rower2cyclist

Thanks. I am planning to get the same bike and was wondering about the same wheel upgrade.

guadzilla

My logic went as follows: I am buying the Venge for max speed, not climbing. And at 180lb, I suck at climbing competitively anyway. So might as well get wheels that maximize the Venge's capabilities.

Was undecided between these and Enve 7.8s. In the end, I decided to get the Rovals, figuring the bike is likely designed to perform best with these wheels. And practically speaking, it made no sense to buy it with the CL40s, which I wouldnt then use much. The Rovals came off as better bang for the buck.

Very glad I did. The wheels are super stiff and inspire a lot of confidence on cornering. I read some reviews that said they were gusty on crosswinds - and during Sunday's tri, which had some really steep and fast descents, I did notice a couple of times where they caught the wind at speeds, but it was very minimal and easily manageable.

My other deep section wheels I have owned:
- a pair of Yushin 50mms off a BF group buy 8-9 years ago
- Hed Stinger 6s
- Hed Jet 9/disc on my TT bike

I was worried I would second guess the decision on the wheels (have wanted Enves for a long, long time) but now that I have a couple of rides on them, I dont regret the decision one bit.

Hope it helps.

CarloM

Isn't the current wisdom now that aero trumps weight for all but the steepest climbs? I seem to recall seeing that somewhere, maybe a GCN video. In any case I don't think the 64s are going to make you a worse climber, but it should add a little bit of top-end speed on the flats, all other things being equal (wattage, riding position, etc.).

rower2cyclist

Excellent review thank you and enjoy your new bike.

haggiszero

What is up with that crankset? It looks pretty dated.

colnago62

I would rather have an older power meter, than the newest style crank.

guadzilla

Colnago62 nailed it - it is a Quarq I pulled off my Ridley. It's old but works perfectly and i see no reason to sell it/get a new one. The crank that came with the bike is neatly packed away.

guadzilla

Yeah, that is true, but those numbers are also for people climbing a lot faster than me. I can actually do fairly extended climbs, albeit slowly, as long as i maintain a slow and steady pace, and at those speeds, aero or lack of aero doesnt really matter, as the time is irrelevant.

But the end effect is similar to your point: since this isnt an ultra-light frame, saving 200gm on wheels isnt going to make much of a difference, and the aero benefits on where i can be competitive (flats) is worth far more.

BengalCat

1. Weight is important but nearly as much as it is sold or peddled.

2. As to which bike to go with, do what everyone does eventually, buy the one that you are most emotionally comfortable with. It's what we all do in the long run.

Dean V

Point "1" is true but the same could be said for aero.

CarloM

The truth is any of these bikes above 2-3K is likely more bike than any of us who aren’t competing are likely to fully take advantage of, so buy the one that gives you the best piece of mind and marginal gain for what you like to do.

guadzilla

Yeah, pretty much.

I am not buying the most aero bike because that extra watt saves is gonna male a difference to my pack-fodder ******. I am buying the most aero bike because I want to own one and it motivates me to ride more.

And whoosh whoosh.

Edit - wait. You can't say ass here anymore? Damn.

Edit edit - ok, you say ass but you cant say fat ass as one word. Weird.

Noctilux.95

https://granfondo-cycling.com/best-aero-bike-2019/