SPECIALIZED ROVAL SLX 24 DISC
£650 › Welcome to aluminium Rovalty...
THESE DAYS, EVERYONE WANTS CARBON wheels it seems. For decent quality, that comes attached with a cost. If you want lightweight and durable carbon rims, add some more cash. Or you could save money and take at look at these relatively affordable alu disc wheels from Specialized.
The symmetric SLX 24 rims are alloy, 23.5mm wide externally, 20mm internally and 24mm tall, hence their name. Flat-sided with a uniformly rounded blunt top, the rims have an attractive satin-black finish and 24 spokes each. The double-butted, slim and round DT Swiss Competition Race spokes are radial on one side of the front wheel and 2x on the disc rotor side, while the rear is 2x on the drive side and 1x on the other.
Specialized Roval wheels have long used DT Swiss hub internals, something that’s not uncommon among the enlightened. Specialized’s AFD aero disc hub bodies have sealed cartridge bearings and the DT Swiss 350-infused rear hub is superbly smooth, and spins more freely in the workstand than all but the best wheels. They come with 12mm thru-axle end caps, plus quickrelease end caps and skewers, and the rims are lined with tubeless tape, with valves supplied. Our pair, including 12mm end caps, tape and valves, weigh 697g front and 865g rear, totalling an impressive 1562g.
There are other aluminium wheelsets around of similar weight, but the Rovals have a wider internal width, making them more versatile for today’s riders. Whether you want to run 25mm road tyres or 40mm gravel rubber, these wheels offer great sidewall support and generous air volume. Their tubeless tyre security is reliable at low pressures, but if you do bottom out on squashy tyres and strike a rim, its durability should mean you escape potentially catastrophic damage.
A wide aluminium rim with sufficient durability and performance to excel on or off road might seem unlikely, but the SLX24 Disc is just that. They willingly spin up to speed and sustain it over rolling terrain with ease. With surprisingly good reactivity, they’re also positive on long climbs and very confident downhill, where their agile, shallow profile presents little for gusting winds to tug at. Equally at home racing multiple disciplines, training or commuting, the SLX24 Disc is a brilliant all-rounder. HIGHS Practical rim profile, hub quality, weight LOWS These may put your carbon wheelset to shame