Roval Alpinist CLX wheels

Roval's Alpinist CLX wheels are light, stiff and perfect for the climbers. The low rim height still offers good rolling speed on the flat and the profile of the rim mates well to 26mm tyres. The lack of tubeless compatibility will be a massive issue for some.

The big feature here is something that is missing, so let's get that out of the way first. The Alpinist CLX is clincher-only, with no tubeless bead hook on the rim thanks to a focus on weight that saw inner tubes fall back into favour with Roval. For many of you, this will be an instant barrier to giving Roval your money.

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For me, I can take or leave tubeless. When it works, it's great, but testing so many wheels and tubeless-ready tyres does show up how many combinations simply don't work. Setting these up with tubes and Maxxis' High Road SL clincher-only tyres was a breeze, and I'm certainly a fan of simplicity.

If you're still with me then you haven't given up on clinchers and we can get down to how these wheels ride. As you might suspect, this 33mm-deep carbon wheelset is light, tipping our scales at a scant 1,250g with the rim tape installed. I used the Alpinist CLX on my S-Works Venge and the Merida Reacto that I've been testing. Both times, the bikes were noticeably faster to accelerate, and the Merida in particular became a great climber.

Climbing is where the wheels really excel and I have been loving (possibly not the best word) smashing some of my local climbs. The wheels are stiff enough to transfer the power when you really want to kick on the steeper pitches, and I found them perfect for these high-powered efforts, with no discernible flex.

They don't do too badly on the flats either, though they're no match for deeper wheels when the speeds head north of 40kph. But riding those flat roads before you hit the hills isn't a slow experience. I was happy to sit at the 30kph mark and follow the wheels of mates when the pace lifted a little. The low depth also means hassle-free handling, and I never felt the wind pushing me around.

The rim's width is one of the features that I really like. At 21mm internally, it is perfect for supporting road tyres and I really liked using the wheels with 26mm tyres from both Maxxis and Veloflex. Both times, these 26mm tyres widened a little out to 27mm, so this is something to consider if your frame has tighter tolerances.

Moving into the centre of the wheel, we have Roval's new hubs which it says feature aero flanges. There's no way I can test that, but the hubs do have DT Swiss internals with the new Ratchet EXP system that is claimed to add stiffness to the axle. What I can say about the hubs is that the bearings are beautifully smooth and the wheels roll very well. The Centerlock rotor mount gave easy disc installation and the Shimano freehub body that came on these test wheels is coping easily with drivetrain forces.

I like the spoke pattern used on the Alpinist CLX. The radial/two-cross on the front wheel deals with braking forces while the one-cross/two-cross on the rear wheel is great for both braking and drivetrain forces.

Those spokes are DT Swiss Aerolite T-head, secured in place with DT Swiss Pro Lock nipples. I've had no issues with the wheels going out of true, despite ramming the front wheel into the side of a Peugeot 106 that turned across my path. I'm fine, thanks for asking.

Value is a tricky one, and the Alpinist CLX is certainly a premium option. These miss out on tubeless technology, which seems to be where the industry is heading, but the weight will certainly appeal to those of us who like to head uphill. If you like the look of the Alpinist CLX, but don't have the cash, then the Alpinist CL wheelset is cheaper at £1,300. You have to step down a level in the spokes and the hubs, but these are still DT Swiss products and the rim is identical.

Otherwise, there is Campagnolo's Bora WTO 33 Disc wheelset at £1,917.99. These give you tubeless fans the ability to ditch the inner tubes, but they do come with a weight penalty at 1,485g.

> Buyer’s Guide: 44 of the best road bike wheelsets

Overall, the Roval Alpinist CLX wheelset is a fabulous option for the climbers and those looking for a low-profile design. They aren't tubeless compatible, which will no doubt annoy some, but the rim profile is great and the wheels perform excellently.

Verdict

Brilliant on the climbs with excellent handling and a very low weight, but no tubeless compatibility