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Roval is consistently trying to improve our system weight limits. Our newest wheels and components now have an industry leading system weight limit of 275lbs (125Kg) and our older generation of wheels has a system weight limit of 240lbs (109Kg).
275lbs (125Kg) - Rapide CLX, Rapide C, Alpinist CLX, Alpinist CL, Terra Evo CLX, Terra CLX, Control SL (2020).
240lbs (109Kg) - All products not referenced above.
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Control SL
Fastest XC wheels in the real world
Control SL
Fastest XC wheels in the real world
Starting at:
$1,100.00
what it’s for, why it’s great
1240 grams is an obscenely light weight when talking about mountain bike wheelsets, the kind of weight that XC racers dream about. But light weight alone is no longer enough. So, we engineered the new Control SL wheels to be sharp handling, smooth riding, extra durable, and 22% less likely to pinch-flat your tires, in addition to being some of the lightest weight production wheels on the planet.
NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES
Take a look at the shape of this rim. It took SIXTEEN different prototype shapes, and countless hours spent designing, testing, breaking and redesigning, to finally arrive at the rim you see here. It is lighter and stronger than any rim close to its weight. There’s just enough engineered vertical compliance to provide a comfortable, true tracking, long lasting ride. And those wider than usual flat tops atop the rim walls? It’ll take 22% more force than the competition to pinch-flat tires with these rims. The new Control wheels are packed with features that help bring out the best in your ride, but these rims are the stars of the show.
ASYMMETRY BEGETS SYMMETRY
The asymmetric design of the Control rim offers some subtle but important benefits. With the spokes offset to one side of the rim, this allows us to reduce the spoke offset that usually occurs at the hub. In turn, this means we can generate greater bracing angles for the spokes between the hub and rim, while also minimizing the spoke tension differential that often occurs between drive- and non-drive side spokes. The end result is a wheel that is stronger, laterally stiffer, more durable, and in the case of the Control, allows us to utilize the same length spoke throughout the whole wheelset.
REAR HUB
To build the lightest wheels, you have to consider every single component that goes into those wheels. The hubs on the Control SL are a prime example of that detailed scrutiny. They are the lightest Roval hubs ever made. Straight pull spokes use slightly less material than j-bends, so they were used here. The spoke holes are drilled at a precise angle to match the rims directly without any undue stress. The freehub utilizes DT Swiss’ EXP mechanism; 36t engagement, fewer moving parts than before, less drag, and outboard bearing placement all work to ensure that these wheels deliver strength and durability without any excess flab.
FRONT HUB
The front hub of the new Control SL is an exercise in engineering minimalism. We eliminated the front axle - letting the thru-axle of the fork handle that duty - and in so doing were able to reduce the size of the bearings and the diameter of the hub shell itself. The end result is an entire hub that weighs less than the hub shell of its predecessor. Strength, stiffness and reliability are all present and accounted for, without a single gram of excess material.
Product Specifications
Technical specifications
Rim
Rim type
Carbon clincher, 2Bliss Ready, Zero Bead Hook 4mm FlatTop design, Not compatible with tire inserts
Rim material
Carbon fiber
Rim width
29mm internal
Spoke
Front spoke pattern
Two-cross
Spoke count
24h Front & 24h Rear
Spoke type
DT Swiss Aerolite Straightpull
Spoke length
294mm (Single Spoke Length)
Nipple type
DT Swiss Pro Lock Hexagonal Alloy 14mm 2.0mm
Hub
Front hub
6-Bolt Alloy body, 15mmx110 thru-axle, 19 and 31mm OD end cap options included, Max Rotor size < 200mm
Rear hub
6-Bolt alloy body, SiNC Ceramic Bearings, premium-quality DT 180 internals and 36t EXP ratchet system, Max Rotor size < 200mm
Bearing Type
SiNC Ceramic Sealed cartridge
Other
Assembly method
Handbuilt
Extras
No-Fault crash replacement policy. Lifetime warranty.
Every wheel includes aluminum tubeless valve stems and individual spoke hole plugs, tubeless tape, and a spare spoke kit.
Front Wheel Weight
564g
Rear Wheel Weight
676g
Set Weight
1240g
System Weight Limit
275lbs / 125kg
Tire pressure recommendations
General
All Roval wheels are designed and tested as a system. This allows us to tune each wheelset specifically for the intended ride experience and deliver the highest quality wheels. For this reason, we do not offer individual components for sale.
Roval Road Wheels
Our CLX 32, 50, 64, Terra CLX, Terra CLX EVO, C38, SLX 24 and all Contol and Traverse models are compatible. Rapide CLX and Alpinist CLX wheels are not compatible with tubeless road tires. By making them tube-type specific we were able to create lighter and better complete wheels systems for performance road riders. To render these wheels tubeless would have required extra materials, and that extra mass would have outweighed the benefits of tubeless tires.
The wider CL(X) 32, 50, and 64 are compatible with tires between 22-47C. The previous CL(X) 40 and 60 models are compatible with tires up to 38C. Note that many Roval road wheels have a larger inner width than traditional road rims. Most road tires end up about 2mm wider on these wheels than on a traditional road wheel.
The wider CL(X) 32, 50, and 64 are compatible with tires between 22-47C. The previous CL(X) 40 and 60 models are compatible with tires up to 38C.
All Roval road wheels use DT Swiss internals. Stock DT Swiss replacement freehub parts are compatible with the rear wheels. Freehub bodies for virtually all component groups are available from your local Roval dealer. Please direct questions for specific part numbers to support@rovalcomponents.com
SCS is a system developed by Specialized Bicycle Components to ensure an ideal chainline and crisp shifting on disc brake road bikes with short chainstays. Wheels with SCS hubs move the cassette inboard (closer to the center of the bike). Select Roval models – CL(X) 40 and CLX 64 – are available with SCS rear hubs for use on certain Specialized Tarmac, Roubaix, Diverge, and CruX Disc models. Endcaps are available to use these wheels in both QR and SCS thru-axle configurations.
Our current generation CL(X) 32, 40, 50, and 64 wheels, along with SLX 24 disc wheels, are compatible with traditional QR and thru-axle configurations. In the front, this is 9x100mm QR and 12x100mm thru-axle. In the rear, this is 9x135mm QR and 12x142mm thru-axle. The end caps for these configurations all ship with each aftermarket wheel.
We have partnered with Swiss Stop and optimized our brake tracks for their Black Prince brake pads. These brake pads are available for Shimano/SRAM and Campagnolo configurations, and they're easy to find at either your local bike shop or online. Use of a brake pad other than the Swiss Stop Black Prince or the Roval “Red” pads will void your warranty and can be unsafe.
Roval Mountain Wheels
All Roval Mountain wheels use DT Swiss internals. Stock DT Swiss replacement freehub parts are compatible with the rear wheels. Freehub bodies for virtually all component groups are available from your local Roval dealer. Please direct questions for specific part numbers to support@rovalcomponents.com.
All Roval wheel small parts are available through your local Roval dealer. For technical questions please contact support@rovalcomponents.com.
The spoke lengths and type vary by wheel. Please contact your local dealer or support@rovalcomponents.com, and we'll get you sorted.
This depends on a ton of variables. Trail type and conditions, rider weight and style, tire casing, and internal rim width all play a part in choosing the proper combination. As a general baseline, we recommend the following: 22mm internal rim width – 2.0 - 2.3” tire; 29-30mm internal rim width – 2.3 - 3.0” tire; 38mm internal rim width – 2.6 - 3.0” tire
Current generation Control and Traverse wheels (all wheel diameters and hub spacing types) are compatible with the plugs.
Still Have Question If Our Components Are Right for You?
Call Us at 1 (877) 808 - 8154
How we made it
LAB TESTING
Design. Prototype. Test. Test again. Every step of the Control design and prototyping process leads to this; thousands of hours of grueling lab tests—simulating exaggerated real world forces – generating relevant data regarding strength, stiffness, weight, and other critical measures. We compare our test data to all the relevant wheels we’ve made in the past, and to every respected wheel in the market. The result? Control wheels excel in both qualitative and quantitative test results.
FIELD TESTING: NAME THAT PRO
Annika Langvad, Jaroslav Kulhavý, Christopher Blevins, Simon Andreasson, Alan Hatherly and many other top pros have tested (and won on) Control SL Team LTD wheels. Their continual feedback from prototype through production enables us to perpetually improve the performance of our products. All the victories they’ve racked up - UCI world championships, Olympics, and UCI worlds cups - are the ultimate proof of concept.