Rolf Prima has officially rolled out their new wheels for 2011, with six new offerings for next season. The line seems to be a summary of the road wheel market lately, sporting deeper rims and fewer spokes, but maintaining Rolf Prima’s signature paired spoke design on all its wheels. The new line includes a super-aero TT wheelset, as well deep dish carbon clinchers and an incredibly light 1105g set of carbon tubulars. See all of Rolf Prima’s new road wheels with details, pricing, and availability after the break.
TT85
Rolf Prima went deep this year with their TT85 wheelset, an 85mm carbon tubular developed with the help of the company’s sponsored athletes. Rolf Prima says their proprietary rim design was engineered for a low spoke count, and the high spoke tensions that go along with it. The wheels use only 10 bladed spokes in front, and 12 bladed spokes on the rear wheel. Both wheels are laced to the company’s top-of-the line TdF 4.4 hubs, which use wide 85mm flanges to stiffen the wheel, and a titanium freehub body to lighten the whole package. The set comes in at 1685 grams for the pair (740g front/945g rear), and is compatible with SRAM, Campy, or Shimano cassettes.
MSRP: $2,199
TdF85
While the TT85 is a time trial specific wheelset, Rolf also rolled out the TdF85, able to handle the rigors of road racing a bit better than its TT counterpart. Rolf Prima added a set of its paired spokes to the front wheel, making five sets, or ten spokes total to make it a bit stiffer and stronger. The addition adds just 10 grams, bringing the total wheelset weight to 1695 grams. The TdF85 uses the same Tdf 4.4 hubs as the TT85, with the exact same price point.
MSRP: $2,199
Carbon TdF58
Rolf Prima’s Tdf58 is a new and improved take on their Tdf58 SL, adding more spokes to accommodate heavier and more powerful riders while maintaining the versatile 58mm rim profile. The new version adds four spokes to each wheel, going from a 12 front/12 rear set up with the SL version to a 16 front/16 rear combination on the new wheels, using bladed spokes all around. Rolf Prima’s TdF 4.4 hubs show up here again with a titanium freehub, bringing the package weight to 1440 grams.
Rolf also introduced a Powertap option with these wheels. The TdF58 rear wheel can be built with either a SL+ or Pro+ hub, straight from the factory. If you want to customize them even more, Rolf Prima says it will be offering custom colored decals for an additional charge.
MSRP: $2,199
Carbon TdF38 SL
While the regular TdF38 has already hit the market, Rolf aims to improve on that design with a lighter and faster SL version for 2011, creating their lightest wheelset offered at a scant 1105 grams. The TdF38 SL has all the same features from its brothers in the TdF line; paired, bladed spokes, TdF 4.4 hubs, and Rolf Prima’s proprietary carbon tubular rim design. The 38mm hubs use just 14 spokes in the front and 16 in the back. While the regular TdF38 wheels use the same number of spokes, Rolf Prima says it saved weight on these using different materials for the spokes, and that is where the weight savings comes from – saving 80 grams over the original TdF38.
The Powertap option is available for these as well, and Rolf will even let you change the decal color for an additional charge.
MSRP: $2,199
58RSC
For racers that want the advantage of deep aero rims without the hassle of gluing tubulars, Rolf Prima introduced the 58RSC, a 58mm carbon/alloy clincher falling right in the middle of Rolf Prima’s wheel line. The wheel strength makes it ideal for heavier riders or rough riding conditions, where wheels can take a lot of abuse. However, this comes at a cost. While the wheels are relatively affordable at $1,549, you’ll pay for the additional strength in weight – the 58RSC is Rolf Prima’s heaviest road wheelset at a beefy 1850 grams.
The 58RSC uses TdF 2.4 hubs, a slightly heavier hubset than they TdF 4.4, using simpler forged construction and an alloy freehub body. The rear hub can be substituted for a Powertap SL+ or Pro+ hub. Unfortunately, decals can’t be customized with this model.
MSRP: $1,549
38RSC
Aside from making carbon clinchers affordable, Rolf Prima is billing their 38RSC as one of the most versatile wheelsets in its class. A 38mm carbon clincher, the 38RSC co-molds its carbon rim with its alloy brake track, designed to handle the weight and pressure from the trademark low count, high tension spokes. At 750 grams in front and 995 grams in the rear, this 1745 gram wheelset would make a great set of training wheels.
The 38RSC rims are laced to the same hubs as its 58RSC brother, using TdF 2.4 hubs, with the option, again, to substitute Powertap SL+ or Pro+ hubs on the rear wheel.
MSRP: $1,549
Rolf Prima has a nice breakdown of all their wheels on their website here, with all the spec’s for each model nicely organized with pictures.
