This article originally appeared on BikeRadar
Think you know fast? You don't know fast, not until you've tried these new SES 7.8 aero wheels. That's what ENVE says anyway, and while we haven't hit the road with them yet, we can say that they bring some interesting thinking for road racers and triathletes.
You see, they aren't the deepest wheels ENVE have ever produced, nor the lightest, but they are designed to offer maximum aero performance and stability. Particularly when paired with a modern aero frame and large 25mm tyres.
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Here comes the science
The SES 7.8 features asymmetric rim geometries front to back, with a front rim that's 71mm deep and 29mm wide, while the rear rim is 80mm deep and 27.5mm wide. What's more, they also have dissimilar sidewall curvatures, due to their differing depths (see cross section above).
Wait, what? "Wheels only work in a bicycle frame," said SES founder and aerodynamicist Simon Smart. "To test and develop wheels in isolation from the rest of the system does not answer the right question. The question we are answering is: how do you make the entire system more efficient?
"When developing a front rim shape we are looking for the best compromise between steering stability and drag reduction from the relatively clean on coming flow. In contrast, the rear wheel is seeing more turbulent flow, a larger frame interaction and we do not need to consider steering stability. It therefore stands to reason that a more efficient solution can be achieved by developing unique front and rear rim shapes."
The numbers
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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