ENVE SMS 4.5

The front wheel is 48mm deep and 27mm wide. The rear wheel is 56mm deep and 25.5mm wide.​

Just two days after fellow Utah-based carbon wheel maker Reynolds launched a new all-terrain road disc wheel, ENVE has unveiled the newest addition to its Smart ENVE System product line.

The race-ready SES 4.5 comes in clincher and tubular versions, and features what ENVE claims is a new drag reducing shape, increasing acceleration, cornering control, and impact resistance. ENVE also says it's lighter than other rims of similar geometry.

ENVE SMS 4.5

Spoke counts are 20 front, 24 rear. Both clinchers and tubulars have a molded in braking surface for better braking power, heat management, and modulation.​

Claimed weight for the clincher versions is 1,526 grams when built up with DT Swiss 240 hubs. It's also available with DT Swiss 180 hubs as well as Chris King R45s. Spoke counts are 20 front, 24 rear. Both clinchers and tubulars have a molded in braking surface for better braking power, heat management, and modulation.

Price is $2,950 for clinchers with DT Swiss 240s or $2,750 for similarly built-up tubulars. Cost rises for the DT Swiss 180 and Chris King builds, pusjhing these new hoops toward the same stratosphere as Zipp's 404 Firestrike wheels, which retail for $3,500.

Because air interacts with the front of the bike differently than the back of the bike, says ENVE, the new front wheel is wider and shallower to increase stability. The front wheel is 48mm deep and 27mm wide. The rear wheel is 56mm and 25.5mm wide. This disparity is claimed to reduce drag without adversely affecting the handling properties of the bike.

ENVE SMS 4.5

Because air interacts with the front of the bike differently than the back of the bike, says ENVE, the new front wheel is wider and shallower to increase stability.​

The 4.5 fills the gap in ENVE's current SES line as a mid-depth everyday race wheel and has become the in-house favorite for a one-wheelset quiver since the first prototypes were ridden last summer. It's also the wheelset of choice for Team MTN-Qhubeka-Samsung.

More info at ENVE.com