MORGAN HILL, Calif. (BRAIN) — Roval's new Terra wheels are aimed at the needs of gravel and adventure riders. To create the models in the Terra line, Roval engineers balanced gravel riders' needs to develop wheels with durability and lightweight, everyday functionality and performance.
With decades of experience in composite wheel design and manufacturing, Roval integrated lightweight carbon fiber rims with DT Swiss hub internals and spokes. Terra wheels feature modern internal widths — 25mm and 30mm, allowing riders to run a broad selection of widths and a range of tire pressures.
Developing the Terra line presented new challenges to Roval engineers as they attempted to make a lightweight series of rims with a controlled and comfortable ride quality that also pass their standards for mountain bike use.
In the end, they passed through 20 iterations of the layup before landing on the final result, which provides MTB-ready durability with road-bike weights.
The 25mm inner width of the Terra CLX and CL safely can accommodate tires from 28mm up to 42mm wide at various pressures. The Terra CLX EVO measures 30mm between the rim walls. That allows for safety and performance with tires up to 55mm wide. In either width, the rims are sized to optimize tire volume.
Hookless rims have become increasingly popular in MTB and some gravel applications as composite rims have come to the fore. Roval said it’s best to have a hook holding the tire bead securely, given the wide differential in tire size and potential for high pressures. This means adding a machining step after a hand layup process, but that extra step allows Terra wheels to run just about any size tire at just about any pressure.
Terra CLX wheels feature DT Swiss’ new 180exp internals, offering lighter weight, greater stiffness and more reliable engagement. Roval chooses DT internals for all premium models due to the reliability and serviceability of its Star Ratchet system. The internals are housed in Roval’s AFD hubs, paired with DT Aerolite t-head spokes in a 2:1 lacing pattern for balanced spoke tension and a stronger overall wheel system. The Terra CLX wheelset weighs 1,296 grams.
The Terra CLX EVO features a 30mm inner width. This makes it a candidate for riders looking to run tires up to 55mm/2.2 inches — without having to pay the weight penalty usually associated with wide rims and high durability. The EVO wheelset weighs 1,303 grams for 650b and 1,357 grams for 700c.
Terra key points
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MTB-level durability.
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Road-level weights.
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Layup optimized for ultimate balance of ride feel, durability and weight.
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Tubeless-first design; the best fit and easiest installation.
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DT 180EXP hub internals offer light weight, stiffness, reliability and ease of service.
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Hooked bead for security with any tire choice.
- Tire compatibility for the widest range of options: CLX: 700x28-42mm, CLX EVO 700: 38-47mm, CLX EVO 650: 42mm - 2.1"
- Terra CLX and Terra CLX EVO models will retail for $2,500.
- Available from rovalcomponents.com, Roval/Specialized retailers and the Specialized global website.
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The Roval Terra CLX. -
The Roval Terra CLX EVO.
