It’s no secret that we’re huge ENVE fans. They’ve been a featured product since we first opened our doors in 2012. There is – in our opinion, no finer kit to build a bike with. We’ve put countless riders on their components and wheels over the years. ENVE launched their gravel dedicated G Series of gravel wheels several years ago and they’ve been going out on customers’ bikes as fast as we could bring them in. Even though they’ve been around for a while, the explosion of gravel riding makes this a perfect time to talk about why we believe they are the best gravel wheelset.
SET UP
With anything off road, we go tubeless. Pro tip: throughly clean the rim with isopropyl alcohol and a clean cloth to remove any dust and oils. Clean the rims, and then clean them some more. Use ENVE’s red tubeless tape, pull it tight as you wrap, and push the tape into the channel with a clean cloth to make sure that the tape has good adhesion round the full diameter of the wheel.
Once the rim tape and valve stem is installed, the hookless bead makes tire set up a breeze. A bit of Stan’s, a quick (and careful) shot of air, and the wheels are ready to roll.
RIDE QUALITY
Simply put, they’re fantastic. They’re light, they spin up easily, and they have that incredible ENVE ride quality. Riders will immediately notice a smoother ride, less road or trail noise, and predictable handling. They’re not flexy, and they’re not overly stiff and chattery on rough surfaces.
What’s often described as a “creamy and smooth” feeling is a result of their carbon fiber engineering. The rims are designed with a profile and carbon layup to disperse impacts (even the small ones) and reduce overall vibration. This means less fatigue, more comfort and more control. The 330g rims (at 700c) are engineered to have just a bit of give that contributes to their dampening qualities.
While we recommend these be set up tubeless, there are times when a tube is needed. The Wide Rim Hookless Bead profile addresses pinch flats with a shape influenced by ENVE’s mountain bike line and a wider bead that absorbs impact better while reducing pinch flats by 60% (ENVE’s claim).
The G23’s roll fast, and provide smooth and very predictable control. They take a beating, too. All the R&D has resulted in a carbon wheel that’s far from fragile.
The G23’s can be laced to a variety of hubs, but we prefer ENVE’s Disc CL hub. It’s a simple j-bend spoke hub set that can be configured with a range of free hubs and axle types. Truth be told, it completes that stealthy ENVE look.
We set our’s up with a variety of tires – most recently Kenda’s Alluvium Pro at 40mm. The rims are optimized for 33-45mm tire sizes. Once again, the rim’s design allows us to run perfect pressure without the concern of impact damage.
The G23’s are fast, light, and durable. They’re amazing wheels and definitely live up to the ENVE standards.
SPECS
- Available in 700c and 650b
- Rim depth: 25mm
- Internal width: 700c: 23mm, 650b: 27mm
- External Width: 700c: 31.5, 650b: Xxmm
- Hub: ENVE Disc CL
- Claimed weight: 1306g (700c)
- Spokes: 24 front and rear, Sapim
