Rapide CLX 40

These are full carbon clinchers with ceramic bearings. The best part? Only $2,200! Just arrived at the Home of the Big House!

 

As many of you know, Santa Fe Trails stocks several kinds of advanced wheel-sets.  Mark Anderson, our Specialized Representative allowed me to test-ride the Roval Rapide CLX 40 full carbon clincher.  Okay, I might have had several test-rides.  

 

My first one came during the massive snow storm we had at the end of February.  The Spring Fling Criterium Course had been cleared of snow and the pavement was dry.  I was struck by how smooth the wheels were.  The bearings are ceramic and I could certainly feel that they were perfect.  I also noticed that the wider rims allowed me better traction and cornering.  The real impact came at each of the sprints.  With these wheels I found it relatively easy to move to the front of the pack and compete for the sprint, not once, but three times in the first race and again in the second.  These wheels garnered me the best results I have had at this race series in years.  Naturally, I was not in a hurry to return them.  I raced with them again last weekend.  

 

As we began the race rain was coming down hard.  The roads were slick and you could hear a sound of cars passing; only it was the bikes swishing water in the wheel ruts of the road.  My thoughts were primarily to stay upright.  I noticed our speeds were 23 mph or higher.  One rider attacked early, in the first mile.  We let him go and never saw him again.  As the race took it's penultimate turn, the wind and rain went straight in our face.  The hills seemed to be concentrated on this part of the course.  Our peleton picked up the intensity and what had been an amorphous group turned into a straight line.  We made the final turn and the attack happened.  Two riders went up the road.  They got a 100 meter gap.  I jumped across.  I easily caught the two man break away.  We had a very good gap on the rest of the field.  The rain came down hard.  I hit a crater of a pot hole and flattened both my tires.  Two things to note - the wheels were stable in the storm.  They were fast on the acceleration.  They preserved my energy for the key moment.  They are super tough.  Not a scratch on either wheel!  

 

These wheels sell at Santa Fe Trails for $2200 which includes wheel bag, and brake pads.  I must note the brake pads also work on aluminum wheels.  The wheels also come with a limited lifetime warranty.

 

View the Brendan's Video on High Speed Wheels  

 

 

 

 

 

The Rapide CLX 40 full carbon clincher creates the perfect all-around race wheelset. The aerodynamic optimized rim shape slices through the wind, while preserving the confi dent stable handling of a box section rim. A wide internal and external rim provides a better tire profi le for incredibly precise handling and stiffness. At a weight of 1,396g its still light enough to climb the tallest of mountains. Rapide CLX 40 – FASTER EVERY WHERE

>	Rim Profile: Aero
>	Rim Material: carbon fiber
>	Rim Construction: molded
>	Braking Surface: carbon fiber
>	Brake Track Height: 9mm
>	Rim Depth: 40mm
>	Rim Width: 16.2mm, internal; 23mm, external
>	Front Spoke Pattern: radial
>	Rear Spoke Pattern: radial/2-cross (2:1)
>	Spoke Count: 18 front, 24 rear
>	Spoke Type: DT Revolution, butted, straight pull
>	Nipple Type: DT spherical alloy
>	Front Hub: Roval, sealed ceramic cartridge, carbon/alloy shell
>	Rear Hub: Roval, wCNC machined alloy body, sealed ceramic cartridge, DT Swiss 240 internals and ratchet system cassette
>	QR: Roval Cr-Mo
>	Assembly Method: hand-built
>	Total Wheelset Weight: 1,396g