rsmcc

I'm doing a build and have narrowed down the wheel choice to one of these two, as I like the moderate depth and the warranties on both. Any thoughts or experiences with these for an all around/everyday wheelset? They'll be going on a non-aero road bike, and I mainly do flat-ish rides with a few short climbs here and there.


There is not much info on the AR41s, and what little is out there seems to be mixed. The Roval CLX50s get a lot of praise, and the CL50s share the same rim but with a different hub and spoke combo.

melikebikey35

I would go with the CL50's.

As you said, not a lot of info/reviews on Reynolds, in general, and what there is, is mixed. Roval, on the other hand, are very reputable and produce exceptional wheels. I have a set of CLX50's and cannot find a single fault with them. Great build quality, roll and maintain speed beautifully, are fantastic at climbing, and handle crosswinds very well. I have no doubts that the CL50 would perform similarly.

I also have a set of their lower-tier C38's on my gravel bike, and again, no complaints whatsoever. In fact, they are a lot better than I was expecting, given their price point.

Lrdchaos

I have buddies that ride the Reynolds and I ride the CL50’s. The Reynolds are nice wheels, but the cl50’s are an excellent option. They don’t get blow around much in crosswinds, and they seem to hold speed. I was wanting to purchase the clx50’s but couldn’t justify the price difference. My vote would be for the Roval’s , they are quality wheels, with a great warranty.

Plus if you want to upgrade the performance wn the road you can put the clx ceramicspeed bearings in that wheel.

WhyFi

I don't think that I've ever seen/heard of Reynolds being an unknown quantity. They make great wheels, they have a great warranty and they stick by it (I broke a spoke on my two-year-old Assaults and they completely re-built the wheel, with all new spokes, for free).

Rovals seem to be a great option, too. The only thing that I don't like about them is their distribution - like all things Specialized, it's hard to find them on sale/closeout. Reynolds is easier in this regard.

OUGrad05

I looked at these same wheels last summer. I bought the Reynolds and they've been great so far. Some of the data/reviews that I found at the time had me leaning Reynolds and it's been awhile but aren't the Reynolds slightly wider (external) than the Rovals?

rsmcc

They both appear to be 21 mm internal / 30 mm external width. Glad to hear that you’ve had a good experience on the Reynolds.

LBS is recommending the Reynolds so I may go that route. Brain is saying to go that way too since they are (slightly) cheaper and they’ve got the longer replacement warranty. Heart kind of likes the Rovals though.

Good thing is that the Reynolds have a 30 day trial period, so I can give them a shot.

Lrdchaos

You won’t be disappointed, they are great wheels. I picked up my Roval’s after thanksgiving when they were 25% off so they were very reasonable.

jadocs

I too read the same mixed reviews about Reynolds during my research for my build. I have the AR58's and I can tell you they do NOT flex under my out of saddle load.

WhyFi

Neither do my Assaults, even with my considerable wattage girth.

mhw23

Hi - I am on DT Swiss R470 wheels and I have a couple of questions:
1) Will the Roval C38 be a noticeable upgrade? I like to go fast and also do some small climbs.
2) Is the CL50 worth the extra money over the C38 - will there be a noticeable difference in performance?

Thanks for your help.

rjones28 

Another CL50 rider. I have a couple of seasons on mine. They replaced a nice aluminum set. Nice and stiff. Well-behaved in the wind. Would recommend.