rovals. No DT internals but they've adopted a nearly identical ratchet system. They are also (still) less than half the cost. https://primebikecomponents.com/collect ... -wheelset#

(At least) one wheelset is getting returned before my credit card bill comes due. Anyone have real world experiences to share with me before then (I can unbox but don't think I can test either)? How much better are top tier wheels than a rung down the ladder (the premium offerings from budget brands)? Can anyone make a direct comparison between the Rapides and any wheels I already own (listed below)?

Cheers!




MORE INFO:
(For those that want more details)

New wheelset will be to replace my v1.0 Prime Black Edition 50 disc wheelset. 1600g+, 19c internal, 27.5mm external, and 25mm GP5000TLs measure about 26mm. They were my first carbon aero wheels and I had no complaints but also nothing to compare to. Now they feel a bit dated and I'm ready to upgrade them. These are the go-fast wheels for best days, fast riding and racing on good roads, crits, etc.

For more comfort I got a set of Light Bicycle WR50s on DT240s which I run with 28mm GP5000TLs that measure 31mm and still follow 105%. Basically aero audax wheels. I love these so much that I avoid using the existing Primes now. They handle much better in the wind and of course that tyre volume is super plush. But they also don't feel quite as snappy and I'm sure that their width means something built around a 25mm tyre would probably be a better race wheelset. Part of me wonders though if this is all in my head and actually I'd be happiest just sticking with this one wheelset and sending BOTH of my impulse buys back for refund.

I now own all the tools to service DT hubs (my gravel wheels are WR45/DT240 so I was thinking I'd start building a bit of a DT fleet).

Rapides were my original 'ideal' but given the cost and lack of discounts, I had been looking at Scribe Elan 60, Lun Hyper D67, Farsports Wave 55/60 (a Princeton knockoff), LightBicycle AR565 (slightly more original take on Princeton), and sort-of-but-not-really Zipp 404FC. The Scribes might actually be a halfway price point between the two sets I've got coming, but all the others would end up so close in cost to what I just spent on the Rovals that they aren't really even worth considering anymore IMO.

[timmerrr]

Based on the spec and weight, I'm pretty sure the new Prime wheels are just re-branded LB AR56s. Same internal and external widths, as well as the same weight as if they were AR56s speced with DT 240s... That being said. I love the AR56, have 2 sets and would never pay for a wheelset like the Rapide CLX unless it came on a fully built bike.

[garbageman]

Based on the spec and weight, I'm pretty sure the new Prime wheels are just re-branded LB AR56s. Same internal and external widths, as well as the same weight as if they were AR56s speced with DT 240s... That being said. I love the AR56, have 2 sets and would never pay for a wheelset like the Rapide CLX unless it came on a fully built bike.

I don't think the Prime 56s are AR56s despite similar specs. The profile of the rim looks wider at the spoke holes and more blunt/truncated. There's a render of the rim profiles in this bikerumor "article": https://bikerumor.com/prime-primavera-u ... om-wiggle/ . Prime also claims to use a Kevlar layer for extra strength.

voicycle, it would be great if you could weigh the Prime 56s when they arrive. A bikeradar review of the Primavera 32s weighed them +164g vs claimed weight.

[voicycle]

I just came back to the computer after doing exactly that and found your request garbageman! (Thanks Wiggle+ delivery )

Significantly over spec at 743/885g for 1628g total. They're pre-taped but that's without valves. Disappointing to say the least.

And yes, they are very similar spec to AR56, making that a really good reference point, but Primavera have a much squarer cross section compared to the AR56's teardrop shape. Also worth noting that the next depth down is 44mm from Prime and 46mm from LB, so it does seem like at a minimum Prime have had some bespoke alterations to the moulds done. They've made a big deal about doing their own aero testing/modeling, and in terms of carbon wheels they're at about the age that the likes of Hunt started making their own shapes too, so a custom profile does seem likely.

[voicycle]

So clearly the Primes are going back to wiggle.

However, after seeing LightBicycle's Black Friday sale they might be back on the table. The AR565 the way I'd want it prices up at £1050 including the tax-prepaid shipping option. That's over £500 less than the Rovals and is even a bit less than the Scribes. Assuming tax-prepaid actually means no-extra-cost then that makes the LBs pretty tempting again (I did this shipping option on my WR50s but I genuinely can't remember if I still got hit with an import charge or not).

Farsports doesn't have quite as much of a deal on, but it still makes a difference. No tax-prepaid shipping option though so not sure how close I'd end up to the cost of the Rovals in the end.

Anyone got recent UK import fees experience? Or thoughts on LB/Farsports/Scribe vs £500 extra for Roval?

Thanks!

[Aeo]

Tax prepaid is tax prepaid. The wheels enter the European market somehow, someway and then come to you with a standard courier like GLS or UPS. They leave them at your doorstep unceremoniously.

[jadedaid]

The Rapides are phenomenal wheels. If I could get a set for 37% off RRP I'd buy another pair immediately and wouldn't even entertain LBs. I have a pair of OG CLX and CL wheels, and the CLX are the best wheels I've ever ridden.

[aeroisnteverything]

I have both the rapides (1st gen, so the non-tubeless version), and LB 565, built with DT Swiss 180s with flyweight hubs. Performance-wise, I cannot really tell the difference. I tend to run Conti 25s on the LB wheels and 28s on the Rapides based on how they fit vs rim width, so that is one in favor of Rovals. Weight is the same. Rapides CLX II is of course, heavier. Stability in cross winds is a non-issue for either wheelset. Visually, the LB wheels are far and away more eye catching with a much better near-glossy finish.

There is one downside to LB wheels, and it's not a small one IMO. As a tubeless wheel, Rapides keep the tyres in the "locked" position far, far better when fully deflated. On LB wheels the tyre lock is a bit too small so the tyre can slide into the centre channel (Roval CLX 50s were like that too). This is not great - if it happens, you might not be able to seat the tyre back with roadside repair tools (CO2 has a better chance of working, and a small hand pump has zero chance), Also not as safe.

Rovals are truly excellent as tubeless wheels, so if money is not a huge factor, I would go for them, despite the slightly higher weight over LB.

[saracen888]

+1 for the Roval Rapide CLX ii

Two weeks on them so far (thanks Black Friday mega discount) and they've been superb. Fast, stable and light. Plus they look the business.