Enve expands Foundation mid-price carbon range with two new gravel wheelsets

Enve has today announced the introduction of two “Adventure/Gravel” wheelsets to its Foundation family of mid-range carbon wheels. The new AG25 and AG28 carbon wheelsets are made in Utah, and include some of the same technologies found on the brand’s top-end G23 and G27 wheelsets. The Foundation collection was first introduced last year with the 45 and 65 road wheelsets and the AM30 MTB wheelset, and serves as a lower price point option for Enve customers. 

In designing the AG wheel range, Enve focused on the continual evolution of gravel riding and the increasingly blurred line between where gravel ends and mountain biking begins. With this in mind, Enve says it has created the AG range to provide durability and performance for everything from gravel racing to bikepacking. 

The AG25 is a 700c option featuring a 25 mm internal rim width, 33.5 mm external width, and a 21 mm rim height. The AG28 offers 650b sizing, with the same 21 mm rim height but more generous 28 mm internal and 33.5 mm external rim widths for use with higher-volume tires. Both wheelsets weigh in at a claimed 1,460 g with a SRAM XDR driver or 1,480 g with a Shimano freehub body.

The AG25 rims have a suggested tire range from 32-50 mm with the recommendation from Enve being to aim for a tire in the region of 36-50 mm. The AG28 requires a wider tire with the recommendation being 47-57 mm (2.25”) and a minimum of 45 mm. 

The new rims feature Enve’s patent-pending wide hookless bead, which features a wide surface on the rim’s leading edges. Enve claims this provides better pinch flat protection than more typical shapes since it spreads out the impact over a wider area. 

The AG rims also feature Enve’s moulded spoke and valve-stem holes, which Enve says makes for a lighter and stronger rim since conventional drilling cuts through so many fibres. These spoke holes are then filled with external nipples, meaning repairs should be quick and easy.

Both wheelsets get 24 spokes front and rear laced to Industry Nine’s 1/1 hubs. Although the Industry Nine 1/1 hubs are not out of place on these wheels, this is interesting because Enve has developed its own hub for the Foundation range. Enve says the 1/1 hubs will only ship on initial orders, and eventually, its own Foundation road hub will find its way into the new wheels.

“Due to higher-than-anticipated demand for Foundation Road 45 and 65, and delays related to COVID-19, the Enve Alloy Foundation Road Hub will not be available initially,” the brand says. “All initial shipments of AG25 and AG28 will be on Industry Nine 1/1 hubs.”

The Industry Nine hubs will add 48-68 g to the weight of the rear wheel, when compared to Enve’s own Shimano and XDR compatible hubs, respectively.

The AG wheel range gets Enve’s five-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, along with the company’s lifetime incident protection program that protects owners from damage caused to their wheels while riding, crashing, or transporting their bikes.

The Foundation Collection AG25 and AG28 gravel wheelsets are available now, priced at US$1,600 / AU$2,999 / £1,850 / €1,800.

For more information, visit www.enve.com.