Rolf Prima Ares3 ES Disc Wheelset
The Rolf Prima Ares3 ES Disc puts the same 32mm carbon tubeless rim as the flagship Ares3 Disc on Rolf's more economical XR 3.1 hubset. The result is a carbon climbing wheel at 1580 grams (710g front, 870g rear) that is priced closer to a good alloy set than to most carbon wheels, without changing who builds it or where. It is still laced by hand in Eugene, Oregon, and still covered by Rolf's Certainty program.
This is the Ares3 for the rider who wants carbon rims and Rolf's paired-spoke ride on a disc road or endurance bike but does not need titanium freehubs and US-machined hubs to get there. It also happens to be the Ares3 that offers a Shimano Micro Spline freehub, which makes it a practical choice for a road bike running GRX 12-speed.
Paired spokes are what let the Ares3 ES Disc use a 32mm carbon rim without the fragility you might expect. Spokes arrive at the rim in pairs so their sideways pull cancels, the rim is not bent between single spokes, and Rolf can build a light rim into a wheel that stays true. On the ES that principle is applied with 24 spokes per wheel, four more than the top-tier Ares3 Disc, which adds a little weight but also a little margin for heavier riders.
Design and construction
The Ares3 ES Disc rim is a carbon clincher, 32mm deep, 19mm inner width, tubeless compatible and shipped taped. It is the same tubeless-ready 32mm profile Rolf uses across the Ares3 family, so the low crosswind sensitivity and quick feel carry over unchanged.
Hubs are Rolf's XR 3.1, designed in the USA and fitted with sealed steel cartridge bearings and a forged aluminum freehub body. Rotor mount is Center Lock. The front axle is 12mm thru as standard, and Rolf offers a kit to convert it to 15mm thru or 9mm quick release. The rear is 142mm thru axle. Freehub bodies offered on the Ares3 ES Disc are Shimano HG 11, SRAM XDR 11/12 and Shimano Micro Spline 12.
Spokes are Sapim CX Speed bladed, 24 front and 24 rear, in Rolf's paired lacing. The ES does not use the T2 high engagement drive or titanium freehub of the XST 4.4 hub; that is the main functional difference between this wheel and the standard Ares3 Disc.
How it rides
Because the rim is identical, the Ares3 ES Disc climbs and handles very much like its more expensive sibling. The 140 grams it gives up are almost entirely in the hubs and the extra four spokes per wheel, which you feel less than rim weight. What you notice is a slightly slower pickup when you resume pedaling, since the XR 3.1 hub does not have the 48-tooth T2 ring, and a marginally more forgiving feel from the higher spoke count.
The Ares3 ES Disc suits riders on disc endurance bikes who want a lighter, quicker wheel than the stock alloy set that came with the bike, riders building a carbon climbing wheel on a budget, and anyone whose riding is hilly enough that a 32mm rim makes more sense than a 42mm or 60mm one. For flatter, faster riding the Ares4 ES Disc trades a little weight for more aero benefit.
Specifications
| Wheel type | Road |
|---|---|
| Rim | Carbon clincher |
| Rim depth | 32mm |
| Rim width | 27mm, 19mm internal |
| Brake | Disc Brake |
| Spoke count (F/R) | 24/24 |
| Spokes | Sapim CX Speed, bladed |
| Hubset | XR 3.1 Steel cartridge bearings |
| Front axle | 12mm [15mm,9mm- kit] |
| Rear axle | 142mm |
| Freehub | Shimano HG11, SRAM XDR 11/12, MS12 |
| Tire size | Please refer to chart in product images |
| Weight | 1580g [710g/870g] |
| Includes | Taped for |
About this listing
What you are buying here is the Ares3 ES Disc Wheelset. The choices on this page are driver type: Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR, Shimano Micro Spline. This listing is the complete wheelset - front and rear together, not a single wheel.
Fit and compatibility
Fitment is disc-only, Center Lock, 12mm thru axle front and 142mm thru axle rear as supplied. If your fork uses a 15mm or 9mm QR front axle, order the conversion kit. There is no 135mm QR rear option on the ES hubs, so check that your frame is 142x12 before ordering. Freehub choices are Shimano HG 11, SRAM XDR 11/12 or Shimano Micro Spline; Campagnolo bodies are not offered on the ES.
Rolf's tire chart puts its 19C road rims, including the Ares3 ES Disc, at 23mm to 32mm tires, with maximum pressures of 110 psi at 23 to 25mm, 100 psi at 28mm and 80 psi at 30 to 32mm. Always respect the lower of Rolf's limit and the tire manufacturer's.
Testing, standards and warranty at Rolf Prima
Rolf Prima builds every complete wheelset by hand at its facility in Eugene, Oregon. The company states that all orders are built by hand there by its own builders, and describes its process as building each wheel three times with two stress cycles in the build to seat and stretch all components. Rolf Prima says hand building lets it hit uniform spoke tensions that machine building cannot match, and that its design allows higher and more targeted spoke tension than a traditionally laced wheel, which it credits with increasing stiffness and improving spoke durability by decreasing the load cycle on each spoke.
The defining feature of a Rolf Prima wheel is Paired Spoke Technology, introduced in 1997. Bringing the spokes to the rim in pairs neutralizes the left and right outward pulling forces, which Rolf Prima says allows it to build true wheels on lighter rims with fewer spokes. Fewer spokes and lighter rims are the basis of the brand's aerodynamic and weight claims. The wheel systems combine paired spokes with the Delta rim profile, internal nipples, and patented details including the Jacketed Nipple, Self-Aligning Nipple, Differential Flange Diameter and Dish Reducing Design. Rolf Prima cites eleven patents behind its technology.
Rolf Prima runs an in-house engineering and testing lab and states it uses the ISO 4210 standard as a base starting point but considers it not tough enough, so it applies its own in-house standards. Published test capabilities include an in-house drum fatigue tester it calls the Thrasher, which compresses years of riding into days; an impact test using a weight calibrated steel anvil that exceeds the UCI 40 joule requirement, striking at spokes, between spokes and at the valve hole; lateral and radial stiffness measurement of rims alone and complete wheels; brake energy, distance and temperature testing developed for carbon clinchers; wind tunnel evaluation; and field testing by sponsored athletes. The Certainty page cites over 10,000 hours of lab testing to above industry standards.
On racing eligibility, Rolf Prima explains that UCI approval only matters for mass start UCI road races, UCI cyclocross and draft legal ITU triathlon. Its standard wheels (Aspin and the Elan family) do not require approval, while most of its deeper or lower spoke count models are non standard and are listed on the UCI approval registry. Rolf Prima does not publish a fixed rider weight limit; it says every wheel has limits that involve riding style and road conditions as well as weight, and directs heavier or more aggressive riders toward stiffer models such as Vigor, Echelon or Ares6. All road wheels can be set up tubeless with the brand's tubeless kit, and adventure, cyclocross and mountain models ship tubeless ready with tape and valves installed.
Rolf Prima backs its wheels with the Certainty program: a five year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship for the original owner, lifetime crash replacement at a discount for registered wheels, a 30 day trade out or return window in the USA, replacement parts availability for any Rolf Prima wheel regardless of age, and stated service response times of same day to 24 hours on calls and email with service work resolved within three days of receipt.
Rolf Prima's videos
From Rolf Prima
Warranty and certifications
- Limited warranty — Five years from original retail purchase against defects in materials and workmanship (2016 and newer wheels), original owner, non transferable; decals and bearings two years (source)
- Certainty program — Five year warranty, lifetime crash replacement, 30 day trade out or return in the USA, replacement parts for any Rolf Prima wheel regardless of age, same day to 24 hour service replies, service work resolved within three days of receipt (source)
- Crash replacement — Lifetime crash repair or replacement discount for the original owner; wheels must be registered within 30 days of purchase; proof of purchase and serial numbers required; freight not covered (source)
- UCI approval — Non standard models (rims taller than 25 mm, fewer than 16 spokes) are listed on the UCI approval registry; Aspin and Elan are standard wheels that need no approval (source)
- Test standards — ISO 4210 used as the base with tougher in-house standards; impact test exceeds the UCI 40 J requirement; in-house drum fatigue, stiffness, brake and wind tunnel testing (source)
- Hand built in USA — All wheels hand built in Eugene, Oregon; each wheel built three times with two stress cycles; eleven patents (source)
Sources on Rolf Prima's site:
- Rolf Prima: Testing
- Rolf Prima: Paired Spoke Technology
- Rolf Prima: Our Technology
- Rolf Prima: Certainty Program
- Rolf Prima: Warranty
- Rolf Prima: FAQ (UCI, rider weight, build process)
The figures, certificates and media above are Rolf Prima's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; we sell the wheel and stand behind the order.
A note on Rolf Prima
Rolf still fields service questions on Vector wheelsets with thirty years and more of riding on them. That is the practical case for a company that stayed in one place doing one thing: the wheel is older than a lot of bike shops and can still be sorted out.
Ordering it from ProWheelBuilder
Rolf Prima hand-builds every Ares3 ES Disc to order in Eugene, Oregon. ProWheelBuilder in Georgia sells the wheelset, checks your axle and freehub choices against your bike, and sends the order to Rolf, who builds, tapes and ships it. If you are unsure whether your GRX or Ultegra cassette needs HG or Micro Spline, or whether your fork is 12mm or 15mm, tell us the bike and we will sort it out before the order goes in.
If you decide you want the full XST 4.4 hub with the T2 drive, that is the standard Ares3 Disc and we sell that too. And if you would rather have a custom build on Rolf's Astral rims with a hub of your choosing, we build those in-house.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Rolf Prima gives a one-year limited warranty on its wheels under normal use. Astral is Rolf Prima's rim brand; ask us and we will confirm the current terms for the exact rim before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. These wheels were built at the factory, not on our bench, so it is the maker's warranty above that stands behind them - our own one-year wheel warranty covers wheels we lace ourselves. If you do need to claim, we will deal with the manufacturer for you.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Ares3 ES Disc questions
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Ares3 ES Disc?
No. Rolf Prima builds the Ares3 ES Disc by hand in Eugene, Oregon. We are a reseller in Georgia that sells the wheelset, checks your order and advises on compatibility.
What is different between the Ares3 ES Disc and the Ares3 Disc?
Same 32mm carbon rim. The ES uses the XR 3.1 hub with steel cartridge bearings and a forged aluminum freehub, 24 spokes per wheel and weighs 1580g. The Ares3 Disc uses the US-made XST 4.4 hub with T2 drive and a titanium freehub, 20 spokes per wheel, at 1440g.
Does the Ares3 ES Disc support Shimano Micro Spline?
Yes. It is offered with Shimano HG 11, SRAM XDR 11/12 or Shimano Micro Spline 12 freehub bodies.
What axle standards does it use?
12mm thru axle front and 142mm thru axle rear. Rolf offers a kit to convert the front to 15mm thru or 9mm QR. There is no 135mm QR rear option.
Can I run tubeless?
Yes. The rim is tubeless compatible and ships taped; add valves and sealant. Rolf rates the rim for 23mm to 32mm tires.
Is it covered by Rolf's warranty?
Yes. The Ares3 ES Disc carries Rolf's Certainty program: five-year warranty, lifetime crash replacement and a 30-day trade-out or return window for US customers on non-custom orders.
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 wheels for a living.
