Roval has launched two new premium gravel wheelsets, the Terra Aero CLX and the Terra CLX III, splitting its gravel range into separate aero and lightweight platforms for the first time, signalling a slight divergence in priorities for gravel racers – amid a race scene that regularly mixes fast flat courses with highly technical ultra-endurance challenges.
Indeed, gravel as a sector now spans true gravel racing – most iconically represented by Unbound – alongside a wide array of multi-terrain challenges, while the equipment is often typically deployed for ultra-endurance events as well as a favourite of road riders who are hunting more comfort.
Despite the comfort associations, both Roval's new wheels focus on performance in different ways, using composite spokes manufactured by Arris and share a new flat-protection system Roval calls FlatStop bead hooks.
The Terra Aero CLX uses what Roval describes as a "novel truncated airfoil" rim profile that appears flat rather than conventionally curved. The company claims the wheel is up to 5.84 watts faster than the outgoing Terra CLX II at 40kph when paired with a Specialized Tracer 45 tyre, validated in Specialized's WinTunnel facility in Morgan Hill. That figure is tightly scoped to one tyre and one speed, and Roval has not published drag data across a wider range of setups.
According to Roval, the Terra Aero CLX’s shape was derived from more than 300 digitally modelled rim profiles, evaluated using CFD and structural simulations that accounted for tyre volume, spoke interface stresses and lateral stiffness targets. The company says the final profile balances aerodynamic drag reduction with stability when paired with wider gravel tyres, particularly at higher yaw angles typical of off-road riding.
The Terra Aero CLX runs a 50mm front rim and 45mm rear, deeper than typical gravel wheels and closer to road-aero territory. Roval says the profile was designed around the aerodynamic behaviour of wider gravel tyres at deeper yaw angles, where airflow over a wheel-and-tyre system behaves differently than with narrower road rubber. The wheel is compatible with tyres from 35mm to 60mm but optimised for 45mm.
The Terra CLX III takes the opposite approach. At a claimed 1,079g with valves and tape, Roval positions it as the lightest gravel wheelset in its class, with 21.5% more lateral compliance than the Terra CLX II. Lateral compliance, the wheel's ability to flex side-to-side under load, can improve control and reduce harshness on rough terrain, though Roval has not disclosed how it measured the 21.5% figure. The CLX III uses a shallower rim – measuring 25.5mm deep – with a 38mm external width and a 27mm internal width, optimised for tyres of 40mm and above
Composite spokes and flat protection
Both wheelsets use Roval Aero Composite spokes produced by Arris, the same carbon-fibre thermoplastic technology that Roval introduced on its road wheels. The brand claims Arris's CFRTP spokes saved 96.6 grams while increasing stiffness compared to steel. The gravel launch extends that spoke platform into a second wheel category.
Flat resistance is the other shared technology. Roval's FlatStop system uses oversized bead hooks, measuring up to 5.38mm on the Terra Aero CLX and 4.86mm on the Terra CLX III, designed to reduce the risk of tyre burping or unseating on rough terrain.
Bucking the broader industry trend toward hookless gravel rims, Roval has deliberately opted for a traditional hooked architecture. This design ensures maximum tyre retention, allows for higher pressure limits, and uses the blunt surface of the oversized hooks to significantly reduce the risk of pinch flats. Hookless skeptics will be rejoicing.
Neither wheel is entirely new to competition – Roval's lists Belgian Waffle Ride California, Big Sugar, Gravel Worlds and UCI events among its real-world testing venues, meaning the wheels were spread across the 2025 season.
Both wheelsets use DT Swiss 180 EXP internals with a ratchet engagement system, a common high-end benchmark for durability and serviceability.
Pricing is per wheel, not per pair. The Terra CLX III is £1,149 front and £1,599 rear (€1,299 and €1,899), making a pair £2,748. The Terra Aero CLX is £1,299 front and £1,699 rear (€1,499 and €1,999), or £2,998 for a set.
Roval Terra CLX family at a glance
All weights and performance figures are manufacturer claims
Model | Rim depth | Internal width | Claimed weight (pair) | Tyre compatibility | Aero claim | UK price (front / rear) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terra Aero CLX | ||||||
| Terra CLX III |
The launch marks a shift in Roval's range from a single premium gravel wheelset to a choice between aero efficiency and lightweight compliance.
While gravel riding grows in popularity that also reflects the disparate nature of what we might define as gravel, and how gravel equipment might be used for broader riding. With pros regularly speccing 32mm tyres on road races, it's not inconceivable to imagine the CLX Aero being put to use for a Cobbled Classic like Paris-Roubaix.
This is also a very pricey set of wheels, which increasingly nods at the premium sector of the market high-end gravel racing is drawing.
