Based Eugene Oregon, small(er) wheel brand Rolf Prima continues to quietly impress with their surprisingly strong- and light-for-purpose wheels Building their wheels around a high-tension paired spoke architecture, Rolf Prima are able to get away with fewer spokes than competing designs without sacrificing stiffness or durability.
Using US-built hubs for upper-level builds, Rolf laces their own carbon and aluminium rims- many of the latter having been extruded in house. Given the myriad axle and freehubs available and a substantial rim and hub colour programme, virtually every wheel the company sells is now built to order.
New for 2017, Rolf is offering a plus-oriented Alesa (wait for it) Plus. With a 45/40mm carbon fibre rim, the new wheelset hits the scale at 1,630g, making it light (but not frightening) for its category. Should the $2,400 sticker prove too steep the same rim and spokes are available with an Asian-sourced hub for $500 less. That Alesa Plus XR’s hub adds 40g- but the additional mass should be well-hidden at the centre of the wheel.
