Gear News

Roval launch CLX 50 wheelset – designed to offer low weight, aero performance and confident handling

Mid-depth carbon wheelset is also tubeless-compatible, with rim and disc brake versions available

Roval, the wheel brand owned by Specialized, have introduced the CLX 50 – a mid-depth, carbon fibre wheelset said to balance low weight, aerodynamics and confident handling. The CLX 50 is available in both rim and disc brake versions, and costs £1,700.

The CLX 50 joins the deep-section CLX 64 and low-profile CLX 32 in the Roval range, with a rim depth, as the name suggests, of 50mm. All three wheelsets share a 20.7mm internal rim width, so they’re suitably on-trend and should be an ideal partner to a 25mm or 28mm tyre. The hoops are tubeless-compatible, too.

The Roval CLX 50 wheelset is available in rim and disc brake versions (Pic: Specialized)

Roval describe the CLX 50 as ‘the ultimate balance’, offering low weight not far off the CLX 32, launched along with the new Specialized Roubaix back in September, and aerodynamic performance not far short of the CLX 64 – described by Roval as ‘the fastest road race wheelset in the world’.

Claimed weight for the CLX 50 is 1,375 in rim brake format, 1,415g for the disc brake wheelset and 1,235g for the tubular version. The extra weight in the disc brake wheelset comes in the hub, as Specialized say the rim is 20g lighter than the rim brake version, as well as being stronger, owing to not having to worry about a brake track and the extra force applied to that part of the wheel.

Roval describe the CLX 50 as ‘the ultimate balance’ (Pic: Specialized)

As for the CLX 32, that comes in at 1,280g/1,375g/1,175g for the rim/disc/tubular wheelsets, while the CLX 64 weighs a claimed 1,545g/1,615g/1,460g, again in rim/disc/tubular formats.

Availability for the CLX 50 is slated for mid-February for the disc wheels, while the rim brake hoops are available now. The wheels can also be bought singularly: £700 for the front wheel and £1,000 for the rear wheel.

Website: Specialized