Is the Roval Rapide CLX II fast or fun?

Is the Roval Rapide CLX II a fast wheelset for racing or a fun wheelset for going fast? In this review, I’ll tell you why Roval forces this choice and how to break free of it.
You can order these wheels using links to stores I’ve vetted and recommend: When you do, In The Know Cycling may earn a commission that helps to cover our review and technology costs
Roval Rapide CLX II
► Performance Bike: snp.link/3df4d9e9
► Sigma Sports: tidd.ly/4bchHEK
► BikeInn: tinyurl.com/yc4eaah5
Roval Rapide CL II:
► Competitive Cyclist: snp.link/8894c275
► Performance Bike: snp.link/826f5c10
► Sigma Sports: tinyurl.com/mubny3kc
► BikeInn: tinyurl.com/mww3wt6u
Read more about products and topics mentioned in this video
► Roval Rapide CLX II - Race or Fun Mode?: intheknowcycling.com/roval-ra...
► The Best All Around Carbon Disc Wheelset: intheknowcycling.com/carbon-d...
► The Best Tubeless Bike Tires: intheknowcycling.com/best-tub...
Subscribe and get more cycling gear reviews: / @intheknowcycling
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Skip to chapters in this video:
00:00 Is the Roval Rapide CLX II a fast or fun wheelset?
00:57 Do you need to optimize the setup to finish first or have the most fun?
01:54 What are the recommended and other tire options for the Roval Rapide CLX II?
04:36 How well do these wheels perform and compare on aero and other key measures?
07:13 Are the Rapide CLX Iis as stable in sidewinds as we’ve been led to believe?
08:48 How do these wheels perform setup with 28mm Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR tires?
09:25 Consider a few other things before deciding on these wheels
11:22 How do the Rapide CLX II compare with all-around wheels from ENVE, Bontrager, Campy, and others?
12:16 How does the Rapide CL II stack up vs. the CLX?
Audio: Silver Smile by Ryan James Carter
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Read our Disclosure
In The Know Cycling is ad-free, subscription-free, and reader-supported. If you want to help keep it rolling without any added cost to you, buy your gear and kit after clicking the store links on the site and in the videos. When you do, we may earn an affiliate commission that will help me cover the expenses to create and publish our independent, comprehensive, and comparative reviews. Thank you, Steve.

[@intheknowcycling]

You can order these wheels using links to stores I’ve vetted and recommend: When you do, In The Know Cycling may earn a commission that helps to cover our review and technology costs Roval Rapide CLX II ► Performance Bike: snp.link/3df4d9e9 ► Sigma Sports: tidd.ly/4bchHEK ► BikeInn: tinyurl.com/yc4eaah5 Roval Rapide CL II: ► Competitive Cyclist: snp.link/8894c275 ► Performance Bike: snp.link/826f5c10 ► Sigma Sports: tinyurl.com/mubny3kc ► BikeInn: tinyurl.com/mww3wt6u

[@JoeW71]

I have enjoyed and learned from your online articles. Just found your KZbin channel and immediately subscribed. Thanks!

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks Joe. Welcome to the channel

[@cheronoliver6508]

Great review ❤

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks for your feedback Cheron.

[@GH314]

Really detailed and thorough review coupled with your extensive data, thanks and keep them coming. Am looking at CLX II - tubeless with 28mm, this against Boyd's, or Vision's and manly interested in as wide a footprint/comfort for all-day riding as possible. The whole hookless topic has my head spinning with standards for wheels and tyres - think I may go with hooks as of today,

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks for your kind feedback. While CLXII are hooked and pressure calculators like the SRAM one suggest you should ride hookless wheels a few psi less than hooked ones, don't think it's a major difference when considering wheelset choice. Frankly, unless your weight requires you to ride above 75 psi, don't think it matters whether you're riding hooked or hookless when it comes to comfort or safety. Cheers.

[@czts4778]

Nice video. Very informative

[@stevegoldstein3093]

Thanks for your feedback!

[@TheCyclingCardio]

I didn’t know you have a youtube channel 👍🏼

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

IMO its the weight of the 28mm tyre added to the rotating mass of the wheel that makes it feel slow. I recently went from a 31mm alloy wheelset to a 55mm carbon wheelset, both running the same inner tubes and tyres and the 55mm definitely wasnt as punchy or as fast accelerating from a complete stop. For my use case. 55mm wheels did make cruising at my upper range or top speed almost effortless.

[@robertphillips3078]

Roval Rapide CLX 1 are the best . 1400 grams + 25/40 gram TPU Tubes . Still lighter than the latest 1520 grams + 60 grams of tubeless goup . Saw a Tubeless tire xplode in my bike shop . The bike was a Canyon Aero Bike ridden by an Australian Pro Tour Rider home 4 summer training & family time . The tubeless goip went every where. Tyres Rim Spokes Chain & Groupset. I am fortunate 2 own ×3 pairs of the 1st edition Roval Rapide CLX Aero Wheelsets 51/60 my own

[@pulsebpm]

I thought the CLX 1 are not tubeless compatible? The CLX 64/50 were, but they were not called CLX 1

[@milanmudrinic6732]

nice video. Which wheels do you typically recommend for rolling hills terrain? I am using zipp 202 NSW on my scott addict, and am considering deeper section for higher average speed. grades up to 17% in my area. Thanks!

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks for your feedback and comment. For rolling hills, I like an all-around wheelset like thos I mention in this video and link to in the description box. But if a large percentage of your ride is going over 7% grade, then that's more like climbing than rolling! See my video on climbing wheels, some which can also serve as all-arounders though not as fast as the best all-arounders.

[@rickherrera5230]

CLX2s are intriguing but for my weight (240lbs) and ride all day preference the CL2s are saving me about $1k. Thanks for video as it helped guide me to the CL2s which I am about to purchase.

[@intheknowcycling]

Good choice!

[@dchang7211]

Seems a lot of the feeling of the entire bike is due to the tires. Just for fun, tried a set of 35c Gravel King SS on the Rapide CLX I on the road. It’s so heavy compared to 25c gp5000 but so stable on big road descents (and against cross winds).

[@Richie50MTB]

Was it a struggle to mount the conti 5000s tr on the roval rapide clx2? Can you pls make a video how to mount the conti's on the roval wheels pls? many thx...., like your videos.

[@intheknowcycling]

Richie, yes, a struggle, but doable with a tire lever. I found all the tires I mounted on the Roval Rapide CLX II a struggle so the Conti GP5000s were no different. Given the issue they had with tubeless tires coming off the CLX I wheels, it looks like Roval erred on the side of making the CLX II rim diameters to the high side of the ETRTO rim diameter spec. And thanks for your suggestion and kind feedback on the videos. More on the way.

[@GH314]

Steve, have you ever ridden Boyd Podiums? Not a lot online about them - my local dealer likes them but leaning towards the Alpinist CLX II

[@intheknowcycling]

Never ridden Boyd Podium wheels.

[@GH314]

@@intheknowcycling thanks

[@anthonyhebert-trudeau6995]

I’m still riding my CLX64 or should I say Flywheel64. Once started they never stop rolling fast!

[@mohawkin]

Do you have any opinion on the Hunt Aerodynamicist wheels?

[@intheknowcycling]

We're testing the 48 Limitless now. Will post a review on the site later this month in our comparative review of the best value carbon wheelsets intheknowcycling.com/best-value-carbon-wheelset/

[@czts4778]

Some reviews have concerned the deep wheels of clx 2 in crosswinds. What is your experience in that aspect?

[@intheknowcycling]

I found them nearly as good as the best with 28 mm tires on. I go into more of this in the review on the site and compare them to other wheels of similar depth in my comparison of all-around wheels. You can find links to both of them in the description box.

[@czts4778]

@@intheknowcyclingthank you for the detailed review of the wheel set. I am a zipp fan and I’m glad the 454 nsw has a better all around review. I subscribed and following you as your reviews are very relevant. 😊

[@gaza4543]

It is quite literally same internals ratchets between the 240 and the 180. It’s the amount of grease applied that changes the noise and pitch . My alpinist clx gen 1 where quiet when I first got them 500 miles in they were the same as every other dt Swiss wheel. Buzzy. What il will say is the grease needs to be reapplied once’s they do get this loud.

[@Robert-mn8gc]

Would never entertain Roval Rapide CLX Aero Wheelsets Version 2 " Ever " Hate with a Passion Tubeless Wheels. Have ×3 Sets of Roval Rapide CLX Aero Wheelsets 51/60 Version 1 . Use Lite Weight TPU Tubes .