Rolf Prima Ares4 Disc Wheelset
The Rolf Prima Ares4 Disc is the wheel in Rolf's carbon road range that we recommend most often, because it is the one that does not ask you to choose. A 42mm Delta-profile carbon rim gives a real aero benefit on the flat, while a complete weight of 1520 grams (700g front, 820g rear) keeps it honest on climbs. Rolf builds it on its US-made XST 4.4 hubs with the T2 high engagement drive and a titanium freehub, and laces it with 20 Sapim CX-Ray spokes per wheel.
It is aimed at the rider who owns one good disc road bike and wants one good set of wheels for everything: fast group rides, hilly centuries, road racing, the occasional time trial. Bike Rumor's review of the Ares4 summed it up as a wheel whose strength is its ability to do it all, with a rim height and weight appropriate for any type of riding, and that matches what we hear from customers.
Paired-spoke lacing is central to how the Ares4 Disc manages that balance. By bringing spokes to the rim in pairs, Rolf cancels the left and right pull at each pair, which lets it build a 42mm carbon rim into a true, stiff wheel with 20 spokes instead of 24 or 28. Fewer spokes at higher tension means less weight and less drag, and the design has been in Rolf wheels since 1997.
Design and construction
The Ares4 Disc rim is a carbon clincher, 42mm deep, 20mm inner width, in Rolf's Delta profile, tubeless ready and taped from the factory. The Delta shape is designed to keep the wheel stable in crosswinds while still saving watts, and at 42mm it is deep enough to matter without becoming a handful.
Hubs are the XST 4.4, designed and manufactured in the USA and assembled in Eugene, Oregon. They spin on Enduro steel cartridge bearings, with a ceramic Enduro Zero upgrade offered by Rolf. The rear hub uses the T2 high engagement drive, a 48-tooth ring with three independently sprung steel pawls that Rolf rates as twice as fast as its earlier 24-tooth ring. The freehub body is CNC-machined 6Al-4V titanium and is available in Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12 and Campagnolo N3W.
Spokes are Sapim CX-Ray bladed, 20 front and 20 rear, paired. Rotor mount is Center Lock. The Ares4 Disc is offered with a 15mm, 12mm or 9mm QR front axle and a 142mm thru axle or 135mm QR rear, so it fits current thru-axle road frames as well as first-generation disc road bikes.
How it rides
The Ares4 Disc has the kind of ride that makes a rider stop thinking about wheels. It accelerates crisply, the T2 drive engages almost as soon as you pedal, and the 42mm rim holds speed on rolling terrain in a way a 32mm wheel does not. Crosswind behavior is calm for the depth; the Delta profile lets the wind release from the rim rather than grab it, and most riders will not notice the front wheel in anything short of a strong gusting side wind.
The Ares4 Disc suits all-round road riders, racers who want one wheelset for road races and crits, and endurance riders on rolling terrain. Stiffness is enough for sprinting because paired spokes let Rolf run higher tension than a standard 20-spoke wheel. Very heavy or very powerful riders, or those doing mostly flat fast riding, might still prefer the Ares6 Disc; pure mountain climbers can save weight with the Ares3 Disc.
Specifications
| Wheel type | Road |
|---|---|
| Rim | Carbon clincher |
| Rim depth | 42mm |
| Rim width | 28.5mm, 20mm internal |
| Brake | Disc Brake |
| Spoke count (F/R) | 20/20 |
| Spokes | Sapim CX-Ray, bladed |
| Hubset | XST 4.4 T2 High Engagement Enduro steel cartridge bearings |
| Front axle | 15mm, 12mm, 9mm |
| Rear axle | 142mm, 135mm |
| Freehub | Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12, N3W |
| Tire size | Please refer to chart in product images |
| Weight | 1520g [700g/820g] |
| Includes | Taped for |
About this listing
What you are buying here is the Ares4 Disc Wheelset. The choices on this page are front axle: 15mm Thru Axle Front, 12mm Thru Axle Front, 9mm QR Front; rear axle: 142mm Thru Axle Rear, 135mm QR Rear; driver type: Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR, Campagnolo, Campagnolo N3W. This listing is the complete wheelset - front and rear together, not a single wheel.
Fit and compatibility
Disc brake only, Center Lock rotors. Front axle: 15mm thru, 12mm thru or 9mm QR. Rear: 142mm thru or 135mm QR. Freehub: Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12 or Campagnolo N3W, all titanium. There is a separate rim brake Ares4 for caliper-brake frames; this one has no brake track.
Rolf's tire chart places the Ares4 Disc's 20C road rim at 23mm to 32mm tires: 110 psi maximum at 23 to 25mm, 100 psi at 28mm and 80 psi at 30 to 32mm, or the tire maker's limit if lower. With a 20mm inner width, a 28mm tubeless tire measures generously and is the size we would fit for most riders.
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)
Everything in this section is published by Rolf Prima. ProWheelBuilder is the seller, not the tester, and the wheel reaches you as the maker builds it.
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 builds every Ares4 Disc to order by hand in Eugene, Oregon. ProWheelBuilder sells it from Georgia: you choose axles and freehub, we check that against your frame, fork and cassette, and we pass the order to Rolf for building and shipping. Since we build wheels every day we are comfortable telling you when a 135mm QR rear is what your older frame actually needs, or when N3W is the right Campagnolo body.
If you want a wheel in this depth but with a specific hub, a 24-spoke lacing for a heavier rider, or custom colors, we can build one on Astral rims, Rolf's own rim brand, in our shop. Ask and we will give you a straight comparison.
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. This is a complete wheelset built by its manufacturer rather than in our shop, so the maker's warranty above is the one that applies to it. ProWheelBuilder's own one-year wheel warranty covers the wheels we build. We will still handle a manufacturer claim on your behalf.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Ares4 Disc questions
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Ares4 Disc?
No. Rolf Prima makes the Ares4 Disc in Eugene, Oregon. ProWheelBuilder is an authorized reseller in Georgia that sells the wheelset, verifies your configuration and advises on axle and freehub choices.
What is the inner width of the Ares4 Disc rim?
20mm inner width on a 42mm-deep carbon Delta profile rim. Rolf rates it for 23mm to 32mm tires.
How fast does the T2 hub engage?
Rolf's T2 high engagement drive uses a 48-tooth drive ring with three sprung steel pawls and is described by Rolf as twice as fast as its previous 24-tooth ring.
Which axle options can I order?
15mm thru, 12mm thru or 9mm QR front; 142mm thru axle or 135mm QR rear. Rotor mount is Center Lock.
Which freehub bodies are offered?
Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12 and Campagnolo N3W, all CNC-machined titanium.
How does the Ares4 Disc compare with the Ares4 ES Disc?
Same 42mm rim. The Ares4 Disc uses US-made XST 4.4 hubs with T2 drive, titanium freehub and 20 CX-Ray spokes per wheel at 1520g. The ES uses XR 3.1 hubs, an aluminum freehub and 24 spokes per wheel at 1665g.
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.
