other than price and a few grams what is the difference between these wheelsets?
https://rovalcomponents.com/collections/mountain-wheels/products/control-sl-29-2017
Er, 24/24 vs 24/28 apart from that not a lot? although IANAE
Oh, and one cost as much as my last hardtail, and one cost more!
roval control sl
$1900
1330 g
25mm internal
54 engagement
podium srd
$2000
1287 g
23mm internal
72 engagement
m525
$2800
1350 g
25mm internal
54 engagement
i think @Jonathan mentioned anything over 54 engagement is unnecessary. not sure if the extra $ for chris king on the enves does anything?
struggling to see a lot of differences between these wheels.
Warranty is a pretty significant difference. Enve offers a much better warranty that even covers damage from impact while riding. That was enough for me to go with Enve.
In my experience, Roval Carbon wheels use fewer, lighter gauge spokes, and tend to have more issues with spoke breakage and rim cracking than ENVE rims. My experience was at a shop that sold both ENVE and Roval rims, but this was a few years ago so that may not be as true today.
ENVE uses internal nipples, which is a pain when you have to true them (you have to take the tire and tubeless tape off) while the Rovals and the Podium SRDs have external nipples for easy adjustment.
I don’t have any personal experience with Podium SRD wheels, but it is worth noting that they have a lower weight limit than the other two (190 lbs).
ENVE now has a 5 year, no questions asked warranty, which would be a major consideration for me since I consider carbon wheels a long term investment and often carry them from bike.
The other factor to consider is the price, but I’m sure you’re well aware that the ENVEs are quite a bit more expensive than the other two.
Podium SRD Review:
https://singletrackworld.com/2018/09/review-stans-podium-srd-wheelset-weighs-less-than-1300g/
ENVE 525 Review:
Roval SL Review:
Hope this helps!
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To add to this conversation, the Roval wheelset uses straight-pull spokes, which while they eliminate a failure point (no bends) are actually a PITA to tighten, making the wheelset harder to true and repair. If the spoke threads are coated with spoke prep, they’ll “lock up” (similar to locktite), and when you turn the spoke nipple, the whole spoke will twist all the way to where it seats into the hub.
That said, the Stan’s and ENVE wheelset both use bladed “aero” spokes, which require you to use a tool to hold the spokes in place while tightening the nipples, since otherwise they will twist.
From a maintenance/repair perspective, the Stan’s wheelset would be the easiest to work with because it uses J-bend spokes, and the ENVE uses internal nipples as @bryce mentioned.
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Thanks to @Bryce and @larry for their views. I had been eyeing the Stans Podium SRD for quite some time and with it being bonus payout time of year, figured I would get a nice pair of wheels soon. I had been considering the Crest CB7 as well, but the singletrack review has sold me on the Podium. I’ve already got a pair of Arch MK3’s for my Jet-9 and those are good for the super chunky terrain I normally ride, but are a bit heavy for racing. I think switching from the current wheel/tire combo I have over to the podium/aspen combo I plan to use for most racing will drop almost 800 grams of rotational weight. I am almost thinking of trying a quick power/speed test on my rollers to see if there is a power difference (but I realize that would be mostly due to tire choice). I think the main difference in lighter wheels/tires is the more responsiveness and vibrational damping of carbon compared to alloy.
Can I ask a question at the risk of hijacking the thread since this group here seems to REALLY understand MTB wheels? (Apologies in advance . . . please delete this post if this is horrible form)
I am a noob mountain biker when it comes to gear – and I’m trying to decide between the HUNT 30 Wide Int Trail wheels and the HUNT 25 Wide Int XC wheels.
My question is simple – what am I giving up (if anything) by going with 25 wide vs 30? This is an entry level upgrade – so not interested in much else other than getting all 'rounders that can handle flowtrack and occasional XC racing. I’ll be strapping these to a BMC Agonist 02
Thanks again, wise mountain goats, and apologies for the interruption…
I would stick with the 25’s. The 30’s are for bigger terrain than what you’re talking about and desire bigger tires.
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The ENVE M525’s dropped in price with a change from DT240 to I9 Hydra hubs.
I have M525’s and they have been really solid. Super easy to get tubeless tires to seat up. The design is also supposed to help reduce pinch flats. So far I haven’t had any.
Hey there!
I have a two sets of carbon wheels, one at 29mm and the other at 24mm, so I have some experience here.
With the wheels you are comparing, we’re talking about a 176g difference between the two. With any decision, there are gooing to be Pros and Cons.
Pros for 25mm:
- Light Weight
How it makes you faster:
- By reducing rotational mass, it allows for quicker accelerations due to the lower mass of the rims. This ultimately reduces your energy spent on the race course. Also, lighter wheels “feel” faster, which is a nice psychological benefit.
Pros for 30mm:
- The wider rim allows for better tire support
- The increased tire volume of a wider rim help improve traction/ ride quality
How it makes you faster:
-
In rough terrain, wider rims result in higher tire volume which can help smooth out bumpy surfaces. This can help to improve ride quality and increase traction. When you improve ride quality, less impact is transferred and you can spin more smoothly and waste less energy. When you improve traction, climbing steep slippery hills become easier, and you can carry more speed through corners.
-
The additional tire support also helps improve your descending confidence by increasing tire support. This allows you to run lower pressures without tire squirm, which further improves traction and ride quality. This is especially important if you run tires wider than 2.2.
Recommendations:
25mm:
- XC Racer first
- On an XC type bike (~100-120mm of suspension)
- < 2.3in tires
30mm:
- Ride in rough/rocky/technical terrain
- Ride a trail bike ( > 120mm of travel)
- 2.3in tires or larger
- Technical riding is a race limiter
Hope this helps!
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I doubt you’ll be able to quantify this on the rollers since the main improvement with reduced weight is improved acceleration performance. Riding along at a steady state, the only difference between the two will be the drag from the tires.
That being said, I guarantee you will feel an 800g weight reduction on the trail. That’s hugeee 
Your responsiveness will certainly increase due to the reduced rotational mass, but I’d be interested to hear if you can sense the vibration damping. I’ve always thought that my aluminum rims rode much smoother/more damped than my carbon due to their reduced stiffness.
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You’re the man, Bryce! Thanks 
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Yeah, I’m not that inclined to try it, since there could also be a small circumference difference with a smaller tire and I don’t feel like trying to measure. I was already saying that any real speed differences will be from the tire tread/rolling resistance.
As far as damping… IMO I haven’t gotten to do much side-by-side with carbon to alloy wheels, but I know for other parts, the feel of carbon is why I love it as a material. The singletrack review specifically talked about the damping, but not compared to alloy, but to other carbon wheelsets.
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BTW, Stans podium SRD wheelset does not use bladed spokes.
So finally got my wheels all set up, cassette on and brake rotors installed. Tires set up and sealant in there.
Weight of stock wheel/tire combo from my 3 star Jet-9 RDO (Arch MK3, with 2.4 Ardent in front, and 2.35 ikon in rear both of them EXO sidewalls) without axles is 9.8 lbs (includes cassette and brake rotors, 180 front, and 160 rear).
Weight of Podium SRD wheels, same rotors, same cassette (which as the XT 11-46 is considerably heavier than the SRAM alternative by about 100g) but with 2.25 aspens with EXO sidewalls. 7 lbs
Almost exactly the advertised weight differences as advertised (advertised weight difference of 800 grams, or 1.764 lb). Can’t wait to get them on the dirt… we had about an inch of rain on Friday night and are still dealing with aftermaths of that system that came through.
Has anyone had a chance to ride the new Roval Control SL’s? I’m pretty astonished with the 1240g wheelset weight with 29mm internal. I’m at a tossup going with the Control SL or the Enve M630.
I’ve heard mixed reviews. Of the people I’ve spoken to, most prefer the Enve.
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