Enve today announced the launch of two “Adventure / Gravel” wheel sets in its Foundation family of medium-sized carbon wheels. The new AG25 and AG28 carbon wheelsets are manufactured in Utah and feature the same technologies found on the brand’s top G23 and G27 wheelsets. The Foundation collection was first launched last year with the 45 and 65 wheel sets and the AM30 MTB wheel set, and serves as a lower price point option for Enve customers.
In designing the AG wheel range, Enve focused on the ongoing evolution of gravel riding and the increasingly vague line between where gravel ends and mountain biking begins. With that in mind, Enve says it has created the AG Series to offer durability and performance for everything from gravel racing to bike packages.
The AG25 is a 700c option with a 25 mm internal rim width, 33.5 mm external width and a 21 mm rim height. The AG28 offers a size of 650b, with the same 21 mm rim height, but wider 28 mm internal and 33.5 mm external rim widths for use with higher volume tires. Both wheelsets weigh 1,460 g with an SRAM XDR driver or 1,480 g with a Shimano freewheel body.
The AG25 fields have a proposed band of 32-50 mm, with Enve recommending a tire in the range of 36-50 mm. The AG28 requires a wider tire with the recommendation 47-57 mm (2.25 “) and a minimum of 45 mm.
The new rims feature Enve’s patent pending wide hookless bead, with a wide surface at the edge of the rim. Enve claims it offers a better pinch of flat protection than more typical shapes, as it spreads the impact over a wider area.
The AG fields also contain Enve’s cast spoke and valve stem holes, which according to Enve provide a lighter and stronger edge, as conventional drilling cuts through so much fiber. These spoke holes are then filled with external nipples, which means repairs should be quick and easy.
Both wheel sets have 24 spokes at the front and rear of Industry Nine’s 1/1 hubs. Although the Industry Nine 1/1 hubs are not apart on these wheels, it is interesting because Enve has developed its own hub for the Foundation series. Enve says the 1/1 hubs will only ship on initial orders, and eventually its own Foundation road hub will find the new wheels.
“Due to higher than expected demand for Foundation Roads 45 and 65, and delays associated with COVID-19, the Enve Alloy Foundation Road Hub will not be available initially,” the brand says. “All initial shipments of AG25 and AG28 will be on Industry Nine 1/1 hubs.”
The Industry Nine hubs will add 48-68 g to the weight of the rear wheel, compared to Enve’s own Shimano and XDR compatible hubs.
The AG wheel range provides Enve’s five-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, along with the company’s lifelong incident protection program, which protects owners from damage to their wheels while riding, crashing or transporting their bicycles.
The Foundation Collection AG25 and AG28 gravel wheel sets are now available, at US $ 1,600 / AU $ 2,999 / £ 1,850 / € 1,800.
Visit www.enve.com for more information.