ENVE Composites SES 4.5 2022 Disc Rear 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 Rear Clincher Rim.
The SES 4.5 is sold here only inside a wheel we build: choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator and the finished wheel ships from 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 | 547 (29in) |
| Inner width | 25 mm |
| Depth | 56 mm |
| Drillings | 24h |
| Weight | 415g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | Internal |
| Finishes | black |
This version
This version is the SES 4.5 in 700c, drilled 24h, about 415g, 25mm inside, 56mm deep, disc. Where the same rim is sold in another size or brake type, that is a separate listing with its own page.
This is the disc-brake SES 4.5: plain sidewalls, no brake track to wear, a touch lighter. It fits any disc-brake bike and it is the version most of our customers now build; the rim-brake version is a separate listing.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The ENVE Composites SES 4.5 2022 Disc Rear 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. The configurator recommends spoke count and lacing from your bike type and weight.
Build a wheel around it
Offered for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed, tandem and e-bike and touring builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the ENVE Composites SES 4.5 2022 Disc Rear Clincher Rim and the configurator pins it for you, then checks each choice you make against it.
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.
How ENVE Composites tests its rims
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.
ENVE's Limited Lifetime Warranty covers rims for life for the original owner (proof of purchase required); hub internals and bearings one year; second-hand owners five years from date of manufacture. Crash replacement supplies a new rim at no charge within three years of purchase and at 30% off list price after that. SES 2.3, 3.4, 4.5 and 6.7 tubeless wheels are on the UCI approved list (approvals 24 January to 3 May 2022).
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
ENVE Composites publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
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. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
SES 4.5 2022 Disc Rear 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 ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the ENVE Composites SES 4.5 2022 Disc Rear Clincher Rim?
We are not. ENVE Composites manufactures the rim; ProWheelBuilder's part is the wheel: measuring, lacing, tensioning and truing it here in Georgia.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. ENVE Composites lists the SES 4.5 2022 Disc Rear 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.
