Rolf Prima Vigor Rim Brake Special Edition Silver Wheelset
The Rolf Prima Vigor Special Edition Silver wheelset is a limited run of Rolf's best-selling rim brake Vigor with a polished silver finish and silver Sapim bladed spokes. Mechanically it is the standard Vigor rim brake wheel: a 32mm alloy aero rim with a 20mm inner width, 16 front and 20 rear paired spokes, and US-made TdF 4.4 hubs with the T2 high engagement drive and a titanium freehub, at 1515 grams. Rolf builds it to order in Eugene, Oregon in small batches.
Rolf has offered polished silver editions of a few other models, and the Vigor Special Edition Silver exists because customers asked for the same treatment on the Vigor. It is for riders on rim brake bikes, particularly classic steel and titanium frames, who want a modern, fast alloy wheel that looks right on a bike with silver components.
Paired spokes are as much a part of this wheel as the finish. Each pair of spokes meets the rim together so the left and right pull cancels at the pair, letting Rolf run high tension on 16 front and 20 rear spokes and build a 32mm alloy rim that is both light and stiff. On a polished wheel the paired lacing is also visually distinctive, which is part of the appeal.
Design and construction
The Vigor Special Edition Silver rim is a polished silver alloy clincher, 32mm deep, 20mm inner width, tubeless compatible and shipped taped. The profile is identical to the standard Vigor rim, so the aero behavior and handling are unchanged.
Hubs are Rolf's TdF 4.4 rim brake hubs with quick release axles, designed and manufactured in the USA, assembled in Eugene, and fitted with Enduro steel cartridge bearings. The rear carries the T2 high engagement drive, a 48-tooth ring with three sprung steel pawls that Rolf rates as twice as fast as its earlier 24-tooth ring, and a CNC-machined 6Al-4V titanium freehub in Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12 or Campagnolo N3W.
Spokes are silver Sapim CX-Ray and CX Speed bladed, 16 front and 20 rear, paired. The set ships with quick release skewers, tubeless tape and Rolf's Certainty coverage. Rolf describes the run as limited, built in small numbers with ship dates announced as batches are completed, and it is offered on a pre-order basis.
How it rides
The Vigor Special Edition Silver rides exactly like the standard Vigor rim brake wheelset, which is to say very well. It accelerates quickly for an alloy wheel, holds speed on rolling roads, and is stiff enough for sprinting and for heavier riders; Rolf lists the Vigor among the wheels it recommends to riders who are too heavy or too hard on equipment for its lightweight models. The T2 drive engages immediately and the alloy brake track brakes predictably in all weather.
The Vigor Special Edition Silver suits riders on rim brake road bikes who want one wheelset for training and racing, and especially riders with classic or custom frames where a black wheel would look wrong. Because it is built in limited batches, it is a wheel to order when you see it available rather than one to plan around.
Specifications
| Wheel type | Road |
|---|---|
| Rim | Alloy clincher |
| Rim depth | 32mm |
| Rim width | 23mm, internal 20mm |
| Brake | Rim Brake |
| Spoke count (F/R) | 16/20 |
| Spokes | Silver Sapim CX-Ray & CX Speed, bladed |
| Hubset | TdF4.4 T2 High Engagement Enduro steel cartridge bearings |
| Front axle | QR |
| Rear axle | QR |
| Freehub | Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12, N3W |
| Tire size | Please refer to chart in product images |
| Weight | 1515g [645g/870g] |
| Includes | Taped for |
This version
This page is the Vigor Rim Brake Special Edition Silver Wheelset itself, not a custom build. The choices on this page are 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
Rim brake frames only, 100mm front and 130mm rear quick release. The Vigor Special Edition Silver has no rotor mount and cannot be converted to disc. Freehub bodies are Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12 and Campagnolo N3W in titanium, chosen when you order.
Rolf's tire chart rates its 20C road rims 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. On a rim brake frame the caliper and stay clearance will usually be the practical limit, so measure before choosing anything wider than 28mm. Tan-wall tires look particularly good on the polished rim.
What Rolf Prima says about testing
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 Vigor is Rolf's longest-running profile and their best seller, and the ES version has been a staple of triathlon wheel choices for fifteen years. A rim shape that survives that long in a market this faddish is usually telling you something.
Ordering it from ProWheelBuilder
Rolf Prima builds each Vigor Special Edition Silver wheelset to order in Eugene, Oregon as part of a limited run. ProWheelBuilder in Georgia sells it, takes your freehub choice, confirms it matches your cassette, and passes the order to Rolf. Because this is a pre-order item built in batches, we will tell you what Rolf's current ship timing is when you order rather than guess.
If the Vigor Special Edition Silver run has sold out, or you want a silver wheel on a different hub or with a different spoke count, we build custom polished and silver wheels on Astral rims, Rolf's own rim brand, in our shop and can match silver hubs from White Industries, Paul or Phil Wood.
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. Because this wheelset comes assembled from its maker, the warranty that applies is theirs, set out above; ProWheelBuilder's one-year wheel warranty is for wheels we build here. Either way, a claim goes through us and we will manage it.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Vigor Rim Brake Special Edition Silver questions
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Vigor Special Edition Silver?
No. Rolf Prima builds it in Eugene, Oregon as a limited run. ProWheelBuilder resells it from Georgia, checks your order and advises on freehub choice.
What is different from the standard Vigor rim brake wheelset?
The finish only: polished silver rims and silver Sapim bladed spokes. Rim profile, 16/20 paired lacing, TdF 4.4 hubs, T2 drive, titanium freehub and 1515g weight are the same as the standard Vigor.
Is a disc version available in silver?
Rolf lists the Special Edition Silver as a rim brake wheelset. The standard Vigor Disc is offered in Rolf's regular finish.
What is the rim width?
20mm inner width, on a 32mm-deep alloy rim rated by Rolf for 23mm to 32mm tires.
Is it a pre-order?
Yes. Rolf builds the Vigor Special Edition Silver in small batches with ship dates announced as sets are completed. We will confirm current timing when you order.
Which freehub bodies are offered?
Shimano HG 10/11, SRAM XDR 11/12, Campagnolo 11/12 and Campagnolo N3W, all CNC-machined titanium.
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.
