Two all-new and much wider carbon FFWD Drift wheelsets dramatically reshape the brand’s top gravel bike offerings for improved aerodynamics and off-road capabilities. Now available as either the lighter 36mm deep Drift Control or faster 48mm deep Drift Pace, both share the same hookless 28mm internal, new blunt-nosed aero rim shape, and two affordable build levels with either FFWD or premium DT Swiss hubs.
2025 FFWD Drift 36 & 48mm deep aero carbon gravel wheels
FFWD first launched their gravel-specific Drift carbon wheels five years ago, when gravel was still finding its ethos, racers were on 40mm tires, and adventure racing was still pretty niche. But in that time, gravel riding has blown up, and those previous wheels deserved a reboot to match the faster, sometimes rougher, and more adventurous way people ride gravel bikes these days. So, FFWD went back to the drawing board to create a more modern Drift wheel family – wider, more aero, more comfortable, and lighter, too!
So, what’s new?
Wider, more aero, and both 36 & 48mm depth options!
Unsurprisingly in the hunt for free speed, the all-new blunt U-shape LAW Tech rim section of the new Drifts is much more akin to FFWD’s Ryot aero road wheels as opposed to the original VU-shaped Drifts. But these new hookless gravel wheels grow 16% wider to 28mm internal as a better match to the wider 45 & 50mm tire often ridden today, while still fitting a minimum 38mm wide tire for riders looking for a lighter, faster setup.
Plus, now there are two rim depth options, so you can pick a more forgiving and lighter ride, or a more aerodynamic and reactive ride.
The original 36mm depth carries over as the Drift Control. Now wider but still built with tough aero Sapim spokes & durable brass nipples, the new 36mm deep wheelset 135g lighter than before, now coming in at just 1380g for the lightest setup.
But now FFWD also adds a deeper 48mm Drift Pace for gravel racers looking to eke out more aero gains. Again, wider and built tough, even the deeper wheelset are still 65g lighter than the old 36mm deep version.
Tech details
- 38mm deep Drift Control rim with max 35mm external width
- 48mm deep Drift Pace rim with max 36mm external width
- blunt LAW tech aero carbon rim profiles
- 28mm internal hookless tubeless rims
- laced 2:1 with stainless spokes & brass nipples
- 24 bladed Sapim CX Ray & CX Sprint spokes (front & rear)
- available with DT Swiss 240 EXP or FFWD N/Gage (both ratchet hubs)
- rated for 38-60mm tires
claimed wheelset weights
- 1380g Drift Control 36 DT240 wheelset (625g front, 755g rear)
- 1460g Drift Control 36 N/Gage wheelset (690g front, 840g rear)
- 1450g Drift Pace 48 DT240 wheelset (665g front, 785g rear)
- 1530g Drift Pace 48 N/Gage wheelset (690g front, 840g rear)
FFWD Drift gravel wheels – Pricing, options & availability
The new FFWD Drift carbon gravel wheels go on sale today, with the first sets shipping direct to consumers in the next weeks. Pricing is the same whether you opt for the 36mm deep Drift Control or the 48mm deep Drift Pace, but there are two spec versions.
Most affordable are the 1500€ Drift gravel wheels built up on FFWD’s own Gage 2:1 hubs. Or upgrade to performance benchmark DT Swiss 240 Ratchet EXP hubs for 1800€ per pair.
All wheelsets are available with Campagnolo N3W, Shimano HG, Microspline, or SRAM XDR freehub bodies. They get sparkly silver graphics and come pre-taped for tubeless, with alloy tubeless valves, and include a padded wheelbag. Get yours now, direct from FFWD.
