Specialized Roval 321 Disc - Rim Brake Rear
Details
Making up about 50% of your total race time, the bike portion of a triathlon is where equipment choices can make the difference between first and fifth. And no other equipment choice will save you more time than a disc wheel. While traditionally-shaped disc wheels are faster than their spoked counterparts, the 321 disc turns conventional design on its head, creating the fastest wheel available.
Disc wheels often fall into two categories—a completely flat shape, with structure coming from carbon fiber and a honeycomb-foam filling, or a spoked wheel that's been faired with a carbon fiber cover. In our quest to break traditions, the 321 uses a single layer of 1k carbon fiber on each side of the wheel, and it all comes together at the brake track bridge. This kind of carbon fiber is rarely used in bicycle components due to its high manufacturing cost, but it offers a bevy of performance benefits. This coveted carbon is much lighter than other layups, like 3k and 12k, and it can only be laid by the most skilled of carbon fiber craftsmen. It's complicated, but the payout is worth it, as it delivers a supple ride and one of the lightest disc wheels available. And in the real world, this means that it'll spin-up quickly and reduce fatigue over the long haul.
Stiffness is often the “hot-topic” in the disc wheel world, but we think it’s an interesting conversation. It's long been thought that efficient power transfer and high stiffness are directly correlated, but through extensive field testing, we've determined that this isn't the case at all. In fact, our initial disc was so stiff that, under power, it wouldn't flex with the frame and this caused brake rub. This wrongly creates the perception of a flexy wheel, when really, the wheel is actually too stiff. In order to solve the brake rub problem, we first designed our optimal aero shape and then worked on our internal stiffness targets to fit within what we consider to be a desirable frame stiffness.
And while light overall weight was a development priority, our focus was aerodynamics. Through hours of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and testing in the Win Tunnel, we developed a new-to-category shape that's optimized to work with a tire for on-bike airflow. What this translates to is an all-carbon disc wheel that, on the non-drive-side, has a shape that's as aerodynamic as our current understanding allows, and a drive-side shape that's as aerodynamic as the wheel-dish and derailleur clearance will allow for.
To save every possible watt, we've also added CeramicSpeed bearings and DT Swiss 240 hub internals into our hub. Each 321 Disc wheel is also 2Bliss-Ready out of the box and comes with a padded wheel bag, quick-release, tubeless valve, and SwissStop Black Prince brake pads.
Designed for the most uncompromising athletes in the world, with engineering to match, the 321 Disc is the world's most advanced disc wheel for your race against the clock.
- Rim Type: Carbon clincher, 2Bliss Ready
- Rim Material: Carbon
- Braking Surface: Carbon Fiber
- Brake Track Height: 12mm
- Rim Depth: Solid Disc
- Rim Width: 19mm internal, 27.3mm external (at brake track)
- Rear Hub: Roval Disc, CeramicSpeed bearings, DT Swiss 240 internals, 11-speed
- Assembly Method: Handmade
- Extras: Roval padded wheel bag, Roval steel quick-release, Roval tubeless valve, SwissStop Black Prince brake pads, Roval valve pocket covers
- Weight: 1000g
Going tubeless allows you to run lower tire pressures without the added weight of a tube. Lower tire pressure has many benefits, including greater traction, lower rolling resistance over rough surfaces, and decreased risk of a puncture-related flat.
Tubeless-ready rims and tires are parts of a complete system that eliminate the need for tubes by creating an airtight chamber between the rim and tire. Liquid sealant is added to the chamber to fill small punctures and maintain air pressure while you ride.
UST (Universal Standard for Tubeless) is a specific type of tubeless system that dictates the shape of the rim and tire bead. UST rims should be paired with UST-specific tires for best results.
Carbon-compatible brake pads included
Specs
Rim Material | Carbon |
---|---|
Brake Compatibility | Rim |
Rim Depth | Solid Disc |
Inner Rim Width | 19mm |
Outer Rim Width | 27.3mm (at brake track) |
Hub | Roval Disc, CeramicSpeed bearings, DT Swiss 240 internals, 11-speed |
Extras | Roval padded wheel bag, Roval steel quick-release, Roval tubeless valve, SwissStop Black Prince brake pads, Roval valve pocket covers |
* Subject to change without notice.