Rolf Prima Ares6 Disc And Ares TT Disc Race Kit
The Rolf Prima Ares6 Disc and Ares TT Disc race kit is Rolf's complete time trial and triathlon setup in one order: a 60mm Ares6 Disc front wheel and the Ares TT Disc rear, built in collaboration with HED Composites. Both wheels use Rolf's tubeless-ready Ares6 carbon profile with a 20mm inner width, both run US-made XST 4.4 hubs, and both are built to order in Eugene, Oregon.
The kit exists because this is the pairing Rolf's own triathlon pros use and because buying the two together removes the guesswork of matching a front to a disc. It suits riders on disc-brake TT and tri bikes who want the fastest wheels Rolf makes and want them to arrive as a set, with matching tape, matching hubs and one Certainty registration.
Paired spokes are the reason the front half of this kit works. The Ares6 Disc front carries 20 spokes in Rolf's paired lacing, which lets a 60mm carbon rim be built true and stiff with fewer spokes than a conventional wheel and keeps the front at 695 grams. That front is what makes the race kit rideable in wind; the disc rear provides the speed.
Design and construction
The front is an Ares6 Disc: carbon clincher, 60mm deep, 20mm inner width, 20 Sapim CX Speed bladed spokes in pairs, XST 4.4 front hub with Enduro steel cartridge bearings, Center Lock rotor mount, 695 grams. Front axle is chosen at order time from 12mm thru, 15mm thru or 9mm QR.
The rear is the Ares TT Disc: a carbon disc built on the same Ares6 tubeless clincher profile, 20mm inner width, 1195 grams. Its XST 4.4 rear hub is designed and manufactured in the USA, assembled in Eugene, and uses the T2 high engagement drive with a 48-tooth ring and three sprung steel pawls, which Rolf rates as twice as fast as its older 24-tooth ring. The freehub is CNC-machined 6Al-4V titanium in Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12 or Campagnolo N3W. Rear axle is 142mm thru or 135mm QR.
Both wheels are disc brake only, Center Lock, ship taped for tubeless and are covered by Rolf's Certainty program.
How it rides
The Ares6 Disc and Ares TT Disc race kit is the fastest configuration Rolf sells, and it feels that way on a flat or rolling course. The Ares TT Disc rear holds speed with very little effort, and because it sits on a wide tubeless bed the ride is more settled than older disc wheels. The Ares6 Disc front is stable enough in wind for most riders to use the race kit on all but the gustiest days, which is exactly why Rolf pairs the disc with a 60mm front rather than an 80mm or 90mm one.
The race kit suits triathletes at any distance, time trialists, and riders doing flat road races or record attempts. It is not an everyday training wheelset, and it is not the right choice for hilly courses where a spoked Ares6 rear or an Ares4 Disc set would climb better. Rolf names the Ares6 as one of its stiffer wheels, so heavier and more powerful riders are well served here.
Specifications
| Wheel type | Road |
|---|---|
| Rim | Carbon clincher |
| Rim depth | 60mm |
| Rim width | 29mm, 20mm internal |
| Brake | Disc Brake |
| Front axle | 12mm, 15mm, 9mm |
| Tire size | Please refer to chart in product images |
| Weight | 695g |
| Includes | Taped for |
| Second build weight | 1195g |
| Second build brake | Disc |
This listing
This listing is the Ares6 Disc And Ares TT Disc Race Kit as Rolf Prima sells it. The choices on this page are front axle: 12mm Thru Axle Front, 15mm Thru Axle Front, 9mm QR Front. Price and availability follow Rolf Prima's own list, refreshed every night.
Fit and compatibility
Race kit front axle: 12mm thru, 15mm thru or 9mm QR. Rear axle: 142mm thru or 135mm QR. Rotors are Center Lock front and rear; 6-bolt rotors need adapters. Freehub bodies on the Ares TT Disc rear are Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12 and Campagnolo N3W, all titanium. The race kit is disc brake only and does not fit rim brake TT frames.
Tires follow Rolf's 20C road rim chart: 23mm to 32mm, with maximum pressures of 110 psi at 23 to 25mm, 100 psi at 28mm and 80 psi at 30 to 32mm. A 25mm or 28mm tire front and rear is the usual race setup. Check disc clearance at the seat tube of your frame before ordering.
How Rolf Prima tests its wheels
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)
Rolf Prima publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder sells the finished wheel and does not test it in a lab.
A note on Rolf Prima
The paired-spoke design is why a Rolf wheel looks the way it does, and it is not styling. Grouping the spokes in pairs lets the rim carry fewer, better-supported spoke holes, which is how Rolf builds a stiff wheel at a low spoke count. Trek licensed the technology for a period, which is why riders of a certain vintage recognize the look.
Ordering it from ProWheelBuilder
Rolf Prima builds both wheels in the Ares6 Disc and Ares TT Disc race kit to order in Eugene, Oregon. ProWheelBuilder in Georgia sells the kit, takes your front axle, rear axle and freehub choices, checks them against your frame and drivetrain, and forwards the order to Rolf. We will also ask about your frame model, because full disc rears and TT frames occasionally do not get along, and we would rather find that out before Rolf starts building.
If you want a spoked Ares6 Disc rear instead of the disc, that is the standard Ares6 Disc wheelset and we sell it separately. For a custom deep-section wheel on a different hub we build on Astral rims, Rolf's own rim brand.
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.
Ares6 Disc And Ares TT Disc Race Kit questions
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the race kit?
No. Rolf Prima builds the Ares6 Disc front and the Ares TT Disc rear in Eugene, Oregon, the rear in collaboration with HED Composites. ProWheelBuilder resells the kit, checks your order and advises on fit.
What is in the Ares6 Disc and Ares TT Disc race kit?
A 60mm Ares6 Disc front wheel (695g, 20 paired spokes, XST 4.4 hub) and an Ares TT Disc carbon disc rear wheel (1195g, XST 4.4 hub with T2 drive and titanium freehub). Both are tubeless, taped and Center Lock.
Which axle options can I choose?
Front: 12mm thru, 15mm thru or 9mm QR. Rear: 142mm thru or 135mm QR.
Which freehub bodies are offered?
Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12 and Campagnolo N3W.
Can I ride the race kit in wind?
The 60mm Ares6 front is manageable for most riders in moderate wind. The disc rear pushes the back of the bike rather than steering it. Very gusty days are still hard on any deep front.
Does it come with rotors or a cassette?
No. Rotors and cassette are not included. The kit ships taped for tubeless with Rolf's Certainty coverage.
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.
