New ENVE AG Gravel Wheels add dirt road designs to affordable Foundation Series

Building on their original high end G-series gravel wheels, the new ENVE AG25 and AG28 wheels join their more affordable Foundation Series. Still made in the USA, they’re designed to work for everything from racing to bikepacking.

“Since the introduction of the G Series line two and a half years ago, we’ve been enjoying the benefits of purpose-built gravel wheels on our local Utah roads and trails, and at events such as Unbound Gravel, Rebecca’s Private Idaho, Crusher in the Tushar, and the Belgian Waffle Ride,” says ENVE Marketing Manager, Neil Shirley.

“What those wheels have delivered to the gravel rider is a more capable wheel with pinch-flat protection, vertical compliance, and low weight. Bringing those design elements to the AG25 and AG28 is exciting knowing more gravel riders, bike packers, and adventurers will be able to experience a higher level of confidence in their wheels.”

What’s different about the new AG wheels?

A few things separate ENVE’s AG-series from the G-series gravel wheels. First, it’s the carbon fiber layup. The AG wheels are designed to handle bigger loads and impacts, making them tougher for backcountry adventures. After all, if you’re going to head out in the wild, self-supported, you don’t want to worry about rim failures.

But, ENVE says they’re also more compliant, offering good ride quality. So, tough, but not rough.

Second, they have a wider rim profile, allowing for proper mounting and retention of wider gravel tires. They’ll fit up to 700×50 and 650b x 50 tires, but they’ll still fit narrower tires, too:

Two models are offered, the 700c AG25 and 650b AG28, both with 21mm deep rims.

The 700c AG25 rims have a 25mm internal width and come in at 1,460g for the pair. Compare that to the G23 with 23mm internal width, a deeper 25mm profile, and 1,300g weight. Max recommended tire size is 700×50.

The 650b AG28 rims have a 28mm internal width and weigh 1,460g, versus the G27’s 27mm internal width, 25mm depth, and 1,275g weight. Max recommended tire size is 650b x 57 (2.25″).

They’re also shaped differently

Compared to the G-series wheels, the AG-series uses a less-rounded, much shallower profile. Fortunately for us, the shallower profile also means better vibration absorption and improved compliance.

Despite the depth difference, the G23 rim is just 329g, which remains ENVE’s lightest tubeless-ready carbon rim. The AG25 rim comes in at a claimed 360g, and the 650B G28 rim is 372g.

ENVE says they tested lighter layups, but that testers preferred these slightly heavier versions because they soaked up the bumps better…and that their data acquisition sensors confirmed the final AG25 layup was the best of the test bunch at absorbing and damping vibration.

Both AG and G series wheels use ENVE’s molded spoke holes, so there are no drilled holes in the rims to interrupt the carbon fibers. Buuuut, the G-series uses internal nipples, where the AG-series uses more consumer-friendly external nipples.

And those rims use ENVE’s Wide Hookless Bead, which provides a broader outer edge to minimize the risk of pinch flats and tire/rim damage during impacts. This lets you run lower tubeless tire pressures for better traction, efficiency and comfort without worrying about flatting.

Lastly, they get ENVE’s Foundation Road Hubs, which have the same internals as their high end premium hubs, but with simpler external hub shells. And they switch to standard steel bearings versus stainless.

The wheels will eventually be built with ENVE’s AF hubs, however due to industry supply issues, the first batches will ship with Industry Nine 1/1 hubs. Both are built with 24/24 count Sapim CX Sprint spokes, and both use Centerlock rotor mounts. Choose from Shimano 11-speed or SRAM XDR freehub bodies.

Retail price is $1,600 US ($2,999 AUD / $2,300 CAD / £1,850 / €1,800), available now direct and through bike shops. For comparison, their G-series wheels are $2,550 per pair, which are built with lighter CX Ray spokes and the premium hubs.

Want more ENVE for your other bikes?

The Foundation series started with their AM30 mountain bike wheels, then expanded to include 45/65 aero road wheels, too. And if you want to blow the budget, check out their tire inflation station. Just curious about gravel wheels in general? They answered reader questions about them, too.

Learn more at ENVE.com

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