New Roval Rapide & Alpinist CLX II & CL II Tubeless Wheels

Two years after the release of the Rapide and Alpinist wheels – high-end wheels that were a great success with both amateurs and professionals – Roval is launching advanced versions of its two best-sellers, which can now accommodate tubeless tires.

Source: CP*

Since the launch of the Roval Rapide and Alpinist, no wheel can boast of having won as many legendary races among professionals. To be exact, during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the Rapide and Alpinist won 155 World Tour events. Classics, cobbles, Tour stages, mytagnes, sprints, not to mention the world championships; Roval wheels are the most victorious in the world.

Rapide II and Alpinist II: Tubeless-Ready

For 2022, the Rapide II and Alpinist II are now Tubeless compatible. With undeniable performance and track record, these two pairs of wheels now benefit from low rolling resistance, uncontesteasy handling and of course the puncture protection that is typical of a mountain bike.tagand tubeless.

Rapide II CLX: absolute speed

The new Rapide CLX II combines the aerodynamics of high-profile time trial wheels with the featherweight of low-profile wheels designed for climbing. The Rapide CLX II combines the unmatched efficiency and handling of Tubeless to achieve absolute speed in all riding conditions. The Rapide CLX II improves aerodynamic efficiency and climbing performance while remaining perfectly stable and safe, whatever the wind strength.

The Rapide CLX is actually two wheels in one, each optimized for the unique aerodynamic challenges of its positioning. Up front is a 51mm deep rim with a 35mm external width, and out back is a 60mm deep rim with a 30mm external width. The result is a tubeless wheelset that's faster than most 65mm wheels, but 25% more stable than the old CLX50 in strong winds.

Speed is nothing without the stability to enjoy it. That's where the Rapide's unique front wheel dimensions come in: 51mm high and 35mm wide. The brand created this shape using the same optimization algorithm that developed the library FreeFoil from Specialized. The team developed a computer model that takes into account the rider and their reaction times. It is the first algorithm that assumes that the cyclist is not just a passenger.

The brand knows, thanks to extensive studies on automotive and aeronautical reaction times, that it is wind gusts between 0,5 and 2,0 seconds that cyclists have the most difficulty with. Indeed, on the bike you can’t react to wind gusts shorter than 0,5 seconds; they’re too short. A rider reacts to gusts between 0,5 and 2,0 seconds, but with a delay, after the gust has ended. This causes an over-correction that must be corrected again, which is why strong crosswinds are so difficult to handle on the bike. So Roval asked its algorithm to optimize for stability in the 0,5 to 2,0 second time window. Below that range, it’s too fast and you can’t react quickly enough to overcompensate. Above that range, you can easily adapt and compensate for the lateral force of a crosswind. For days, the algorithm mutated randomly, virtually eliminating the worst-performing shapes and iterating on the best-performing profiles.

The resulting Rapide shape is the best combination of drag reduction and stability thanks to this work on the rider's reaction window. There are no limits in terms of assembling layers, shapes, textures for this rim. Artificial intelligence does not take into account the wishes of the marketing team to sell a wheel. It solved the problem by creating the shape of the rim.

Of course, a wheel is the sum of several parts, including the tire, and the Rapide II CLX is a rather special system. Now tubeless compatible, with a hooked rim, the new wheels take advantage of everything a tubeless tire brings to the ride quality. From puncture protection, to low rolling resistance and a wider range of tire pressures, the ride quality and stability are unprecedented, whatever the surface. The dimensions of the rim's outer diameter have also been modified, to create an additional clearance (1,4 mm) at the tire bead. This offers a much better installation and repair experience when you are on the side of the road. route.

Aeroflange hubs use the latest version of the DT Swiss EXP freehub body with new SINC ceramic bearings and a lighter, simplified crown system. The design also spreads the bearings for added rigidity, while making the freehub more reliable and simplifying freehub body conversion.

Rim Dimensions: Front: 51mm Height/35mm Width – Rear: 60mm Height/30mm Width – 21mm Internal Width Front and Rear
1500 grams
Aero Flange hubs with EXP freehub body with SINC ceramic bearings
DT Swiss Aerolite Spokes: Front: 18 / Rear: 24
Tubeless Ready
110 PSI Max Tubeless with 26mm tires
Structural limit: 125 kg
Hand assembled
Price: €1100 (front wheel), €1500 (rear wheel)

Alpinist II CLX: Take to the skies

Feel your bike come to life on the routes with the new Alpinist CLX II, the lightest and most maneuverable clincher wheels ever designed by Roval. Lively on acceleration, precise in turns, reassuring on routes crashes, all enhanced by the performance of a Tubeless system. Finally, there is no room, nor excuse, for a single excess gram when looking for the best riding sensations. Perfection is achieved when there is nothing left to remove. The Alpinist CLX II are the embodiment of functional minimalism.

It takes more than a lightweight rim to deliver the incredible responsiveness and handling of the Alpinist CLX II Tubeless. Roval designed the wheelset as a system, and to achieve this, the engineers controlled and testevery part of this system – hubs, rims, spokes, lacing – and developed it hand in hand with the Specialized Tire Team. The result is a 1250 gram tubeless wheelset with an otherworldly ride quality designed for real-world conditions.

The Alpinist CLX II rim is a work of art. It features the most precise carbon sheet assembly ever created by Roval. It's the result of over 50 different iterations, hundreds of tests of impacts and countless hours on the route. They respond to the slightest increase in power with immediate acceleration and carve the purest lines in the corners. They can also absorb impacts almost twice as great as what the certification bodies recommend. That's instant acceleration and supreme durability resulting from two years of research.

Like the Rapide, the Alpinist is now Tubeless compatible with a hooked rim to take advantage of everything a Tubeless tire brings to ride quality. Roval has also changed the dimensions of the rim's outer diameter to create an additional 1,4mm of clearance at the tire bead. This provides a much better installation and repair experience when you're on the side of the road. route.

The new LightAF hubs are the heart of the development of the Alpinist CXL II. Roval has managed to save 50 grams compared to the previous Alpinist CLX especially thanks to the low profile of the new hubs with machining on the disc mount. Inside, DT Swiss EXP internals and SINC ceramic bearings provide finesse in terms of efficiency and exceptional durability.

Rim Dimensions: 33mm Height – 21mm Internal Width
1250 grams
LFD hubs with EXP freehub body with SINC ceramic bearings
DT Swiss Aerolite Spokes: Front: 18 / Rear: 24
Tubeless Ready
110 PSI Max Tubeless with 26mm tires
Structural limit: 125 kg
Hand assembled
Price: €1100 (front wheel), €1500 (rear wheel)

The Alpinists are also available in a CL version, with less advanced hubs, at a price of €1700.

Only the fastest system counts

With all the success in the last two seasons, why change now? It's simple, there is no technology favored by the brand. Tubular, inner tube, tubeless, Roval always strives to find the best system for the cyclist, regardless of tradition or current trends. Until now, Roval has proven with the Rapide and Alpinist that a tube system is the fastest option. With 80 podiums including 29 victories, in the current season, the Rapide II and Alpinist II Tubeless are taking over and proving their unconventional speeds.testable.

Why Tubeless?

The reduced rolling resistance of a Tubeless setup is undeniable. The advantagestages of better handling and incredible puncture protection are equally so. The development of the Rapide CLX II involved the engineering and design program test the most rigorous and extensive testing the brand has ever undertaken. The result is a wheelset that nearly doubles the impact ratings of those currently used by the bicycle industry, while keeping the weight as low as possible. The Rapide CLX II and Alpinist CLX II use a hooked rim (allowing real-world rolling pressures of up to 110 psi, if that’s your thing) for secure tire bead retention and a smooth ride.tagand easier than ever. That’s Tubeless.

Lower internal friction equals more speed and grip. When the tire rolls and comes into contact with the ground, its casing deforms. This causes internal friction which increases rolling resistance and consumes energy that could have been used to propel you. Using an inner tube means that there is more material deforming (casing and inner tube), so more friction is created and more energy is dissipated.

Running tubeless dramatically reduces the amount of material that deforms (the tire only), which reduces friction and lost energy to keep you moving faster. Less material to deform also leads to a tire that more easily conforms to road imperfections. route for better grip and pilotagand more comfortable and controlled. These are advantagestagare not dependent on speed or terrain. As long as your tire is rolling, you are faster in Tubeless.

« We can say that the average decrease in rolling resistance is 8%. For a racing tire on route, performance type, at 40 km/h. This is a saving of 1,7 watts per tire, 3,5 watts in total”, according to Oliver Kiesel, Tire Product Manager at Specialized

History from the Inside

"Peter broke a wheel…"

It's no secret, Roval develops products with its professional riders. They chain the tests, providing feedback and insight as the brand seeks optimum performance, pushing the boundaries of design and engineering.

In December 2019, a WhatsApp message from the Bora-Hansgrohe team training camp where new wheels under development were testées created a tipping point. The Roval team's iPhones started vibrating around 6 a.m. on a Saturday: " Peter broke a wheel" Attached to this brief message, a picture of a cracked Alpinist CLX wheel with a removed tire. Immediately, the engineering team sent the wheel to their HQ in California.

Peter is no ordinary cyclist. Specialized and Roval have been developing products with him for years. He puts unique demands on everything he rides. In this case, was Peter just being Peter, jumping, drifting, or riding outside the box? routes tarmac… Maybe all three at once? Actually, he had jumped a roundabout and hit the curb; Peter had done a Peter! He didn't expect the wheel to survive the impact, but he did expect the tire to stay on the rim.

Back to the Lab

Once the wheel arrived, the Roval engineering team inspected it and found a small crack on the rim groove. Yet these wheels had passed and even exceeded all the standards of the certification bodies, including the test UCI, without tire, with an impact of 40 joules, but the brand knows that tubeless wheels have a different failure mode. Cracks in the rim groove can propagate into the rim's internal cavity. The resulting air pressure causes the entire system to fail. Repeat the same test with an inner tube causes less damage. In fact, the inner tube reduces the phenomenon in the long term, by distributing the pressure on the cracks and delaying the release of the latter.

Delayed Departure

While these development wheels met all relevant standards and exceeded them with an inner tube, the engineering team wanted to achieve an even higher internal standard : double the impact resistance compared to existing Tubeless standards. The goal was simple. If a cyclist can face an impact without letting go of the handlebars and ride it without falling, he deserves a wheel where the tire stays in place on the rim so that he can stop safely, even if the rim has cracked.

The teams were told that Roval would continue to develop these wheels, and that they would start the season on the CLX 32, 50 and 64 used in 2019. But the athletes had already had a taste of the Rapide and Alpinist magic. They wanted more. They wanted to race these wheels as soon as possible. They wanted to put aside the previous generation of clinchers and tubulars and run the new wheels with tubes. They were convinced that even in tubeless conditions, the new Rapide and Alpinist, when combined with Specialized Turbo tires, were the fastest system ever made – the greatest combination of lightness, aerodynamics and stability ever raced. With the rider in charge, Roval gave the pros the wheels they wanted – the Rapide and Alpinist tubed. They started winning, and Roval got to work on launching the biggest project of test and development of its history.

tests, tests and more tests

Knowing that the test UCI 40 Joule impact was not powerful enough, in terms of energy, to guarantee, according to Roval, the safety of the cyclist in the event of failure, The development team has embarked on the creation of new tests of wheels and tires, as well as surveys of riders. The aim was to determine the type of damage expected by a cyclist following an impact in order to develop the tests of the entire Tubeless wheel and tire system, in order to exceed them.

To ensure that the tests in the laboratory reproduced real conditions, the engineers carried out tests on the ground. A question then arose: “How can we ensure that we accurately reproduce the impact energy with all the variables of the wheel, tire, carbon frame and rider?“The solution is as simple as most brilliant ideas are. Don’t measure the rider, measure the shock. Instead of placing sensors on the rider, the obstacle itself has been equipped to obtain precise force information at each stage of the impact.

On tests start with energy levels significantly higher than those equivalent to hitting a 5 cm² pothole at 32 km/h, an impact that typically generates about 30 joules of force. Two different types of strikers are used, one protruding and the other rounded, and a force range of 40 to 70 joules is covered, a colossal impact that would make even the hanger unlikely to hold.

40 Joules/Salient Impact: Although the potential for damage exists, you can complete your ride or race without any problems.
50 Joules/Sharp Impact: The wheel may be damaged, but the tire will remain on the rim and the system intact, so you can safely roll to a stop.
55 Joules/Rounded impact: no damage
60 Joules/Rounded Impact: Although the potential for damage exists, you can complete your ride or race without any problems.
70 Joules/ Rounded impact: The wheel may be damaged, but the tire will remain on the rim and the system intact, so you can safely ride to a stop if you have managed to keep your hands on your handlebars.

Repeat, repeat and repeat again

The engineers have thus determined new standards, aligned with the cyclist's perceptions and real impacts, with the addition of a protocol of test reinforced concrete that uses completely new impactors and force profiles. All that remained was to design and build the new Rapide and Alpinist which would offer the performances expected in a world championship, the advantagestagIt has a tubeless system too. Easy, right?

There were two goals for these new wheels. Firstly, provide a solid structure that can withstand the impact of a rounded 60 joule striker without damage; secondly, ensure that there are no cracks in the groove and on the sides of the rim following a 70 joule impact with the same striker, the force then having to dissipate at the spoke heads. This last solution, although it can condemn the rim, allows the tyre to be held in place and guarantees the structure of the wheel to stop safely.

To address these issues, the solution was simple: work hard. Since the profiles of the Alpinist and Rapide are literally the decisive factors in their effectiveness, there was no question of considering modifications to their shapes. It is a work on the stacking (Layup) of carbon sheets and on the selection of materials that has been put in place. More than 1000 wheels have been manufactured and testated during this process, encompassing 150 different assemblies on Alpinist and Rapide.

It was a very fine and repetitive process to adjust the assembly of the carbon sheets, using fibers of different levels and different stiffnesses. Examples of test of each of these iterations were then created and submitted to our new batteries of tests.

It took 21 months, but the resulting rims are the strongest the brand has ever made, with weight optimized to the maximum. As a Tubeless system, they now meet the standards of test rigorous created and become even more efficient than the Rapide and Alpinist with inner tubes, which have nevertheless been crowned with success in the most beautiful World Tour events.

New standards for the future of Tubeless

The Tubeless future we’ve been dreaming of has arrived. Roval is confident that we’ve developed the best combination of aerodynamics, lightness, efficiency and durability. With their hooked rims, the new Rapide and Alpinist ensure that every rider has a multitude of options from tyre choice to pressure. And most importantly, a system that meets the highest standards test relevant and strict, well beyond what is currently required for a pair of wheels.

After two years of development, the brand no longer has any doubts about its tests high-energy impacts on a complete system (wheel and tire). It has therefore proposed these new standards to the relevant governing bodies, so that all cyclists can benefit from the work carried out.

*The articles in this News section are taken from press releases and are intended for informational purposes only. They have been selected by the editorial team for their relevance to your sports practice.

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