Description
Enve Foundation 45: Exceptional Value in Cycling Wheels
In a very short number of years, Enve wheels have become the most lust worthy wheel brands in cycling. And for as high quality as the wheels are, even the most expensive are pretty well priced. That’s what makes the Enve Foundation 45 so remarkable; you get so much of what the top of the line wheels offer but at an unbelievably friendly price.
These are all-round wheels that offer lightweight performance and durability with a 45mm rim depth that is aero without being unwieldy. They have been constructed to be useful for just about any road, gravel or cross application since they offer incredible protection from flats in addition to their race-worthy level of performance. They are only tubeless compatible, but you can choose to run an inner tube with your tubeless setup. Though the design also makes installing your tubeless tires tons easier as well.
Committing to the tubeless setup means that they have been able to focus on optimizing the rim’s reaction to hard hits and take the shape away from the traditional narrow hookless bead to make the hookless bead much wider and therefore much more resistant to damage or flats when impacted. Sticking with tubeless also improves rolling resistance since you will be able to fine tune how high or low you need to inflate your tires.
The durability of the rims also benefits from Enve’s molding the spoke and valve stem holes into the rim itself and not just drilling holes after the rim has been layered-up. It’s a process they have even patented. Not having to compromise the strength of the rim through avoiding drilling the holes but rather forming them directly in the production process means that the wheels are more resistant to impacts and are lighter since less material is needed for this stronger structure. That’s a win-win for sure.
Maximizing Stiffness and Maintenance-Free Bearings in the Enve 45
They use the Enve Road Foundation hub which employs Enve’s core hub technologies, like making sure the flange spacing and hub shell geometry are designed to maximize the wheel’s stiffness, especially on the drive side. And the full contact sealed NTN steel bearings will be basically maintenance free to keep you rolling long and far.
The Enve 45 road wheelset comes with 24 spokes front and rear, and has been optimized for 25-28mm tire widths. With a weight of 1541g, these are disc-specific wheels that can keep up with your heavy racing schedule or your bikepacking adventures.
Be sure to check all of our Gravel & CX Bikes and Road Bikes.