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New ENVE SES 3.4 AR updates aerodynamics for wider road tires, disc brakes only

enve ses 34 ar shallow aerodynamic road tubeless carbon disc brake wheels for all road bikes with wider tires
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As tires have grown on road bikes, and more and more of us are moving to disc brakes, the wheels are changing to match. The latest is the ENVE SES 3.4 AR, a revision of the shallowest set in their aero lineup. The design has been re-optimized to match the aerodynamics to wider 28mm to 32mm tires, and built only for disc brake use.

enve ses 34 ar shallow aerodynamic road tubeless carbon disc brake wheels for all road bikes with wider tires

The new rims get a 25mm internal width with a tubeless-ready profile. And, in a rarity for road rims they’ve gone with a hookless bead wall. It also gets some of their anti-pinch flat technology from the M-series mountain bike and G-series gravel bike lines. To take advantage of that, they recommend only using tubeless ready tires, even if you plan on running tubes inside them. Like the other SES wheels, these keep the differentiated front and rear profiles to handle the different air flows happening at each end of the bike. The front wheel is 39mm deep and 31.2mm wide on the outside, and the rear wheel is 43mm tall and 30.5mm wide.

enve ses 34 ar shallow aerodynamic road tubeless carbon disc brake wheels for all road bikes with wider tires

what's the most aerodynamic wheels for wider road bike tires

The chart above shows how it compares to the rest of their SES disc brake line, the new one is in purple and looks to be slightly more aero than the original, non-AR version. But, they say it’s the same weight as the original even though it’s wider.

enve ses 34 ar shallow aerodynamic road tubeless carbon disc brake wheels for all road bikes with wider tires

“A little over three years ago, we stood on the side of the Arenberg Forrest sector of Paris-Roubaix as the new official wheel sponsor of what is now Team Dimension Data, watching our wheelsets be put through the paces in this environment for the first time. During this test session, our conversations turned to aerodynamics and the question of whether we could recover the aero losses of high volume tires with a radical rim shape was raised,” stated VP of Product, Jake Pantone. “Ultimately, the answer was yes, and the SES 4.5 AR was born. It has taken a few years for frame manufacturers to produce the bikes with tire clearances required to accommodate these wheels, but the bikes are here now, and the SES 4.5 AR has become our most popular wheelset in North America.”

The ENVE SES 3.4 AR as standalone rims, or get complete wheelsets built with your choice of ENVE Alloy Disc hubs (1,411g, $2,550), Industry Nine Torch hubs (1,390g, $2,550), or Chris King R45 hubs (1,437g, $3,000). Rim only price is $975.

Learn more at ENVE.com.

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Bill Bob
Bill Bob
4 years ago

“and more and more of us are moving to disc brakes” – more and more of us ride with brakes they don’t really need. For the 100kg rider who rides in the mountains and regulary in the rain it’s ok, but for the rest at least one pound more weight (with cheap bikes its worse) and some watts more drag without any real benefit. The difference in modulation and braking power is by far not that huge, as marketing tries to imply. Last years TdF showed what Pros rode in the mountains, when they still had a choice…

Edward Ng
Edward Ng
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Bob

You do realize the practical difference in cost between replacing disc brake rotors and pads versus replacing rim brake RIMS and pads, right? Because the wear component is vastly different and HIGHLY disadvantageous for rim braking compared to disc brakes.

-Ed

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