ENVE Composites SES 4.5 PRO Disc Front Clincher Rim
The ENVE SES 4.5 PRO is the race version of ENVE's best-known road rim. It keeps the SES 4.5 shape that made the 4.5 the most successful rim in the pro peloton, then takes weight out of it: about 50 grams less per rim, with a 49mm-deep front, a 55mm-deep rear and a 23.5mm internal width tuned for 28mm tires. ENVE developed it with UAE Team Emirates for riders who want SES 4.5 aerodynamics on mountain stages, and it is the first road product ENVE has given the PRO name. This page covers the ENVE Composites SES 4.5 PRO Disc Front Clincher Rim.
The SES 4.5 PRO is sold here only inside a custom build: choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator and we lace, tension and true it by hand in Georgia.
Design and construction
PRO is ENVE's label for products developed directly with World Tour racers, and on the SES 4.5 PRO the brief was weight. The rim is shallower and narrower outside than the standard SES 4.5, and a new laminate of higher-modulus, lower-areal-weight carbon fiber lets ENVE run thinner sidewalls and a thinner channel. The front rim is 369 grams and the rear 383 grams.
The bead is the part most riders ask about. Removing material from ENVE's Wide Hookless Bead leaves a small 0.5mm hook, so the SES 4.5 PRO is listed as a hooked rim, while the critical tubeless dimensions are held by a new channel manufacturing process. Pinch-flat and impact protection from the wide bead is kept, and the 23.5mm actual inner width is unchanged, so tire volume and rolling resistance are not traded away for the weight saving.
Smart ENVE System still applies: the front profile is shaped for steering calm in gusts and the rear for straight-line aero and stiffness under power, which is why the two depths differ. The rims are 24-hole and use internal nipples.
How it rides
On the road the SES 4.5 PRO feels like a 4.5 that climbs better. The depth still pays on flat, fast roads and the front still stays quiet in a crosswind, but the lower rotating mass shows up every time the road kicks up or the pace surges out of a corner.
It is a narrower-tire rim than the standard SES 4.5. ENVE aero-optimizes it around 27 to 28mm tires, where most riders pair the standard 4.5 with 30mm tires, so it suits riders who race on smooth roads and value weight. If you want one deep rim for rough roads and bigger tires, the standard SES 4.5 is the better choice; if you want the lightest deep SES rim for climbing at race pace, choose the SES 4.5 PRO.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 563 (700c) |
| Inner width | 23.5 mm |
| Outer width | 30.8 mm |
| Depth | 49 mm |
| Position | Front |
| Drillings | 24h |
| Weight | 369g |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Bead | Hooked |
| Recommended tires | 27-28mm |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Brake | Disc |
| Nipples | Internal |
| Decals | Silver or White |
This listing
This is the front rim of the SES 4.5 PRO: 49mm deep, 23.5mm wide inside, hooked, about 369g, 24-hole, disc only. The rear rim is 55mm deep and listed separately, because ENVE shapes the two positions differently; most riders build them as a matched pair.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The ENVE Composites SES 4.5 PRO Disc Front Clincher Rim is a 24-hole, 700c, disc-brake road rim. Minimum tire size is 28mm (27mm for ENVE's own tire), maximum pressure is 100 psi, tubeless tape width is 29mm, and the rim is tubeless-ready. We build the SES 4.5 PRO on hubs from ENVE, Chris King, DT Swiss, Industry Nine and White Industries, usually with Sapim CX-Ray or DT Aerolite spokes.
The front and rear rims are separate listings because their depths and spoke-bed shapes differ. Pick your bike type and rider weight in the configurator and it recommends a lacing pattern for each.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the ENVE Composites SES 4.5 PRO Disc Front Clincher Rim — the link opens 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 with J-bend or straight-pull spokes, and the configurator only offers the spokes that match the hub you pick.
What ENVE says about testing
ENVE designs, molds and tests its carbon rims in Ogden, Utah. The PRO road rims were developed with World Tour racers and built to comply with the UCI's equipment rules. ENVE publishes a 100 psi maximum pressure and a minimum tire width for each rim, and approves tires against its own retention standard, which it describes as stricter than the ISO 4210 test.
Everything in this section is published by ENVE Composites. ProWheelBuilder is the builder, not the tester.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
ENVE makes the SES 4.5 PRO; ProWheelBuilder is an independent builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer, and the factory warranty rides with the rim. Every SES 4.5 PRO build gets spokes cut to ENVE's published ERD, is tensioned in stages with a gauge to the factory specification, 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 24-hole drilling, strikes through combinations that are not offered, and prices the build 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. Any wheel we build on this part carries ProWheelBuilder's one-year warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. Broken spokes are replaced for a year whatever the cause, and all wheel-side labor is included - truing, re-tensioning, rebuilding. Where the maker covers a failed rim or hub we handle that claim for you; where they decline, an eligible replacement comes at 25% off current retail. The customer covers shipping in both directions. Components supplied by the customer are not covered.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
SES 4.5 PRO questions
Is the SES 4.5 PRO hooked or hookless?
Hooked. ENVE lists a 0.5mm hook, created when material was removed from its Wide Hookless Bead, so the rim keeps the wide bead's pinch-flat protection with a small hook added.
How is it different from the standard SES 4.5?
It is about 50 grams lighter per rim, slightly shallower and narrower outside, built from a higher-modulus laminate and optimized for 27 to 28mm tires instead of 30mm.
What tires does the SES 4.5 PRO take?
Tubeless-ready tires from 28mm (27mm ENVE) upward, aero-optimized at 27 to 28mm, with a 100 psi maximum.
Who developed the SES 4.5 PRO?
ENVE, working directly with UAE Team Emirates; it is the first ENVE road product to carry the PRO designation.
How long will the build 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.
