Roval CLX50 Rim Brake, SH Freehub Wheels

Description

Excellent condition, low mileage!!!

The CLX 50’s shape follows the conventions of modern aero rim design, a blunt leading edge mirrors the tire’s shape to provide a more balanced feel when dealing with crosswinds. When I mounted a 25mm Vittoria Corsa clincher these measured up at 27.5mm once inflated and provided a smooth, rounded shape, which ran beautifully on the road.

Braking, so often the thorn in the side of carbon rims, is decent, with the slightly textured brake track offering decent bite.

Despite my concerns, the minimal spoking, especially at the rear, didn’t manifest in any undue flex or brake rub when sprinting.

The wheels perform very well in crosswinds, with just the occasional pressure-push on the front when you ride past a gate opening and the wind pressure jumps. Their light weight makes these a good climbing companion, and you could drop further weight by running them tubeless.

Braking, so often the thorn in the side of carbon rims, is decent, with the slightly textured brake track offering decent bite, and enough feel in the dry. I only experienced tell-tale noise at the end of a long, twisty technical descent, which meant a build up of heat, but that was when riding in hot Californian sunshine. In the wet they can’t quite match Zipp’s latest brake surface or ENVE’s crosshatch textured track.

Would I shell out for the CLXs over their rivals? They are significantly cheaper, and lighter, than the ENVEs, and a little lighter than the almost identically priced 303s, but don’t quite match the braking performance in the wet.