First Look: 2015 Roval Traverse Fattie Wheels - Wider is Better

View as: Slideshow | One Page
Site logo
First Look: 2015 Roval Traverse Fattie Wheels - Wider is Better
By bturman
Share:
<b>Introducing the Traverse Fattie wheels from Roval, available in 650B and 29-inch. For 2015 they've bumped up from 22 to 30mm internal width.</b>
<b>Why wider? Increased traction and sidewall support are two big benefits.</b>
<b>After seeing proof of the concept on fat bikes, this custom 45mm trials rim was ridden to explore possible gains on a mountain bike. Running pressures in the low 20psi range showed their potential.</b>
<b>Roval conducted further lab tests to find the sweet spot between rim width and wheel weight. They tested rims with internal widths ranging from 25 to 45mm.</b>
<b>30mm internally seemed to strike the best balance between weight and ride characteristics.</b>
<b>Here's a comparison of 2.35-inch Specialized Slaughter tires on a 22mm Traverse rim on the left and 30mm Traverse Fattie rim on the right.</b>
<b>From another angle a slight height difference is also apparent.</b>
<b>Dropping 3-5psi per tire is a good starting point, and in some terrain you can go even lower. Here's Joe Buckley (in the audio) putting the wheels to good use in Hood River, Oregon.</b>
<b>Pinch flats are still a concern at lower pressures, but if you're running a tubeless setup it's less of an issue.</b>
<b>Notice something missing? The carbon Roval Traverse SL wheels feature "Zero-Bead Hook Technology."</b>
<b>The hookless design improved manufacturing and reduced weight. Though it may seem odd, it really does work well.</b>
<b>The hookless design also improves durability of carbon rims. The aluminum version requires a very small amount of added material to meet impact strength demands.</b>
<b>Localized reinforcement near the spoke beds helps keep weight down, while also making the wheels a little more vertically compliant.</b>
<b>Improved lateral stiffness of the Traverse SL rim allowed Roval to reduce the number of spokes down to 24 in the front and 28 out back.</b>
<b>The rear hub uses DT Swiss internals, including the Star Ratchet system with 54-points of engagement on the Traverse SL wheels.</b>
<b>Both hubs are convertible to accommodate most popular axle sizes using end caps.</b>
<b>A new rim-plug option reduces rotational weight even further. Both options are included in the box.</b>
<b>Made of Delrin, the rim-plugs seal the rim using o-rings and won't shift around like a rim strip or tape.</b>
<b>An improved tubeless valve uses an o-ring rather than a conical rubber plug, taking advantage of the increased flat surface area of the rim.</b>
<b>Black on black for those that want it...</b>
<b>...or your choice of three colors that you can mix and match.</b>
<b>Who's the ideal rider? From everyday trail riders to guys like Curtis Keene, Roval thinks just about anyone will benefit.</b>
<b>Weights start at a very reasonable 1,530 grams for the 650B Traverse SL Fattie wheels.</b>
<b>Visit www.specialized.com or your local dealer for more details, and stay tuned for our long term review.</b>
firstlookSlideShow
Fat is where it’s at, according to Roval Wheels. That’s why they’ve increased the width of their hand-built carbon Traverse SL and aluminum Traverse rims, in addition to several other key updates. After over a year of testing and more in development the all-new Traverse Fattie wheels are ready for the trails. Boasting a 30mm internal width and Zero-Bead Hook, the wheels unlock the potential of a low-pressure tire while helping to maintain sidewall support and stability.







Roval Traverse SL Fattie 29 and 650b Highlights


- Rims: Carbon, 30mm inner width, Zero-Bead Hook technology

- Front Hub: Alloy body, sealed cartridge bearings, 15/20mm end cap compatibility

- Rear Hub: Alloy body, sealed cartridge bearings, 135/142 & 142+ end cap compatibility, DT Swiss Star Ratchet w/ 6° engagement, XX1 driver body compatible

- Tubeless: Compatible with Roval rim strips and all-new Roval rim plugs

- Spokes: DT Swiss Revolution (24 front, 28 rear)

- Build: Hand laced, tensioned, and trued

- Decal: 3 vinyl options included with wheels

- Warranty: 3 year/limited lifetime with $125 rim replacement program for non-warranty repairs (plus labor)

- Weight: 29” = 1,570g; 650b = 1,530g (weights do not include valve stem, rim strips, or added vinyl)

- MSRP $1,400



Roval Traverse Fattie 29 and 650b Highlights


- Rims: Alloy, 29mm inner width, Zero-Bead Hook technology

- Front Hub: Alloy body, sealed cartridge bearings, 15/20mm end cap compatibility

- Rear Hub: Alloy body, sealed cartridge bearings, 135/142 & 142+ end cap compatibility, DT Swiss internals, XX1 driver body compatible

- Tubeless: Compatible with Roval rim strips

- Spokes: DT Swiss Revolution

- Build: Hand laced, tensioned, and trued

- Weight: 29” = 1,770g; 650b = 1,690g (weights do not include valve stem, rim strips)

- MSRP $600







Using an angled grip table to simulate laying the bike over in a corner, Roval looked at several different width rims to see what happened to the tire under load. This tire displacement graph helps illustrate what you feel on the bike. A wider rim results in less tire movement under the same force, which yields less squirming and more control.



How wide is too wide, though? Roval says a wider rim means more material and, at some point, you are adding more material (weight) than you are gaining a better riding wheel. They felt and saw massive increases in cornering traction by going from 22mm to 30mm with a minimal weight penalty. As you increase the width another 10mm, you get some benefit over the 30mm but the improvement is much smaller while the weight gain was dramatic. Roval decided that 30mm is the best blend of the wider rim support while still keeping the weight low.



Visit www.specialized.com for more details.



Photos by Brandon Turman and Dan Barham.
1 comments

View replies to: First Look: 2015 Roval Traverse Fattie Wheels - Wider is Better