Roval has announced the release of new wheels Rapide CLX II and Alpinist CLX II.

According to Roval, according to statistics from procyclingstats.com, the previous generation of Rapide and Alpinist wheels have won more World Tour races than any other wheels. Now, Roval says it has made them faster and, perhaps more importantly, better real-world wheels. Not everyone is a World Tour pro, so ultimate performance is important, but they claim that this update brings features for the everyday rider. Only time (and testing) will tell if it deserves to be on the best road bike wheels list.

The story of this new generation actually begins with the final testing of the previous model. Like many wheel brands, Loval gives its development wheels to professional riders for final testing. What is unusual in the case of Loval is that one of the riders at the time was Peter Sagan (Bora Hansgrohe).

Sagan has a reputation for subjecting equipment to unique and unplanned tests. In this case, he bunny-hopped a roundabout at speed, missed his landing, and crashed into the curb. when the Roval team analyzed the Alpinist CLX, it was not the cracked carbon that concerned them. It was that the tires had come off. All wheels break given the right circumstances, but if the rider can keep upright, the wheel should support a safe stop. The wheel passed or exceeded all certification agency standards, including the UCI's 40-joule drop test, but still failed.

This situation forced Roval to make a decision. How was the right way to handle this failure, so late in the development cycle, with the racing season and consumer releases looming? According to the brand, Bora Hansgrohe wanted to race the new wheels, but how could they be sure they were safe? By placing a tube inside the tire, the release of pressure can be moderately controlled. By mandating the use of tubes in tubeless systems, the team could be more confident in their product. However, safety first.

After two years of development, Loval's team solved this challenge. Not only did they create a safer wheel system, and as mentioned, the new wheels claim to be faster; the Rapide CLX II and Alpinist CLX II are the specific result of years of research into the ways in which tubeless systems can fail It is the culmination of this work. It was the catalyst for Roval to propose new standards and tests for the industry as a whole.

What this means for consumers is that Rapide CLX II and Alpinist CLX II wheels are now fully (and safely) tubeless compatible. By bringing two different wheel options to market that retain hooked beads and are compatible with many great tubeless road tires, the team is confident in the strength of their products. That confidence means that they "back you up with a lifetime warranty and an amazing no-fault crash replacement policy." The warranty was in place in the previous generation and continues to reduce barriers in situations where riders are uncertain. Roval wants riders to be safe on the wheel without having to worry about replacement costs.

This is Roval's answer to the need for a lightweight, climbing-specific wheel. The Alpinist CLX II is a bare wheelset with no tape or valves and a system weight of 1,250 g. The rim dimensions remain the aerodynamically advantageous 33 mm deep and 21 mm inside diameter. The beads are hook-type, offering a wide range of tire options, a maximum air pressure of 110 psi, and a weight limit of 125 kg/275 lb. Roval also changed the rim O.D. dimensions in the bead channel, increasing the bead slack by 1.4 mm for easier installation.

Changes can also be seen in the hubs. The current wheel's nominal weight was 1,248g, but the new hub is 50g lighter, thanks to a low-profile hub body and machined rotor mount. The internals continue to be DT Swiss EXP, with bearings made of SINC ceramic.

The Rapide CLX II is the flip side of the Alpinist, an all-around aero option. Like Alpinist, much of what Rapide CLX II brings to market is similar to the previous generation. In other words, the front wheels are 51mm deep/35mm wide/21mm inside diameter, while the rear wheels are a familiar 60mm deep/30mm wide/21mm inside diameter. The hubs continue to be aero optimized with DT Swiss internals and Sinc ceramic bearings, and the weight limit remains unchanged at 125 kg/275 lbs. The only changes are the use of tubeless ready and an increase in wheelset weight to 1,505g.

Alpinist CLX II

Rapide CLX II