Rolf Prima Wheels
Why riders pick Rolf Prima wheels:
- Hand built to order by Rolf in Eugene, Oregon
- Paired-spoke lacing runs through road, gravel, mountain, tandem and track wheels
- Ares carbon in 32mm, 42mm and 60mm depths; Eos adds 7.0 hubs with ceramic bearings
- The Eos3 Rim Brake is the lightest Rolf builds for calipers, at 1,325g a set
Rolf Prima wheels
Rolf Prima wheels, hand built to order in Eugene, Oregon. Rolf brings its spokes to the rim in pairs, and that paired-spoke lacing runs through the whole range: road, all-road, gravel, triathlon, mountain, tandem and track, in alloy and carbon. Sold as complete wheelsets, plus the Ares TT Disc rear wheel.
Why Rolf Prima wheels are different
- Paired spokes. Rolf introduced them in 1997. Left and right spokes meet the rim side by side, so their sideways pull cancels at that point. That lets Rolf use lighter rims and fewer spokes, and fewer spokes means less drag.
- Higher spoke tension. With the sideways pull canceled, Rolf can add tension without pulling the wheel out of true. Rolf says this adds stiffness and spoke life, because a tighter spoke doesn't drop to zero tension as it passes under the rider.
- A larger non-drive rear flange. Rolf's patented Differential Flange Diameter gives the non-drive spokes the leverage to share pedaling torque with the drive side.
- Delta rim profile. On the models that use it, a wider rim with shaped sidewalls improves airflow and crosswind stability, and the extra width supports the tire in corners.
- Internal nipples on road and triathlon models. Inside the rim, the nipple is loaded in compression and sits out of the wind.
- Hand built in Eugene, Oregon. Rolf says each wheel is built three times with two stress cycles, so there is no break-in period.
Rolf Prima carbon road wheels
The Ares is Rolf's carbon race line: the Ares3 Disc and Ares3 Rim Brake are the 32mm climbing wheels, the Ares4 Disc and Ares4 Rim Brake use the 42mm Delta rim, and the Ares6 Disc is the 60mm deep section. The Ares3 Disc is the one we point climbers toward, and the Ares4 Disc is the one we recommend most often. The Ares3 ES Disc, Ares4 ES Disc and Ares6 ES Disc put the same rims on Rolf's more economical XR 3.1 hubs.
The Eos is the top specification, on Rolf's 7.0 hubs with Enduro XD-15 ceramic bearings: the Eos3 Disc, Eos4 Disc and Eos6 Disc, the Eos3 Rim Brake, the lightest wheel Rolf currently builds for caliper brakes at 1,325g per set, the Eos4 Rim Brake, and the Eos4 front and Eos6 rear mixed-depth set.
Rolf Prima alloy road wheels
The Vigor is Rolf's all-time best seller: a 32mm alloy aero rim with paired bladed spokes, 1,515g for rim brakes and 1,635g for disc. The Vigor ES Disc is the entry point and the Vigor Alpha Stealth is the top version. The Elan is the lightweight climbing wheel, 1,345g for rim brakes and 1,445g for disc, and the Elan Alpha Stealth is the top version of it.
Rolf Prima all-road wheels
The Vigor AR keeps the Vigor's aero shape at 30mm deep and opens the inner width to 24mm, and the Vigor AR Stealth is the top alloy version. In carbon, the Ares4 AR is 40mm deep with a 25mm inner width, and the Eos AR is the highest specification all-road wheel Rolf makes.
Rolf Prima gravel wheels
The Hyalite is the alloy gravel wheel most people picture: 700c, disc only, 22mm inner width, 1,525g. The Hyalite 25 steps up to a 25mm inner width for 40 to 50mm tires. The Hyalite Carbon is the carbon version, 25mm deep with a 23mm inner width. The Hyalite ES, Hyalite 25 ES and Hyalite ES Carbon are the same rims on the lower-cost XR 3.1 hubs.
Rolf Prima mountain bike wheels
The Alsea 30 Carbon is the 29-inch carbon wheelset: hookless, 30mm inner width, 1,495g. The Black Rock Carbon is the 27.5-inch hookless carbon trail wheel, 28mm inner width, 1,585g. The Ralos 30 is the alloy wheelset, offered in 27.5-inch as a closeout.
Rolf Prima triathlon and time trial wheels
The Ares6 Disc is the wheel Rolf's sponsored triathletes race on. The Ares TT Disc is a full disc rear wheel built with HED Composites, and the Ares6 Disc and Ares TT Disc Race Kit sells the 60mm front and the disc rear as one kit.
Rolf Prima tandem wheels
Road tandems have the Tandem Road Alloy Rim Brake, the Tandem Road Alloy Disc and the Tandem Road Carbon, which uses the 32mm Ares3 carbon profile. The Tandem Carbon AR is the adventure wheel, 40mm deep with a 25mm inner width.
Rolf Prima track and fixed-gear wheels
Closeouts on US-made high-flange track hubs with 120mm rear spacing: the Vigor FX in 32mm alloy, the Ares4 FX at 42mm, and the Eos6 FX at 60mm.
Custom wheels on Astral rims
Rather choose every part yourself? Astral is Rolf Prima’s own rim line, and you can build a custom wheel on Astral rims in our Custom Wheel Program.
