Hot on the heels of the successful Foundation 45, 65 and AM30 wheels and timely in light of the now hugely popular and ever growing Adventure and Gravel market, Enve present 2 new wheels specifically for the demands of the all day explorer or gravel racer. Firmly rooted in the ethos of the Foundation series, the new Foundation AG25 (700c) and AG28 (650b) deliver the company's goal of absolutley Best-In-Class performance and rider experience. Purpose built for their intened use and designed to maximise your riding time, the foundation AG series wheels out perform their rivals and - like the Ultegra groupset - deliver exceptional performance at a realistic price.
Enve have had a desire to create a more affordable wheel range for some time but unlike many other brands, who aim for price at the cost of quality in order to soak up the market share, Enve were keen to maintain their singular focus on quality craftsmanship to deliver a product worthy of the name. That has taken time and Enve needed to hit price and performance targets, following a strict plan. Part of their process was to achieve greater manufacturing efficiencies. Just over 3 years ago, Enve moved into their state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and have recently achieved levels of manufacturing effeciency that allow them to both produce and deliver the volumes the Foundation Collection is creating while maintaining current production of core and premium lines.
The Enve Foundation series consists of 2 road wheels - the 45 and 65; a Mountain wheelset, the AM30 and now, the AG series of one 700c and one 650b Gravel/Adventure wheels.
As you have probably already deduced, AG stands for Adventure / Gravel and the AG series is aimed at riders looking for new challenges, exploring the road less travelled and for those wishing to chase adventure. The Foundation AG 25 and 28 were developed using Enve's premium Gravel series wheels as a benchmark and - like all foundation products - were constructed with the core technologies that define the brand and upon which all Enve products are built.
As such AG28 and AG25 wheels, like their stablemates, feature the molded-in spoke and valve holes that set Enve apart from the competition way back in 2007, delivering unmatched strength in this critical area.
Rather than forming the carbon rim and then drilling the spoke holes, Enve developed a molding-in process that avoids drilling altogether. By doing so, Enve rims benefit from the inherent strength of long runs of unbroken carbon fibres, allowing for higher tension on spokes, less liklihood of spoke pull-through and subsequently, stronger wheels that deliver your power more efficiently and flex less - eliminating the associated stresses. In addition, the process yields a lighter rim for the same strength.
More than this though, the Foundation AG28 and AG25 have both been created with dedicated laminates to ensure the best performance, with each laminate optimised to create a structure that achieves the desired impact resistance, stiffness, and compliance for the target usage and ultimately deliver you the best balance of weight, responsiveness, handling, impact toughness, and comfort available in the sub 2K wheel market.
With their unique patent-pending Wide Hookless Bead developed for the G-Series and employed here, Enve AG rims are designed to support you when you make questionable choices out on your ride. As the only brand to offer riders built-in flat protection, you can dispense with tyre inserts, shred fewer tyres and ultimately, spend more time riding. The wide, impact absorbing leading edge improves pinch flat protection by around 60% when compared to a traditional hookless bead. In addition, the same hookless bead also optimises tubeless compatibility and reliability and has 30% greater impact strength. So when you hit the wrong line, the Foundation AG wheels have your back. In the case of the AG28 and AG25 wheels, Enve employed their M-Series mountain bike rim testing protocol too, so you can be sure these rims are tough!
By using their Premium G-Series Gravel wheels as a benchmark and with the goal of the Foundation range always in focus, Enve have created two remarkable wheelsets in the AG28 and AG25 when considered 'by-the-numbers'. There's a raft of data on their own website but in a nutshell, the Foundation AG wheels are on average just 300g heavier than their G-Series brethren while delivering comparable stiffness and greater or equal impact resistance on a more compliant and comfortable wider rim - all at a significantly lower cost. Not only this, they strike the best balance of cost vs weight vs internal width when viewed against the competition while being significantly stiffer. It is this last element that delivers the signature responsiveness and lively ride feel to inspire confidence, helping you not only to perform better but to enjoy your efforts!
Handmade in Ogden, Utah - the 650b Enve Foundation AG28 is a wheel much desired in the burgeoning gravel market. Designed for bike-packing and rugged gravel adventure, its shallow rim depth of 21mm improves vertical compliance and vibration damping for all day comfort on big adventures and coupled with the dedicated laminate and rim cross-section, it is optimised for responsive power transfer and cornering stability so you can ride sure footed, confident and with the abandon that the ride deserves!
The AG28 is available in Shimano/Sram or Sram XDR compatibility and built on either Enve's own Foundation Alloy Hubs or Industry Nine's high performance but function-forward 1/1 no nonsense hubs. Both of which will deliver excellent engagement and durability befitting the Enve brand and Foundation ethos.