Specialized has been running an all-new, mega light-weight cross-county wheelset right under our noses. For 2024, the Specialized Factory Team was a winning mobile test lab, experimenting with new XC rim shapes, carbon/titanium spokes, and updated hub designs. As a result, the new Roval Control World Cup Wheels were designed directly with the Specialized Factory Racing Team athletes and the design team.
Working cooperatively to get the wheelset as light as possible without sacrificing durability and handling, the new feather-weight wheels tip the scales at a scant 992g/pair with valves and tape. Specialized sees it as redefining what’s possible for a production, race-ready mountain bike wheelset.
The new Roval Control World Cup Wheels are just one part of the Specialized cross-country speed update. The wheels needed new treads to be properly sent into the 2025 XCO battle. Meet the updated and tweaked XC tires from Specialized: The Air Trak and Fast Trak.
There is a lot to unpack here, so let’s start with the Roval Control World Cup Wheels.
Roval Control World Cup Wheels
Didn’t Specialized release a crazy light XC wheelset last year? Yes, it was called the Control SL Team Edition and it seems they used that wheel as a proving ground for the carbon spoke addition to the Roval Control line. The main differences would be the rim and hubset. The Roval SL Team Edition used the same Roval rim as others in the XC line; this new wheelset is another layup and design altogether.
How did they Save the Weight? The new design reduces weight by over 250g compared to previous models. Every gram was analyzed and optimized, leading to a 44g-lighter rim shape that still meets off-road durability and ride quality standards.
Specialized went all-in on carbon spokes, and the results speak for themselves. Carbon spokes with titanium fittings are 1.7g lighter and 63% stronger than steel (weighing about 3g per spoke, including nipple), chopping a massive 101.6g while boosting overall strength and longevity. After nine months of testing, spoke reinforcement, ply overlaps, and fiber angles were all fine-tuned, eliminating 18 plies and shedding another 36g.
How’s the Durability?
Light and “World Cup race ready” don’t scream longevity to the average consumer. But the Specialized Factory Racing Team ran the entire 2024 season design without a single broken rim.
A key design feature is a 4mm-wide rim wall and hookless design that minimizes pinch flats, distributing impact forces across the rim for increased resilience. Optimized torsional stiffness allows the rim to flex with the terrain, keeping control high and fatigue low—something we’ve seen on rims like the new ENVE MTB line and Reserve wheels.
Updated Hubs and Spokes
Specialized says the new Roval LF hub (swapped out from the DT-240 straight-pulled design) and carbon spokes went through 25 iterations, all to dial in the perfect balance of acceleration, braking precision, and overall smoothness.
The hub internals are DT 180 equipped with ceramic SINC bearings. The notable difference is the new hubs are slightly more sculpted and use a center lock disc rather than a 6-bolt design like the previous.
Roval Control World Cup Wheels – Technical Details
- Rim outer width: 36mm
- Rim inner width: 29mm
- Rim height: 26mm
- Hubs: Roval LF, DT-180 Internals, with SINC Ceramic bearings
- Spoke material: Carbon/Titanium
- Price: $1,300 (front), $1,700 (rear), $3,000 (pair)
- Availability: Now
- Weights: 446g (front) 546g (rear), totaling 992g
Talk Tires to Me – Specialized: Air Trak & Fast Trak XC Tires
Specialized says its 2025 XC tire lineup is the fastest, lightest, and most durable they’ve ever created. They narrowed the scope of their cross-county offerings slightly and looked to get as efficient as possible. To Specialized, a lean line means two tires, two treads, available in two casing designs to suit your cross-country needs.
Specialized Air Trak – Maximum Speed
The Air Trak is a fast-looking tire. Its tread takes the fast-rolling tread cluster from the Renegade it replaces. It boasts a dual GRIPTON T5/T7 compound and Flex Lite casing. This tire is built to be the fastest off the line and through the turns on hardpack tracks. The updated tread design has strategically placed, and sized knobs shave 60g compared to the Renegade, which weighs in just 575g.
But if the trails and races you frequent aren’t ski resort clean or super fast clay, don’t worry. The Air Trak comes available in two casing options;
- Flex Lite: The ultimate lightweight XC casing for minimal weight and max speed.
- Grid Lite: The same supple ride but with added protection against pinch flats and sidewall cuts, with additional weight.
Specialized Air Trak Details:
- Terrain: Hardpack
- Casing: 60TPI Flex Lite
- Compound: GRIPTON T5 center strip, GRIPTON T7 shoulders
- Type: Tubeless
- Size Available: 29 x 2.35
- Weight: 605g
- Price: $65.00
Specialized Fast Trak: The Do-It-All XC Weapon
The Fast Trak is standard when the course has varied terrain. Think wet roots, rocks, some damp sections—or you just want that extra push in corns. This tire offers control, speed, and lightweight performance. It’s a personal favorite of mine, and I’m excited to see this update. Specialized says it’s been refined to deliver the most well-rounded, high-performance XC tire you can ride, but we’ll judge that later.
In the meantime, here are the updated tech details. The design team updated the tread slightly with Block-In-Block outer knobs for better predictable handling in mixed conditions. The compact center knobs have a GRIPTON T5 center strip to lower rolling resistance without sacrificing grip. It arrives in both Flex Lite or Grid Lite casings and 2.25″ and 2.35″ sizes.
- Terrain: Mixed XC Terrain
- Compound: GRIPTON T5 center strip, GRIPTON T7 shoulders
- Casing: 60TPI Flex Lite or Grid Lite with sidewall protection
- Compound: GRIPTON® T5/T7
- Type: Tubeless
- Size & Weight: 29×2.2 Flex Lite – 605g, 29×2.35 Flex Lite – 615g, 29×2.2 Grid Lite – 676g, 29×2.35 Grid Lite – 690g
- Price: $65
First Impressions: Roval Control World Cup Wheels and Updated XC tires
The Roval Control World Cup Wheels arrived in a box similar to the Team Edition wheels but in a slightly less grand package.
The wheels arrive with a premium bag (each wheel arrives with its own bag), replacement spokes (each 304mm), and nipples in case of trail mishaps. They also come with Roval Control stickers to keep you fresh for the press and in different colorways to match your ride.
Unlike the Team Edition wheels, the Control World Cup Wheels do not arrive with replacement bearings, an alternative freehub body, or fun extra gear. To compare, the Team Edition wheels are $3,300 for the set, and the Control World Cup Wheels are $3,000.
What About Weight
The weight of the Control World Cup Wheels is startling, even for someone who regularly sees high-end bike gear. These are definitely the lightest 29″ wheels that I’ve tested, and they live up to the weight hype.
The Control World Cup Wheels weighed in at 992g on our scales, including rim tape and valves.
Setup
I went with my personal favorite race setup with the new Specialized: Fast Trak in the front, Renegade… I mean Air Trak in the rear. The tires mounted easily, and I could feel a slight difference in the casing while mounting. Compared to the previous model, the 2025 version feels more pliable and slightly softer to the touch.
Ride Impressions – Roval Control World Cup Wheels
The weather in Pittsburgh has been…crap. So our trails haven’t been very usable, but I was lucky to sneak in a couple of rides, and they were enough to get a glimpse into what the Roval Control World Cup Wheels are all about.
My initial ride was to the trails and back, which gave me some nice road time and trail time. First off, the Roval Control World Cup Wheels felt excellent and balanced on the road, and the tires rolled very efficiently. The new tires have a nice round shape, no flattop over exposed side knobs. They felt perfectly paired with the Control World Cup Wheels, as they should. I inflated them to 18/19 PSI to start my journey and felt confident that this pressure would be OK for most of the riding.
On the Bike
My route to the trailhead is lumpy, riddled with quick climbs that come out of the blue. On these climbs, I could feel the springiness of the Control World Cup Wheels. The lightness adds another dimension to climbing (at least to me). They spin up fast and hold the speed over the terrain, like a nice mid-depth (30mm) road wheel.
On the trails, everything clicked. The tires and the wheels (the fact that I haven’t been on the trails that much this season) all felt great. The first impression was, “These are light,” and then, “These are fast.” Of course, the first impression is the weight, but the second is the tires. The trails were frozen, with some ice and ruts. I could hook up on the trail and rumble over the ruts without feeling squirmy.
I mounted the Fast Trak on the front and the Air Trak on the rear, and it was the right move for the conditions. The Fast Trak could dig into the trail confidently when diving downhill, and the Air Trak had enough bite to claw up the frozen single track.
The weight of the wheels transfers to the overall feeling of the bike—the hopping, the wheeling over obstacles, the small vibration damping—everything. But what do you expect from a $3,000 World Cup race-level wheelset?
I’m still feeling out of the Control World Cup Wheelset and the Fast/Air Trak combo, but I’m excited. The wheels will be a true asset to the race and performance-focused riders.
What about the price? Well, it’s about $3/gram for the Control World Cup Wheels at $3,000 per set. Their closest production (big box) competitor is the Bontrager RSL (1200g) at $2,700 and the DT Swiss XRC 1200 (1,300g) at $2,900 for the set.
Stay Tuned
We plan on testing these this season with lots of racing (my hip willing), and we’ll report back soon. Until then, we can confidently say these wheels are light, fast, and expensive. But it could be worth it if you’re on a quest for a Stars and Stripes jersey or to build the ultimate XC race rig.
