beatlebee 

My Enve 1.65 rear wheel needs servicing or possible replacement. It is an older cross-sectional profile. I am wondering if replacement with a wider, more modern shape will improve tire profile with my concern being ride comfort and handling. The difference in aero is so small in my mind, esp. being on the rear that it is not much of a consideration.

Ttoc6

It might make getting the base tape centered a bit easier.

beatlebee 

Thanks, I don't really have any problems gluing up. I rode my tubeless rear wheel today that has wide internal and it felt much more planting descending than the old enve. hmm...

Dave Mayer

Look at the width of your tubular tire backing strip. Any rim wider than this does nothing in terms of improving the tire bond.

Tubulars and clinchers sit on very different rims: tubulars being far superior in terms of weight and strength. Plus they don't have two sharp hooks pointing groundwards that are the cause of 90% of the clincher flats I've received: snakebites.

If you're riding tubulars, you can probably skip the entire current wide rim fad. The reason for clincher rims getting wider is because riders want the ability to ride at lower inflation pressures for comfort without the risk of pinch flats. And let's be frank: the entire population, even cyclists, are getting fatter. So clincher tires with larger air volumes need wider rims.

Since tubulars don't get pinch flats, the whole wide rim development thing is irrelevant, another reason why tubulars are superior; all things being equal, fatter tires and rims are heavier and less aero.

28+mm tubulars bond just fine to old-school narrow tubular rims. Perhaps there is some advantage to wider tubular rims in terms of warp-speed cornering stability, but you'd need to talk to someone with an advanced physics degree (not a bike industry sales drone) to get a better perspective.

beatlebee 

Coming back to answer my own thread. I went ahead and replaced the classic Enve 1.65 with a Bontrager Aeolus 50 mm wheel. After several rides, including mtn. descents where the old Enve was not extremely inspiring, I definitely am more confident on the Aeolus wider rims. Not that it concerns most here I imagine, as who still would be riding such an old style rim as the Enve. Anyway, glad I made the switch.