Enve SES 3.4 clinchers

[Tbird]

So I walk into my LBS and my mate says "you need to try these wheels man they're the s%^&" I said you must be kidding they're worth a squillion dollars as if I would even think about buying them

Try them out this weekend so I thought what the heck how muc.h better could they be compared to my current Fulcrums so I got them mounted along with their recommended brakes and rode my bike home

Oh My God I'm already trying to work out how I'm going to pay for them and I haven't even taken them to the mountains yet boy am I in trouble.

[__PG__]

LOL - can you be more specific as to why they are so great? What hubs/spoke-count were they?

[Tbird]

Sorry about the late reply here had a wonderful ride with them on Saturday morning through the rolling hills of Melbourne's East (Cadel Country)

The specs are as follows full carbon construction 20/24 spoke count running on DT Swiss 240 hubs 35mm front 45mm rear weight minus tyres/tubes is approx 1400 grams I can tell you my Reacto was 500 grams lighter after mounting these beauties.

First impressions as anyone would attest is the ease off a standing start and the subsequent rolling smoothness once up to speed. I was interested to see how they would cope with rough terrain and was seriously impressed by by their smoothness and ability to soak up the bumps without jarring anywhere near as much as my current Fulcrum 5s

Next was the braking feel and ability as I was curious to see how full carbon rims would behave. Obviously I had Enve's own brake pads mounted and was again impressed by both their feel stopping power even from sustained high speed runs.
One aspect I can't comment on is wet weather ability but overall they worked perfectly.

I am looking forward to trying a a few more brands before making a final decision but have been mightily impressed so far never believed it could make such a big difference to the ride

[usernameforme]

Any Pics? I've always wanted a set of ENVE's but the cost is quite prohibitive... the rims cost more than a Zipp Wheelset

[moreegolfer]

I too am working out how to sell my soul for a set of these babies. And I haven't tried them yet . So much love for them I just gotta have them on my Lysnkey.

[Tbird]

[moreegolfer]

How much Tbird? Velo in Brisvegas have the sharpest price I have seen in Oz.

[moreegolfer]

Oh and

[Tbird]

Alas I didn't purchase them as I couldn't justify paying as much again as my entire bike

Maybe down the track when I decide to do another build which would do them justice so until then I'm looking at some Mavic Ksyrium SLS to tide me over until that happens,

A big thanks to the guys at Cycles Galleria for the opportunity to trial them before anyone else it was a fantastic experience that has shown me just how much great wheels transforms the riding experience into something truly special.

[Richard.L]

What tyres are on your fulcrums??
I have Ultremo ZX with latex tubes - The tubes and tires make all the difference in the world!

[Tbird]

I originally had Vittoria Rubino's when I first purchased the bike but have since been running Conti GP400S with Schwalbe tubes for around 3 months now.

First time on the Ultremos and would probably consider them when I get the Mavics as I did find them excellent tyres you are right about the tyres making a difference and i pretty much run Contis on all my rides so very happy with them but have been disappointed with the Fulcrums from day one jut don't feel right to me.

[Comedian]

Can't wait to hear more about these. I'm doing a build in the new year and these are becoming front runners I'd say.

Did they have any flex? Were they stiff when you were out of the saddle?

What about braking performance?

[Tbird]

I'm not an expert by any means but I found them to be supremely smooth and stiff especially when out of the saddle as I said they're a big step up from my stock wheels (and so is the price) but I would definately try others out there before making a decision eg Mavic SLR Zipps etc but I loved they're anonimity when on the bike to me that i.e no massive callouts or branding.

Having said that if you can afford them don't hesitate they are beutiful wheels and hope to revisit them down the track especially with my next build should then be able to justify the shoes to match the suit

[g-boaf]

So I walk into my LBS and my mate says "you need to try these wheels man they're the s%^&" I said you must be kidding they're worth a squillion dollars as if I would even think about buying them

Try them out this weekend so I thought what the heck how muc.h better could they be compared to my current Fulcrums so I got them mounted along with their recommended brakes and rode my bike home

Oh My God I'm already trying to work out how I'm going to pay for them and I haven't even taken them to the mountains yet boy am I in trouble.

Mate, this is a very dangerous slippery slope! Once you've gone to those kinds of wheels, you'll hate using anything else. And they make a bike look damn tough!

[Tbird]

Not as tough as when they're on something a little more deserving watch this space

[Tbird]

2012 BH Ultralight
Shimano Dura Ace group set
Enve 3.4 wheel set (ordered Chris King but using demo DT 240)
Enve bars , stem and seat post
Oval R900 brake calipers
Prologo Nack Carbon saddle
Look Keo blade pedals
Arundel Mandible cages
Schwalbe Utremo ZX tyres
6.6 kgs

[gassyndrome]

That is a beauty. Ride it in good health,

[Tbird]

Thanks for the kind words.

I owe a massive thanks to all the guys at Cycles Galleria in Melb whom without their time, expertise and patience this would would not have happened.

I am truly humbled by the whole experience it truly has been an amazing week culminating in this mornings ride which was INCREDIBLE the bike was flawless in every sense I look forward to many kms on my dream bike.

[MarkG]

Enve rock.. lucky man!

[sambo3]

Hey Tbird stunning looking bike, I really like how its not overdone with decals.
Keeping it mostly all black just makes it look stealthy fast.

What size frame is that and did you have the frame/fork weighed before the build?

cheers
Sambo

[Tbird]

Thanks for the compliment I too never really liked my 907 as it just had too many decals especially coming from my GT Zaskar 29er which has ghosted markings on raw carbon.

The size is a large with a 57 seat tube it fits me perfectly more so than the Merida which I had to shorten the stem to 90 mm because of the top tube size compared to the BH I'm 1.86 tall and currently weigh 87kgs.

As for the weight No I didn't weigh them but I can tell you I could hold up the raw frame with my pinky so i would say the 750 odd gram spec would be spot on this bike feels VERY light even after the complete build so much so most people say it feels lighter.

I think that's to do with the balance of he bike when you lift it its pretty much 50/50 front to back something ghats very important to look at if you build to this level.

[toppity]

you've come a long way from the first post in this thread. Love the setup. Totally jealous of you.

[pawnii]

Sorry to hijack but I thought you might be interested.
This is what happened to my 45 clinchers coming down Mt Baw Baw in 35degree heat last weekend.
Yes I cooked them within the first 2kms with a set of SwissStops. Hopefully they're covered under the 5yr warranty.
Funny thing is that i didn't have a blow out. Both tubes and tyres are fine.

[toolonglegs]

Bejeezus

[toppity]

I'm localish to Baw Baw (never ridden it though) and we were talking just before this event about not just the ride up, but the ride down. Most of us agreed to ride down was going to be hard. The top 6 km's are very steep and I'm not surprised this happened to someone. Not good that the rim failed, but at least it remained together. Hope you stayed upright and safe. Hope you get some warranty.