Composite spokes have promised weight savings for years, but early implementations often traded away ride quality along the way. The Rapide CLX III Rear Wheel comes out of a partnership between Roval and Arris Composites, using a continuous composite spoke that saves a claimed 2.3 grams each compared to an aero-bladed steel spoke while running roughly 20 percent stronger. Across the 24-spoke rear build, that reduction concentrates rotational mass exactly where it affects acceleration response. This rear wheel is offered in two finishes to match the front: Gloss Carbon with gloss white decals, or Satin Carbon with gloss black decals.

The rear rim runs 48mm deep, deliberately shallower than its 51mm front counterpart. Roval's wind tunnel work determined that roughly 90 percent of a wheelset's aerodynamic benefit comes from the front wheel cutting through undisturbed air. The rear operates in turbulent flow behind the rider's body, where additional depth yields diminishing aerodynamic returns while adding rotational mass that resists acceleration. Dropping the rear profile shifts the material budget toward weight savings, which is where the wheelset's 215-gram reduction over the previous CLX II generation largely comes from.

Titanium end pieces connect the composite spokes to hub and rim, handling interface stresses during hard efforts without the weight penalty of steel hardware. The spokes lace in a one-cross/three-cross 2:1 pattern—a denser count on the drive side to manage torque, fewer on the non-drive side where structural demands are lower. Threaded titanium nipples keep the spokes adjustable and replaceable rather than fixed, and this asymmetric build contributes to the 704-gram wheel weight that includes tubeless tape and valve.... Read More