Gravel riding and racing has come into its own with more and more cyclists adding gravel bikes to their stable, or trading in their pure road bikes for the versatility of an all-road drop bar bike. As such, the creation for components designed exclusively for riding over mixed terrain has blossomed and whether it's a multi-week bikepacking trip or just exploring some seldom used B-roads that's an easy bike ride from the house, all-road riding provides new riding opportunities and an escape from traffic. Just like other cycling disciplines, wider tire widths are dictating rim sizes and influencing wheel design. We've reached a point in gravel riding where, just as in mountain biking, some riders are opting for "plus" tires which in short, use a smaller diameter wheel (650b) with a wide, larger volume tire that make up almost the circumference of a 700c tire. What's achieved is the ability to run lower tire pressure, more floatation over loose terrain, and better traction and comfort over chunky gravel. ENVE Composites is used to providing discerning cyclists with top quality components and its newest gravel rim, the US-made G27, built in its Ogden, UT facility is an excellent option if your bike is "road plus" compatible and your riding would benefit from wider, lower pressure rubber. Lacing these hoops to smooth rolling and quick engaging 24h ENVE alloy road disc hubs with 11-speed Shimano/SRAM freehub or XDR driver and 12mm thru axles front and rear with centerlock rotor mounting take the wheels to a new level and we enjoy riding them as much as we ogle them. As part of ENVE's first gravel specific rim offering, these 650b tubeless hoops are extremely light at 320-grams per rim making short work of climbs and improving the overall handling of your bike. Factor in ENVE's Wide Hookless Bead technology for improved tire and rim durability and its optimized width for 650b tires between 2 and 2. 2-inches wide and you have a premium setup that's more than strong enoug...
