ENVE has announced the release of its new AR40 wheelset, the latest addition to the value-focused Foundation line-up. Featuring 40mm-deep and 32.2mm-wide carbon rims, the Foundation AR40 wheelset features hookless rims and is designed to work across road, all-road and gravel bikes. According to the American brand, the Foundation AR40 wheelset borrows from knowledge gleaned during the development of ENVEs pricier wheelsets, and is claimed to be more aerodynamic than Reserves 42|49 wheelset with a 29mm tyre. Priced at 1,800 / $1,500 / 1,649 and claimed to weigh 1,515g, ENVE says it represents the highest quality wheelset on the market at its price. Read more: Best road bike wheels in 2025 | 31 rim and disc brake wheelsets tried and tested ENVE still believes in hookless ENVE pitches its Foundation wheels as 'best in class' for their $1,500 price. ENVE Despite jumping on board the mini-hook rims bandwagon last year, with its SES 4.5 Pro wheelset (as used by Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France and beyond), ENVE says it still believes in hookless rims when optimising for tubeless tyres. Rather than citing potential cost savings, ENVE says using a hookless profile allows the rims critical tolerance at the bead seat diameter to be both consistent and accurate, which helps deliver a safer and more reliable tubeless system. As with other hookless rims, this means the Foundation AR40 wheels are only compatible with tubeless tyres between 27 and 50mm wide, and ENVEs spec sheet notes that riders should only use models listed as Approved/Recommended on its website. The AR40 wheels use a wide, hookless rim optimised for larger road bike tyres and beyond. ENVE Beyond this, ENVE says the AR40 rims use its wide hookless bead technology, which helps reduce the chance of pinch flats from rock strikes, and its patented moulded spoke holes. These are said to create a lighter and stronger rim compared to drilled spoke holes because the carbon fibres remain intact and enable them to withstand higher spoke tensions with reduced risk of failure. The Foundation AR40 wheels are specced with ENVEs own alloy hubs, with steel bearings and an oversized 42mm ratchet drive system. The design prioritises low maintenance and easy serviceability, according to the brand. Optimised for road, but off-road capable Although aero-optimised for road tyres, ENVE says the AR40s are off-road capable. ENVE Although the Foundation AR40 wheelset is optimised for use on road bikes first and foremost, and has been designed around road bike tyres, ENVE says it has been designed to withstand the rigours of riding and racing off-road. In terms of performance, ENVE says it pitted the Foundation AR40 wheels against its own SES 4.5, 4.5 Pro and 6.7 wheels, as well as Reserves 52|63 and 42|49 wheelsets, at the Mercedes-Benz Formula One wind tunnel. ENVE used its own Melee road bike as a test mule. ENVE performed aero testing for the AR40s at the Mercedes-Benz Formula One wind tunnel. ENVE The results show the AR40s are competitive with ENVE's pricier wheelsets. ENVE With a 29mm tyre, the results show the AR40 wheelset outperforms the pricier SES 4.5 Pro wheelset (4,100 / $3,750 / 4,499) at 32kph / 20mph, and is competitive with the deeper-rimmed alternatives. Its fair to say the increased scale on the Y-axis exaggerates the difference significantly, though, given the actual difference appears to be less than 0.5 watts, and no margin of error is quoted for the figures. ENVE's Foundation AR40 wheelset is claimed to perform almost as well as wheelsets costing twice as much. ENVE At 48kph / 30mph, the differences are a little clearer and the 4.5 Pro wheelset pulls ahead by around 2.5 watts. The data shows the AR40 wheelset outperforms the Reserve 42|49 (1,599 with DT Swiss 350 hubs) by a little more than one watt, though. All things considered, then, these are small margins, but its encouraging that the AR40s ought to offer competitive aero performance even when compared to options costing significantly more.