Over the past year or two, Rolf Prima has been updating their wheels to echo industry trends. Namely, they’ve been getting wider, moving to disc brakes, and adding the option for tubeless compatibility. That continued at Interbike this year with a few new revisions, plus an all new addition to their sister line, Astral.
Moving forward, their Ralos wheels will now have a 25mm internal profile in both 27.5 and 29″ configurations. The aluminum rims still utilize an asymmetric profile, and ship with Rolf’s XR hubset and 24 round Sapim Race spokes per wheel for $900 a set.
For the non-paired spoke crowd, the same rim will now be offered in Astral’s line as the Viper. You can purchase the rim only for $135 in either 28 or 32h, or you can pick up a full set with White Industries XMR 6 bolt disc brake hubs for $1,149. The higher end hub is the reason for the Viper’s increased cost over the Ralos.
Rim weights are said to be 430-460g for 27.5/29″, and complete wheelsets check in at 1665/1730g.
Not pictured, the Alsea also moves to a 25mm internal rim profile but in carbon, yielding a stiffer, wider wheelset at $2299.
The Ares 3 LS disc is a new option that offers a lower price point like the original Ares 3 LS, but with different braking. The carbon clincher rims measure 32mm deep, 19mm internal and are tubeless compatible. The wheels ship with their XR3.0 hubs with Centerlock brake mounts, and TA or QR compatibility. The wheelset includes rim strips, valve extenders and QRs for $1,499 with a weight of 1630g.
The Ares 4 and 6 also gain tubeless compatibility with a 19.5mm internal width for the same pricing as before. Now Rolf Prima can say that everything on the road side is available in both rim or disc brake options, and everything is tubeless compatible. And Rolf points out that when they say tubeless compatible, they mean easily set up tubeless with tires seating with floor pumps, etc. Their tubeless kit is $40 and includes wheels that are pre-taped with valves installed. And if you prefer, they even offer a Tubeless Tire kit which includes a set of IRC tubeless tires pre-installed, so all you have to do is add sealant through the valve stem and air them up, and you’re ready to go.
