When Roval set out to create the CLX 50 Disc, they had clear goals in mind—create wheels that are 45 to 55mm deep, 2Bliss Ready, aerodynamically optimized, ultra-wide, and around 1400 grams. This meant that they’d have to borrow some weight savings techniques that they developed for the CLX 32, while taking aero guidance from the CLX 64, if Roval were going to create what we like to call “the unicorn wheel.” They implemented every lightweight trick in the book without sacrificing anything to durability. And from there, they performed a variety of studies on different wheel depths, deciding that meeting their strict weight and stiffness targets would be a big gamble with something too deep, which is where 50mm was born. After the depth was determined, Roval jumped headlong into Computational Fluid Dynamics computer modelling to arrive at various rim shapes that could make the CLX 50 as fast as possible. It took a while, but they narrowed the rim shape down to three contenders that were then CNC machined into rims, built into wheels, and put into their wind tunnel. In the tunnel, Roval tested every wheel, ours and the competition’s, with a 24C (measuring ~26mm wide) S-Works Turbo tyre inflated to 100 PSI, as tyres can drastically affect performance. Testing wheels by themselves, not on a bike, is often seen as malpractice, but in their years of experience, the numbers show that the deltas between bike and wheel, and wheel alone, to be consistent. After finding the most optimised rim shape that supported their svelte weight requirements, Roval opted to lace the rims to their Aero Flange (AF) hub with DT Swiss 240 internals, which features the legendary Ceramic Speed bearings and a 12x142mm thru-axle, via 21 DT Swiss Aerolite spokes. Now it was time for final testing validation. The result? A 50mm-deep, 1415-gram wheelset that’s not only ~100 grams lighter than the competition’s similar depth disc wheel, but is also measurably faster in every conceivable test than every wheel in its category.
- Rim Type: Carbon clincher, tubeless-ready
- Rim Material: Carbon
- Braking Surface: Disc brake only
- Rim Depth: 50mm
- Rim Width: 20.7mm internal, 29.4mm external
- Spoke Pattern: Two-cross/Radial (2:1)
- Spoke Count: 21
- Spoke Type: DT Swiss Aerolite T-head
- Nipple Type: DT Swiss Pro Lock hexagonal
- Front Hub: Roval AFD1, Centerlock, CeramicSpeed bearings, QR or 12mm thru-axle end cap
- Assembly Method: Hand-built
- Extras: Roval padded wheelbag, Roval steel QR, Roval tubeless plugs and tubeless valve,12mm thru-axle & QR end caps
- Weight: 645g
