Way back, before Enve were Enve: when they were EDGE Composites, the company had two road wheel models, the Edge (and subsequently ENVE) 45 and 65. These were great wheels. Of their time they employed groundbreaking molded-spoke hole tech, were insanely stiff and as they say in Spain mas rapido!
The New FOUNDATION 45 and 65 from ENVE are NOT those wheels. These aren't a marketing strategy and share only their forbears' nomenclature and relative depths.
Enve have had a desire to create a more affordable wheel range for some time but unlike many other brands, who aim for price at the cost of quality in order to soak up the market share, Enve were keen to maintain their singular focus on quality craftsmanship to deliver a product worthy of the name. That has taken time and Enve needed to hit price and performance targets, following a strict plan. Part of their process was to achieve greater manufacturing efficiencies. Just over 3 years ago, Enve moved into their state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and have recently achieved levels of manufacturing effeciency that allow them to both produce and deliver the volumes the Foundation Collection is creating while maintaining current production of core and premium lines.
The Enve Foundation series consists of 2 road wheels - the 45 and 65 and a Mountain wheelset, the AM30. The two purpose-built aero road wheels have been developed to meet the demands of the modern road cyclist and triathlete, bringing ENVE’s handmade wheels within reach of many more athletes.
The Foundation 45 is aimed at the road cyclist. Period. Whether you have an inclination towards racing and hard solo efforts or if you prefer the lure of the long haul and the roads less ridden, the Enve Foundation 45 has you covered. The rim profile is drag-reducing and stable in crosswinds allowing you to pick up and maintain speed in a host of conditions while the hookless bead, wide rim profile and tubeless specific design ensure that the advantages that modern, higher volume tyres bring are effective. Fewer punctures, lower rolling resistance and greater comfort are apparent in a stiff, aero wheelset that delivers everything that today's dynamic roadie needs and nothing they don't.
The Foundation series are quintessentialy ENVE and employ much of the technology used in the company's SES range. One of the defining manufacturing processes that immediately set ENVE apart is the use of their patented molded spoke hole. Rather than forming the carbon rim and then drilling the spoke holes, Enve developed a molding process that avoids drilling altogether. By doing so, Enve rims benefit from the inherent strength of long runs of unbroken carbon fibres, allowing for higher tension on spokes, less liklihood of spoke pull-through and subsequently, stiffer wheels that deliver your power more efficiently and flex less - eliminating the associated stresses. In addition, the process yields a lighter rim for the same strength.
Enve see Aerodynamics as a right for road cyclists and triathletes that allow for greater efficiency and confidence inspiring handling, regardless of wind conditions and they believe that maxim holds true regardless of price - and they are uniquely placed to deliver it too!
Aerodynamics is what Enve are most famous for and the Foundation 45 and 65 wheels pull no punches here either. Tested in the wind-tunnel and then proven on the road, the Foundation series wheels sit beautifully within the entire range when it comes to aero performance - this must be taken in context too, since the wheels are not designed with the higher weighting given to aerodynamics as in the SES wheels
Like the SES wheels, the Foundation Collection and its ENVE 45 were tested and developed at the Mercedes Benz Formula One wind-tunnel to deliver best-in-class real world aero performance. Unlike other wheel brands who only test isolated wheels at elite speeds of 30mph/48kph, ENVE develops and tests wheels in-frame at multiple speeds ranging from 20mph/32kph to 30mph/48kph. This testing, while more time consuming and expensive, ensures that the ENVE 45 delivers performance advantages to riders of all abilities - not just the pros.
The Foundation rims are manufactured in the US and are built by hand in the UK in order to maintain the exacting quality standards that they are renowned for. The Rims are laced onto Enve's Foundation Alloy hub that employs technology that filtered down from it's once parent company. The 24 hole hubs (front and rear) feature ID360 40 tooth internals that some may know from Mavic and which deliver rapid pick-up and efficient drive. The bearings are premium full contact sealed NTN steel bearings and the hubs feature a Perfect Preload system that ensures low maintenance while delivering the optimum load on the bearing for low drag.
As with other Enve Wide Hookless Bead rims, the Foundation 45 and 65 benefit from the wider element in the rim profile that dissipates impact energy and reduces the likelihood of pinch flatting your tubed or tubeless tyres. In combination with the dedicated Tubeless construction, the Foundation Wheels offer all the benefits of the tech - optimised. Low rolling resistance from the lack of tube-tyre interface; the riders choice of pressure to maximise comfort, traction, and rolling efficiency (check out the table below) which combines with the hookless bead to deliver a safer, more reliable, and ultimately proper tyre fitment.
The ENVE Foundation 45 and 65 wheels are available in a classy modern full-black finish with discreet graphics that will look great on any bike - from steel classics to modern carbon aero monsters. They come in Shimano or XDR hub configurations (get in touch if you need a wheel converted to Campagnolo) and are DISC ONLY, simply because Enve's business is 90-95% disc and creating a rim brake version will drive up costs for a small market.
For the ultimate in affordable performance for the roadie looking to move to the next wheel level - the Enve Foundation 45 has you covered for a host of riding styles and conditions. If you are a Triathlete or speed freak looking for that extra aero benefit, the Foundation 65 is your best choice.