CyclistRoval extends its deep front/shallow rear rim design to gravel with the new Terra Aero CLX wheelsetRoval has launched two new gravel wheelsets. The Terra Aero CLX transports the deeper front/shallower rear design seen in Rovals Rapide III road wheels to gravel, while the Terra CLX III is its lightest ever gravel wheelset at 1,079g.It says that its new wheels are designed to provide aero efficiency and terrain compliance at the faster speeds now seen in elite gravel races. It targets the Terra Aero CLX at gravel riders looking for maximum aero gains in exposed conditions, while the Terra CLX III is designed to offer compliance and low weight for climbing and technical descents.Truncated aerofoil shapesThe Terra Aero CLX wheelset has a 1,340g claimed weight. The 640g front wheel has a 50mm depth, while the 700g rear is 45mm deep. When it launched the Rapide III road wheelset, Roval claimed that, since the majority of the aero gains from a deeper wheel occur at the front, the deeper front/shallower rear design reaped most of the available aero gains, while reducing the wheelsets weight and rotating mass.Rather than the smoothly curved profile normally seen on the best gravel bike wheels, the new Terra Aero CLX front wheel has a truncated, cut-off profile. Roval claims its new design is up to 5.84 watts faster than its previous generation Terra CLX II wheelset at 40km/h with a Specialized Tracer 45 tyre fitted. It reports the largest gains at 5 to 12 degree yaw angles, which it says are typical in gravel races.The truncated shape is claimed by Roval to have the aero characteristics of a 70mm deep front wheel. Its simulations took into account the need for stable handling at lower speeds when fitted with wider and hence taller tyres with a tread and in gustier winds than road tyres. It also modelled the whole bike, using a Specialized Crux, not just the wheel, before taking prototypes to Specializeds own wind tunnel for testing.As with its premium road wheels, Roval has switched from steel to Arris carbon spokes to reduce weight by a claimed 96.6g and increase wheel stiffness. It says that the thinner spoke profile than steel spokes also contributes between 0.3 and 0.5 watts of aero benefits.The rim width has increased too, with a 27mm internal, 38.5mm external width thats suitable for gravel tyres from 35mm to 60mm wide. Roval claims that the wider rim helps smooth the tyre-to-rim interface and avoid flow separation.Another technology ported over from Rovals road wheels is its FlatStop bead hooks, which help avoid pinch flats. Theyre 5.38mm wide and, Roval claims, require 91% more impact energy than the older Terra II wheels to induce a pinch flat.The Roval Terra Aero CLX wheels are priced at 1,299 / 1,499 front and 1,699 / 1,999 rear. Related Posts Best gravel bike wheels 2026 Best gravel race bikes 2026 reviewed The best gravel bikes 2026 reviewed Best gravel bike tyres 2026 and how to choose the right ones Terra CLX III has low weight and increased complianceThe Terra CLX III wheelset, meanwhile, has a 1,079g claimed weight with valves and tape and a 27mm depth front and rear.Roval says its its lightest gravel wheelset ever.It says its actually reduced the wheels lateral stiffness by 22% for increased compliance, better control on awkward surfaces and reduced rider fatigue, although the wheels use the same composite spokes as the Aero wheels.The FlatStop bead hook is a little narrower than for the Aero wheels at 4.86mm and, while the internal width is the same 27mm, the outer width is 38mm.The Roval Terra CLX III wheels are priced at 1,149 / 1,299 front and 1,599 / 1,899 rear.The post Roval extends its deep front/shallow rear rim design to gravel with the new Terra Aero CLX wheelset appeared first on Cyclist.

Tom Pidcock continued his consistent start to the Volta a Catalunya with third place on Stage 4, gaining small time advantages over both Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard, but the Brit was quick to downplay their significance in the general classification. On a stage reshaped by the removal of it...

Roval has announced two new gravel wheelsets, the Terra Aero CLX and the Terra CLX III. Said to be its most aerodynamic and lightest gravel wheels to date (respectively), Roval claims both wheelsets also help tyres resist punctures better than anything it has made before, thanks to their extra-wide FlatStop bead hooks. The Terra Aero CLX rims use a new 'Chopped Aero Speed Shape' that sees the trailing edge of the rim squared off abruptly. This shape, Specialized says, gives the rims the aerodynamic performance of a 70mm-deep rim, but at a lighter and more manageable rim height of 50mm. Both wheelsets feature wide internal and external rims, optimised for tyres between 35 and 60mm wide, and use bladed carbon spokes to reduce weight and improve aero performance. Chopped Aero Speed Shape Roval has developed a gravel-specific 'Chopped Aero Speed' rim shape for the Terra Aero CLX wheels. Roval The most striking thing about Specializeds new aero gravel wheelset is the rim shape, which it calls the Chopped Aero Speed Shape. While most aero-optimised carbon wheelsets used V- or U-shaped rims, the Terra Aero CLX rims look as if someone has chopped off the lower edge of the rim. It is, Roval says, a gravel-specific rim shape, rather than a road-specific rim shape scaled up for wider gravel tyres. Roval claims this enables the rims to perform like a 'virtual 70mm' rim, in terms of aerodynamic efficiency, while keeping the rim height at 50mm for improved weight and handling. Similar to Rovals Rapide CLX III road wheels, the Terra Aero CLX wheels feature a slightly shallower, 45mm-deep rear rim to save weight. The Terra Aero CLX wheels are aimed at gravel racers. Roval As weve come to expect of aero gravel wheels, Specialized has opted for a greater external rim width of 38.5mm and internal width of 27mm, to optimise for the increasingly wide tyres gravel racers are now using. Although very wide compared to road bike wheelsets, these arent the most extreme dimensions weve seen for an aero gravel wheelset. Zipps 303 XPLR wheels have 54mm-deep rims that measure 32 and 40mm wide, internally and externally (alongside hookless rims), for example. In any case, Specialized claims the Terra Aero CLX wheels offer a 5.84-watt advantage over the 30mm-deep Terra CLX II wheels, when paired with its 45mm Tracer TLR tyres. The extra-wide 'FlatStop' bead hooks are claimed to reduce the likelihood of pinch flats. Roval As with all Roval wheelsets, the rims are hooked and Specialized uses ultra-wide, 5.38mm FlatStop beads, which are claimed to reduce the likelihood of pinch flats. The idea is that the energy of a tyre being squashed against the rim is dissipated over a larger surface area, rather than being concentrated on a small point (which could cause a puncture). The Terra Aero CLX rims are claimed to require 91 per cent more energy than the Terra CLX II wheels to cause a puncture. Built with aero-optimised carbon spokes, the Terra Aero CLX wheels have a claimed weight of 1,340g (with tubeless valves and tape). They cost 1,299 / 1,499 for a front wheel and 1,699 / 1,999 for a rear, totalling 2,998 / 3,458 for the set. Rovals lightest gravel wheels The Terra CLX III wheels focus on low weight and compliance. Roval In contrast to the Terra Aero CLX, the Roval Terra CLX III wheels focus on low weight and compliance. At a claimed weight of only 1,079g with tubeless valves and tape, Roval says they are the lightest gravel wheels in their class, and deliver a 21.52 per cent improvement in lateral compliance, compared to the Terrra CLX IIs. Like the Aero rims, the Terra CLX III rims use a wide shape optimised for 35 to 60mm-wide tyres, with a 38mm external and 27mm internal width. Roval claims the Terra CLX III wheels have a "lightest in class" weight of 1,079g. Roval The rims also use Specializeds FlatStop bead hooks, albeit with a slightly narrower width of 4.9mm. Although the low weight is likely to garner much of the attention here, Roval sees the compliance changes as more significant in improving rider performance. This is because, the brand says, the improved compliance can significantly reduce rider fatigue over long distances, and help riders to maintain control of their bikes over rough surfaces. The Terra CLX III wheels cost 1,149 / 1,299 for the front wheel and 1,599 / 1,899 for the rear, or 2,748 / 3,198 for the set. What next for Specialized gravel bikes? The current Crux eschews aero optimisations in favour of reducing weight, but could the next version change tack? Liam Cahill / Our Media The launch of a full-fat aero gravel wheelset suggests Specialized (Roval's parent brand) may have had a change of heart about what translates into improved performance on gravel at least for elite racers. Specialized's current gravel race bike, the S-Works Crux, launched in 2022 and focused exclusively on keeping weight to a minimum. Gravel racing has evolved rapidly in the years since, however, with average speeds increasing and an interest in aero-optimisations following suit. Zipp already has its radically wide 303 XPLR wheels, while we've seen dedicated aero gravel bikes such as the Factor Ostro Gravel, Ridley Kanzo Fast, Wilier Rave SLR and the 3T Racemax2. With the noted off-road optimiser, Keegan Swenson, having joined the Specialized Off-Road team this season, could an updated, aero-optimised Crux be in the works to support him and the rest of the team? Pictures posted on Instagram by Swenson show him at Specialized's in-house wind tunnel, optimising his setup on the existing Crux, so it certainly seems the American brand is paying closer attention to how aerodynamic drag impacts performance in gravel racing. As always, we'll keep our eyes peeled for any developments.

Dorian Godon maintains race lead after summit finish scrapped

Jonas Vingegaard spent much of Stage 4 of the Volta a Catalunya towards the back of the peloton, with Team Visma | Lease a Bike making a deliberate call to avoid the front on a day that offered little for the general classification contenders. With the original summit finish removed due to strong wi...

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The 2026 Volta a Catalunya takes place from the 23rd to the 29th of March. The Catalan race has been widely regarded as the most important mountain test throughout the spring and is one of the most difficult races outside of the Grand Tours; which often sees many of the best climbers in the world go...

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Mathieu van der Poels Milano-Sanremo crash has introduced a rare question mark ahead of the cobbled Classics, but not everyone is convinced it changes anything at all. Despite the Dutchman being left unable to properly hold his handlebars in the decisive phase of the race, the expectation remains t...