Carbon wheels are getting more and more affordable. But, to get to those lower price points, many manufacturers cut corners or offshore production to factories overseas. When ENVE decided to enter the “affordable” carbon road wheelset market, they made a decision to stick to their guns and build everything in-house in their state-of-the-art facility in Ogden, Utah. With that, ENVE is proud to introduce their all-new Foundation Collection, which consists of two road wheels (45/65) and a single AM30 mountain bike wheelset.
Since it is 2020, the entire road Foundation Collection is tubeless-first and disc-only. The entire lineup also includes a full, 5-year warranty with lifetime incident protection. The rims are all built using similar (but unique) shapes as their SES wheels, and are carefully crafted using less expensive, high-performance materials that are still lightweight and worthy of the ENVE name. Best of all, the entire lineup hits the shelves at $1600. Not pocket change, but certainly in the more affordable range and outstanding for US-made wheelsets.
ENVE 45/65 Features:
- Simplified carbon layup compared to SES range
- 45 and 65mm rim depths
- 21mm internal width
- Hookless bead is only compatible with road tubeless
- Can run with tubes, if needed
- Aero optimized for 25/28c tires (can run wider, but aren’t as aero)
- Internal molded spoke holes (not drilled)
- Sapim CX Sprint bladed spokes
- ENVE Foundation Road Alloy hubs
- Center lock rotor attachment
- Made in the USA
- Available with Shimano, Campagnolo and XDR drivers
- MSRP: $1600
Available now at your local ENVE dealer or direct from ENVE’s online shop. All photos courtesy of ENVE.
More Info: Visit ENVE.com
2 Comments
Choosing btw the Foundation 45 and Bontrager Aeolous Pro 51 to pair with a Trek Domane for primarily endurance riding on rolling hills, wondering if you have any thoughts on tradeoffs between the two or if you have a strong recommendation. Have enjoyed reading your reviews!
It has taken awhile for ENVE to get ahead of the demand for their Foundation wheelsets. I’ve yet to ride a set, but they do still stand up against the competition. Two things are different between the two: bead and inner widths. A hookless bead tends to behave like it has more inner width and delivers a slightly-fuller tire. At 21mm for the Foundation wheels and 23mm for the Aeolus Pro 51, they may end up being very similar. The hooked bead does reduce the headaches of tire compatibility, but most modern tubeless tires work with hooked or hookless designs.
In general, the hookless designs should also be more durable to impacts, so that’s another consideration. I’d expect them to roll similarly and behave similarly in crosswinds. That said, the Aeolus Pro 51 remains a great option for me across a variety of road and gravel bikes. They are mounted up and ready for gravel right now.
Comfort is another consideration and I’d expect them to be similar in that regard, but it’s hard to say for sure. In short, both are great options and I still really enjoy the Pro 51’s, if that means anything.