Rolf Prima Ares6 ES Disc Wheelset
The Rolf Prima Ares6 ES Disc is the more affordable way to get Rolf's 60mm carbon race rim. It uses the same tubeless-ready Ares6 rim as the standard Ares6 Disc, but laces it with 24 paired spokes per wheel to Rolf's XR 3.1 hubset. The finished set weighs 1795 grams (820g front, 975g rear) and is still hand-built to order in Eugene, Oregon.
It is meant for the age-group triathlete, the club time trialist and the flat-road racer who wants the aero advantage of a deep carbon wheel from a US builder without paying for titanium freehubs and US-machined hub shells. Rolf's own description is blunt about the trade: the ES keeps the rim and the build quality, and you step up to the standard Ares6 for the hub upgrade.
Paired spokes matter on the Ares6 ES Disc for the same reason they matter on every Rolf wheel. Spokes reach the rim in pairs so that the left and right pull cancel at each pair, letting a deep carbon rim be built true and stiff with fewer spokes than a conventional lacing. The ES uses 24 per wheel, four more than the top Ares6 Disc, which gives a little more margin for heavier riders and long race days.
Design and construction
The rim is a carbon clincher, 60mm deep, 20mm inner width, tubeless compatible and shipped taped. It is Rolf's deepest road rim and it is the same profile fitted to the Ares6 Disc and the Ares6 front of the race kit.
Hubs are the XR 3.1, designed in the USA, with sealed steel cartridge bearings and a forged aluminum freehub body. Rotor mount is Center Lock. The front axle is 12mm thru as supplied, and Rolf offers a conversion kit for 15mm thru or 9mm QR forks. The rear is 142mm thru axle. Freehub bodies available on the Ares6 ES Disc are Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12 and Shimano Micro Spline 12. The XR 3.1 does not include the T2 high engagement ring found on the XST 4.4.
Spokes are Sapim CX Speed bladed, 24 front and 24 rear, in Rolf's paired lacing.
How it rides
The rim does most of the work on a 60mm wheel, so the Ares6 ES Disc rides much like its dearer sibling on the flat: it holds speed well, it rewards a steady effort, and it is stable enough in crosswinds that most riders will use it as an everyday race wheel rather than a special-occasion one. The 80 grams it adds over the standard Ares6 Disc sit in the hubs and spokes, and the slower hub engagement is the difference you will actually notice.
The Ares6 ES Disc is a good match for triathletes racing sprint through half distance, for time trialists who do not want a disc rear, and for road riders whose local terrain is flat. For hilly riding, or for lighter riders on exposed roads, the Ares4 ES Disc is the better all-rounder. Heavier riders will appreciate the 24-spoke lacing of the Ares6 ES Disc over the 20-spoke standard model.
Specifications
| Wheel type | Road |
|---|---|
| Rim | Carbon clincher |
| Rim depth | 60mm |
| Rim width | 29mm, internal 20mm |
| Brake | Disc Brake |
| Spoke count (F/R) | 24/24 |
| Spokes | Sapim CX Speed, bladed |
| Hubset | XR3.1 Steel cartridge bearings |
| Front axle | 12mm [15mm,9mm- kit] |
| Rear axle | 142mm |
| Freehub | Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, MS12 |
| Tire size | Please refer to chart in product images |
| Weight | 1795g [820g/975g] |
| Includes | Taped for |
What this page sells
About this Ares6 ES Disc Wheelset listing. 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
Disc brake only, Center Lock. Front axle is 12mm thru, convertible to 15mm or 9mm QR with Rolf's kit. Rear is 142mm thru axle only; there is no 135mm QR option on the XR 3.1. Freehub choices are Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12 or Shimano Micro Spline; Campagnolo is not offered on the ES.
Rolf's tire chart rates the Ares6 ES Disc's 20C rim for 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. For racing, a 25mm or 28mm tire is the faster setup.
Rolf Prima's testing and certifications
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 Prima builds by hand in Eugene, Oregon. Hand-built at the factory means what it means here, that each wheel is tensioned and trued by a person rather than released by a machine, which is why we are comfortable selling them beside the wheels we build ourselves.
Ordering it from ProWheelBuilder
Rolf Prima builds the Ares6 ES Disc to order in Eugene, Oregon. ProWheelBuilder in Georgia sells it, confirms your axle and freehub selections against your bike, and passes the order to Rolf, who laces, tensions and tapes the set before shipping. If your fork is 15mm we will add the conversion kit; if your bike is still on a 135mm QR rear we will tell you this hub will not fit and point you at the standard Ares6 Disc instead.
For a deep carbon wheel on a different hub, or a custom lacing, we build on Astral rims, Rolf's own rim brand, in our own shop.
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.
Ares6 ES Disc questions
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Ares6 ES Disc?
No. Rolf Prima builds it by hand in Eugene, Oregon. ProWheelBuilder in Georgia is a reseller that sells the wheelset, checks your order and advises on compatibility.
How does the Ares6 ES Disc differ from the Ares6 Disc?
Same 60mm carbon rim. The ES uses XR 3.1 hubs with steel cartridge bearings and an aluminum freehub, 24 spokes per wheel, at 1795g. The Ares6 Disc uses US-made XST 4.4 hubs with T2 drive and a titanium freehub, 20 spokes per wheel, at 1715g.
What freehub bodies are available?
Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12 and Shimano Micro Spline 12.
What axles does it take?
12mm thru front, with a Rolf kit for 15mm or 9mm QR forks, and 142mm thru axle rear.
What tires should I run?
Rolf rates the 20mm inner width rim for 23mm to 32mm tires. For racing, 25mm or 28mm is the faster setup.
Is it a good triathlon wheel?
Yes. It is the value version of the wheel Rolf's pro triathletes race, with the same rim and the same hand-built construction.
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.
