Enve SES 4.5 Pro wheelset review

The Enve SES 4.5 Pro was the wheelset of choice for Tadej Pogacar and the UAE Team Emirates–XRG throughout the 2025 season, helping him win another Tour de France, several Monuments, and the rainbow jersey. But how does it fare away from the glare of the WorldTour?

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ENVE wheels have always drawn envy from those who don’t have them

(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)

Design details

The pinnacle of Enve’s line-up, the SES 4.5 Pro is positioned as a ‘do-it-all’ wheelset, but it isn’t recommended for use on cobbles. By Enve’s own admission, it’s better suited to climbing, so much so that it doesn’t offer a Pro version of the 3.4 wheelset. Given the speeds that professionals now race up mountains, a lightweight wheel with a heavy focus on aerodynamics makes plenty of sense.

Part of the design brief was to specifically meet the demands of the professional peloton. For this reason, the rim has been narrowed to a 23.5mm internal width and 30.8mm external (30mm rear) width, while the depth remains 49/55mm front and rear to optimise the wheels for 28mm tyres, which are often the choice for pro road races. Another demand from the pros was a hooked rim to provide more security for the tyres, even if this does add a little weight due to more carbon at the bead. However, the wheels weigh a very respectable 1,378g on my scales, including valves, lock rings, and tape.

Performance

Setting the wheels up was easy. They come pre-taped, with valves and lock rings as well, which is not a given even with high-end performance wheelsets. I was shipped an XDR hub, but Shimano later sent an HG, and switching them over was straightforward. I ran the wheels with Continental Archetype tyres as they are designed for these rims. The 30mm width measured 30mm on the wheels and sat flush with the rim.

To really give these wheels a thorough test, I’ve been using them across two different bikes and racking up plenty of both race and training miles. First, on a Tavelo Arow road bike, and then on a Seka ExAero GR gravel bike. I have to say that the wheels have proved rather transformative for both frames in terms of overall performance.

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ENVE SES 4.5 Pro wheelset — More subtle Pro logoing

(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)

Fitted to the Seka for training and general riding, I’ve seen a tangible increase in my average speeds compared to shallower-section offerings and even some other solid aero wheels like the Vision Metron SL 60.

The biggest upgrade is the impeccable handling in crosswinds. It’s been particularly windy recently, and running deep section wheels in a wide-clearance gravel frame sometimes results in greater buffeting from the wind at the front. But not with the Enves, which have proved incredibly stable during these blustery conditions.

The SES 4.5 Pros have also felt incredibly responsive to my input, so much so that I initially felt some skittishness, but it settled very quickly. Corrections come promptly when cornering or avoiding holes in the road, without any sense of instability.

Part of the agility and responsiveness comes from the Innerdrive Pro hub system. The oversized ratchet system has a good degree of engagement, with the larger size providing a rapid bite without any chance of slipping. The light-action spring appears to work well too, without feeling draggy. Ceramic bearings are included as standard, and it certainly does help given the wheels are always turning regardless of pedalling input.

Stiffness is another area where these wheels perform well. I’ve been doing the odd bit of Strava KOM hunting, and on one ride I tackled a 15% average incline, 90-second segment. I’ve done it dozens of times but never broken into the top-10. But this time, equipped with the SES 4.5 Pros, I took the KOM by a solid margin. It won’t all be down to the wheels, but the liveliness and efficient power transfer they provide really do result in a very connected sensation with the road. This is achieved with no harshness, in part because Enve refused to switch from alloy to carbon spokes, resulting in a more balanced wheelset that delivers consistent force distribution through the rim, spokes, and hub.

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The staunch refusal to move to carbon spokes means the wheels aren’t as lightweight as some competitors, but for the ride feel and control you get in return, I think that’s worth the small weight penalty. On short, steep climbs; longer, more gradual ones; and long, steep ones like the Tumble in South Wales, the wheels have never felt hefty, even compared to wheels I’ve tested that are 100-150g lighter with a similar profile. My one gripe is that with TPU inner tubes fitted, the valve does rattle around a bit, so I’d recommend a bit of valve tape to prevent this.

Of course these are race wheels, so rather than using them only for 30-34kph average-speed road rides, I’ve also tested them in some UK road races. Racing a 130km National B event, these wheels really came alive. The average speed for the race was 46kph, with around 100m elevation gain for every 10km, so it could certainly be described as a rolling course. Whether holding pace up the climbs or trying to bridge across to a break at 60kph on the flat, the wheels felt fantastic. While these speeds lend themselves more to 60-65mm deep rims, such as the new Enve 6.7 Pro, the lighter weight and responsiveness, paired with a shallower rim for control in crosswinds, really do make the SES 4.5 Pro wheels a true do-it-all set.

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Are the wheels another sign that Enve is focused on pursuing a race-specific market? Tyre clearance on the new Enve Melee V2 has been reduced, with the bike aimed more towards those who race. In the Pro series wheel line-up, the approach is similar: a narrower rim profile than the SES line, plus a hook for added security and the higher pressures used when racing on very smooth tarmac. Whereas the Enve SES wheels are designed for 32mm tyres and wider, the SES 4.5 Pros are suggested to be paired with 27-28mm. I won’t go into the rolling resistance argument, as it’s been done to death, but for smooth roads and racing, 28-30mm works very well.

Professionals are notorious for wanting the bike to ‘feel’ a certain way. I always liked a bike to feel a little on rails, and have that agility that wider tyres at lower pressures just don’t have. Additionally, 28mm tyres with sealant will have a significantly lower rotating mass than 30-32mm tyres with adequate sealant. For rapid accelerations from the bunch, or up a climb, rotational mass at the exterior of the wheel has a big impact on the power required to accelerate them. So although the Pro wheels may look like a step backwards in terms of internal rim width I see them as a step toward components specifically aimed at racing pros. It’s not a bad thing; I think these are better wheels for racing, and I wouldn’t get the SES wheels for my own personal use. But for the majority of people, they would likely be better off with the standard SES range, unless they are racing 45kph regularly and don’t want to use tyres wider than 28-30mm.

Value

At a penny under £4k ($3,750), they are obscenely expensive. Even the SES range of wheels from Enve is cheaper at £3,350/$2,850, but still not cheap, of course. This follows a recent run of wheel manufacturers pricing premium wheelsets well above the £/$3,000 mark. Campagnolo with its Bora Ultra WTO C23, Vision Metron RS series, Scope Artech models, Syncros Capital SL Aero, and several others. I won’t really count Lightweight, as this brand has always been an outlier, pricing wheels higher than any other reasonably priced brand, and £/$7,000+ for wheels is a statement piece, not a performance gain.

Better value options exist, of course. The No.6 52/58 are positioned as direct competitors and cost significantly less. Meanwhile, the Hunt 5AM Limitless Ti_UD, which is similar in depth, a bit wider, lighter, comes with the same accessories, and costs £1,999, so half the price. Even big mainstream brands like Shimano also have the new R9370 Dura-Ace wheelset for £2,099 / $2,970, and DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut are £2,499.98/$3,218, although those are narrower again than the Enve Pro.

I have ridden a few of these wheelsets, not all of them, admittedly, and my honest opinion is that the Enve 4.5 Pro are ‘faster’ than anything I have tested so far. Because of this, if I could afford it and wanted the best performance wheelset money could buy, I’d lean heavily toward them. The only similarly priced wheelset that could tempt me is the Syncros Capital SL Aero, but its one-piece design may be harder to live with than Enve’s easily serviceable, replaceable parts.