Enve expands Foundation collection with AG25 and AG28 carbon gravel wheels

Enve has added to its Foundation collection with the new AG25 and AG28 adventure/ gravel wheelsets which are designed to provide both the durability and performance necessary for everything from racing to bike packing.

Handcrafted in Ogden, Utah, USA, the AG25 is the 700c model and the AG28 is 650b, with the 25 and 28 referring to the inner rim width (mm)—each wheelsets has a rim depth of 21mm.

AG25

The AG25 and AG28 form part of the Foundation Collection, which is Enve’s mid-price tier of carbon wheels, featuring the benefits of the brand’s Wide Hookless Bead and Moulded Spoke Hole technologies, but at a lower price, thanks to “simplifying the manufacturing processes [and], reducing labour costs”.

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AG28

With weights starting at a claimed 1,460g, these are reasonably lightweight, and the rim design is said to be ready for both race days and the rigours of off-road adventures.

The recommended tyre size is 36mm–50mm for the AG25 (700c), and 47mm–57mm for the AG28 (650b) model.

“With gravel bikes becoming ever-more capable and riders opting for tyre sizes upwards of 50x700c, our engineering team identified rim width increases and strength as key objectives for the AG25 and AG28, while still maintaining a high level of compliance,” Enve says.

As well as increasing rim impact toughness, the wide surface at each of the rim’s leading edges, known as Enve’s Wide Hookless Bead technology, is said to create “a larger surface so that impacts from kerbs, potholes, and debris are distributed over a larger area, reducing the likelihood of pinch-flatting tubes and tubeless tyres”. Enve claims this technology increases protection by over 50 percent compared to a traditional hookless bead, and is patent-pending.

Along with this, to help with choosing the optimal tyre pressure, Enve has a chart with recommendations—based on model and rider weight—which can be found here.

The wheelsets are built for external brass nipples and use the brand’s patented moulded spoke hole technology. Enve explains that because carbon gets its strength from continuous fibres, these fibres in its rims have been routed around the hole, without cutting or drilling, to increase the strength of each spoke hole. Enve says that opting for a conical nipple seat “prevents premature spoke fatigue and failure while also ensuring wheel-build reliability”.

Sapim CX Sprint spokes are laced to Enve’s Foundation Road Hubs which use the same internals as Enve’s premium hubs, but with a simplified shell design and non-stainless-steel bearings.

The rear hub uses an ID360 40t ratchet drive mechanism and what Enve call the Perfect Preload —a maintenance-free automatic system— as found in the brand’s premium hub offerings. This is said to “eliminate the possibility that the hub will develop bearing play and slop over time”.

As with all other Enve products the AG25 and AG28 come with a five year warranty for protection from defects in materials and workmanship, and Lifetime Incident Protection programme for owners' protection from “damage caused to their wheels wile riding, crashing, or transporting their bikes”. Proof of purchase is of course required.

The Enve AG25 and AG28 will retail at a RRP of £1,850 and we aim to get our hands on a set for review.

www.saddleback.co.uk

www.enve.com