Rapide CLX II Team Edition

[spartan]

the clx1 and 2 were optimized for 25/26mm tires. same with dura ace/dtswiss/bontrager.
the clx3 i believe will be a new design for 28/30mm tires. carbon spokes are coming cheaper/lighter/stiffer than high priced dtswiss aerolight 2 spokes.

[FlatlandClimber]

In the video about the team version, they said that there was no notable penalty in going to 30s on the Roval CLX.
As aforementioned, my CLX 1's tested less than 2 watts slower than a 100mm wheel in my own wind tunnel testing at silverstone.
At some point, they will release something new, and with everyone's desire for novelty (for the sake of novelty), change a bunch of things. However, I feel like there is really little room to actually improve. For me this wheel is perfect for where I live (flat and windy) as well as in the alps or Tenerife.

[FlatlandClimber]

Something arrived in the mail today and the weight is spot on:



The unboxing experience is also pretty great. Can't wait to lace these up and take a 'em on a spin.

[Torbjorn]

I wonder why they come with white decals only. If they had the black ones I would probably have sold my CLX IIs and pulled the trigger on these. Have fun with them!

[FlatlandClimber]

I wonder why they come with white decals only. If they had the black ones I would probably have sold my CLX IIs and pulled the trigger on these. Have fun with them!

I know this is a stupid argument, but Spesh would probably say: "It's the team edition so you get exactly what the team is riding."
And if I were specialized, I'd have my team riding white decals for best visibility as well.

[spdntrxi]

historically white decals have been used for Roval wheels by the pros.. I remember getting "team" CLX50 and 64 and the decals where white.

[parajba]

Yeah I would also buy them if they were black

[justuswander24]

White Decal is a no go + for the price you could get a Climbing, an Aero and a Gravel Wheelset directly from Xiamen with more responsive customer service and all lighter

[FlatlandClimber]

Yeah, and for the the price of a Rolex you can get 10 Apple Watches. And for the price of 10 Apple Watches you get 100 Chinese smart watches.
But I don't want 100 Chinese smart watches.

[Alex222]

You can never have too many Chinese smart watches

[justuswander24]

you are paying mostly for marketing.
Your analogies are inadequate because there would be a larger quality difference between a chinese smartwatch vs. a rolex compared to a Roval Wheelset vs a Farsports, LB, etc. wheelset (which often come from the same factory).
+ all watches have the same purpose vs different wheelsets for different applications/bikes

[Ytse]

White Decal is a no go + for the price you could get a Climbing, an Aero and a Gravel Wheelset directly from Xiamen with more responsive customer service and all lighter

Can you share your customer service experience? This is exactly what keeps me from buying Chinese stuff - should anything go south, I could wait weeks if not months for a replacement part to arrive from China, and shipping faulty parts back is also a nightmare in terms of price and paperwor. Meanwhile I'm sure my LBS will do anything to keep me rolling if the Rapides fail and they will probably even lend me a wheelset while I'm waiting for a replacement, which will arrive from the EU warehouse in days. (I live in EU)

[justuswander24]

@Itse

I only dealt with BTLOS and wheelsfar and they always replied within 24 hours - never needed an replacement though.
I once tried to get in contact with TREK - was impossible. Read the same about Specialized/Roval many times.
Responsiveness means quickness to reply, shipping is another issue that is not in hands of the wheelbuilder, as is paperwork - that is your government.
+ some CN companies do have EU Warehouses

[Jaisen]

@Itse

I only dealt with BTLOS and wheelsfar and they always replied within 24 hours - never needed an replacement though.
I once tried to get in contact with TREK - was impossible. Read the same about Specialized/Roval many times.
Responsiveness means quickness to reply, shipping is another issue that is not in hands of the wheelbuilder, as is paperwork - that is your government.
+ some CN companies do have EU Warehouses

When my Specialized Power saddle developed a creak I went to the LBS. The rep made a note in his system to process it for warranty and said he needed to wait for Specialized's reply. The next day I got a call the warranty was approved and he was instructed to take a saddle out of his inventory on the wall and give it me. I asked if I could upgrade to the S-Works and he said yes I just had to pay the difference.

That is the single best warranty experience I have ever had. Similarly when I had a problem with my Garmin Neo 2T, I logged on to the online chat on their webpage, they sent me a replacement trainer with expedited shipping (I had to put a deposit). Next day I had the replacement trainer already and sent my defective one back and my deposit was returned.

How many Asian brands are offering that level of warranty and customer service? I have Farsports wheels, they are great, but anything to do with warranty would be a long process.

[pdlpsher1]

White Decal is a no go + for the price you could get a Climbing, an Aero and a Gravel Wheelset directly from Xiamen with more responsive customer service and all lighter

Can you share your customer service experience? This is exactly what keeps me from buying Chinese stuff - should anything go south, I could wait weeks if not months for a replacement part to arrive from China, and shipping faulty parts back is also a nightmare in terms of price and paperwor. Meanwhile I'm sure my LBS will do anything to keep me rolling if the Rapides fail and they will probably even lend me a wheelset while I'm waiting for a replacement, which will arrive from the EU warehouse in days. (I live in EU)

The secret to buying Chinese wheelsets is to not skimp on the hubs. If built properly the rims and spokes won't have any issues. I have several sets of wheels from LB and all of them have DT Swiss hubs. The wheels came well built, with each bladed spoke aligned perfectly. The wheels never needed any truing. DT Swiss hubs are just about the most perfect hubs, balancing performance vs. durability.