ENVE Composites SES 4.5 2022 Disc Front Clincher Rim
The ENVE SES 4.5 is the road-racing rim in ENVE's Smart ENVE System range: 50mm deep at the front and 56mm at the rear, hookless, 25mm wide inside, molded in Ogden, Utah, and shaped so that a rim this deep stays calm in a crosswind. It is the wheel for fast road racing, group rides where the pace is high and riders who want real aero without a time-trial rim's handling. This page covers the ENVE Composites SES 4.5 2022 Disc Front Clincher Rim.
The SES 4.5 is not sold bare. You choose the hub and the rest of the build in the configurator, and it ships from our shop in Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
Smart ENVE System means the front and rear rims are different. The designers shape the front rim for stability, with a profile that keeps steering calm in gusts, and the rear for straight-line aero and stiffness under power, and the two depths in the model name are the result: 39 and 43mm on the 3.4. The 25mm inner width is wide by road standards and is there so a 28mm tire measures about 29mm and sits flush with the rim wall, which is what makes a modern tire aerodynamic.
How it rides
An SES 4.5 wheelset is fast. On a flat, fast road the depth is worth real time over the 3.4, and because the front is shaped for stability it does not tug at the bars the way older 50mm rims did. It is a little heavier than the 3.4 and you notice that on a long climb; on race day you notice the speed.
For climbing and all-round riding the SES 3.4 is the better choice; for racing and fast flat roads, the SES 4.5 is the ENVE rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 558 (29in) |
| Inner width | 25 mm |
| Depth | 50 mm |
| Drillings | 24h |
| Weight | 411g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | Internal |
| Finishes | black |
This listing
This is the 700c listing of the SES 4.5, 24h, about 411g, 25mm inside, 50mm deep, disc. Pick the size that matches your frame; the profile and construction are the same across the range.
The disc version of the SES 4.5 has no brake track, so the sidewall is a plain extrusion that saves a little weight and never wears; it is the one to choose for any disc-brake frame. The rim-brake version, listed separately, has a machined sidewall.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The ENVE Composites SES 4.5 2022 Disc Front Clincher Rim comes in the drillings listed on this page. It is a disc-brake road rim. We build the SES 4.5 on the brand's own hubs, Chris King R45, DT Swiss 240 and 180, Industry Nine SOLiX and White Industries CLD hubs, usually with Sapim CX-Ray or CX-Sprint spokes or DT Aerolite, and brass or alloy nipples.
Tire range on the SES 4.5 is 25 to 30mm, tubeless-ready tires only; the factory optimizes it for 28 to 29mm. Give the configurator your bike type and weight; it picks a sensible spoke count and lacing pattern, which you can override.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the ENVE Composites SES 4.5 2022 Disc Front Clincher Rim — the link drops you into our Custom Wheel Program with this rim pinned, ready for you to choose the rest. It is set up for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed, tandem and e-bike and touring builds.
Spoke head is decided by the hub, not the rim: this rim builds equally well with J-bend or straight-pull spokes, and the configurator only offers the spokes that match the hub you pick.
What ENVE Composites says about testing
ENVE makes and tests its rims in Ogden, Utah. For mountain rims it runs three drop tests, each dropping a calibrated weight onto a wheel with an inflated tire. Test 1 (since 2007) strikes both rim walls and is raised until first visible damage; ENVE requires 10 in for XC, 12 in for trail and 14 in for gravity rims. Test 2 (since 2014) strikes one rim wall to mimic pinch-flat hits, requiring 5 in (XC), 6 in (trail), 8 in (gravity) and 10 in (DH race). Test 3 (since 2021) rotates the wheel between hits so every spoke hole is struck, 100-plus impacts per rim. ENVE states the 2024 M6 improved 47% over the M630 and the M8 21% over the M730.
For hookless road rims ENVE states it has run over 1,000 tire tests in eight years. ISO 4210 requires a tire to hold 110% of its maximum pressure for five minutes (5 bar/72.5 psi for a 28 mm tire); ENVE approves a 28 mm tire only if it holds 120 psi, 165% of the ETRTO/ISO maximum.
ENVE Composites's videos
From ENVE Composites
Certifications
- UCI approved wheels — UCI list version 2024.10.02: SES 2.3 TUBELESS (24.01.2022), SES 3.4 TUBELESS and SES 4.5 TUBELESS and AG25-700C (31.01.2022), SES 6.7 TUBELESS (03.05.2022), 45 and 65 (17.06.2020), G27-700C (19.03.2021), G23-700C (05.07.2019), SES 3.4 ALL ROAD CLINCHER (08.03.2019), SES 4.5 AR and SES 5.6 variants (26.07.2018), SES 3.4 variants (21.07.2017), SES 7.8 variants (14.11.2016) (source)
- ISO 4210 tire retention (referenced) — ENVE states ISO 4210 requires holding 110% of max tire pressure for five minutes and that its own hookless approval requires 120 psi / 165% of the ETRTO/ISO 5 bar maximum for a 28 mm tire (in-house standard, no certificate) (source)
- Limited Lifetime Warranty — Rims: lifetime for original owner; hub internals and bearings 1 year; second-hand owner 5 years from date of manufacture; crash replacement 0-3 years no charge, 3+ years 30% off MSRP (source)
Sources on ENVE Composites's site:
- M Series Impact Testing 2024 - ENVE
- Why Make more Compliant Rims? - ENVE
- Hookless Rim Technology 101 - ENVE
- ENVE | WARRANTY
- Complete Terms and Conditions - ENVE Limited Lifetime Warranty
Everything in this section is published by ENVE Composites. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the rim reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
ENVE makes the SES 4.5; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Every SES 4.5 wheel we build gets spokes cut from the rim's measured ERD, is tensioned in stages with a gauge, stress-relieved and trued before it ships. Tubeless tape and a valve are fitted on request.
The configurator shows only hubs and spokes that match the SES 4.5 drilling, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel live.
Warranty
ENVE Composites's warranty. ENVE gives the original owner a five-year limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, alongside its Lifetime Incident Protection program, which covers rims, forks, bars, stems, seatposts and hubs damaged in riding incidents.
ProWheelBuilder. Our one-year wheel warranty applies to any wheel we build around this part, alongside whatever the manufacturer offers. Inside that year, broken spokes are replaced no matter how they broke, and the wheel labor is ours - truing, re-tensioning or a full rebuild. A rim or hub failure that the maker covers, we claim for you and see through; one the maker declines, we answer with an eligible replacement at 25% off current retail. Shipping both ways is yours, and components you supply yourself fall outside this cover.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
SES 4.5 2022 Disc Front Clincher Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
25mm inside is the all-road and gravel width. Think 32 to 45mm tires: wide enough to support a gravel casing properly so it holds its shape at low pressure, narrow enough that a 30mm road tire still sits right if you swap wheels between bikes.
Which spokes and nipples suit the SES 4.5?
For most riders a double-butted spoke such as Sapim Race or DT Competition with brass nipples; lighter riders can go to Sapim Laser or CX-Ray. The configurator recommends a gauge and count for the SES 4.5 from your bike type and weight.
Why are the front and rear rims different depths?
Smart ENVE System: the front is shaped for crosswind stability and the rear for aero and stiffness, so each gets its own profile and depth.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. ENVE Composites lists the SES 4.5 2022 Disc Front Clincher Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
Which spoke count should I choose?
It depends on your weight, terrain and the hub, not the rim alone. The configurator recommends a count from your bike type and rider weight, within the drillings this rim is made in.
How long will the wheel take?
Build time comes down to parts availability rather than bench time. The estimated ship date is shown in the configurator before you check out.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
