Roval Control World Cup Review

Roval Control World Cup

The Lightest Production XC MTB wheelset in the world

Welcome to the biggest upgrade you can do to your XC bike.

We have been a fan of Roval wheels for years here at Criterium with them being a go to for many employees.

These new Control World Cups truly take things to the next level and in our eyes, this is the biggest upgrade you can make to your XC rig!

Check out our initial impressions below.

A bit about the brand:

Roval Wheels, now owned by Specialized, has a history that dates back to the 1970s when it was originally founded in France by Claude Lanhauer. Roval was known for pioneering aerodynamic and lightweight wheel designs, particularly in the road cycling space. Specialized acquired Roval in the early 2000s, integrating the brand into its high-performance product lineup. Under Specialized, Roval has continued to innovate, developing cutting-edge carbon fiber wheelsets for road, gravel, and mountain biking. The brand has played a crucial role in Specialized’s success in professional racing, with athletes winning major events like the Tour de France and World Cup mountain bike races using Roval wheels.

The Lightest XC Rims:

The lightest:

It’s not every day that a new product from a major brand can make a claim like lightest in the world but Roval seems to have done it! These are the lightest XC production rims in the world! Specialized was able to achieve this through reducing spoke count, lighter rim tape, hub shell, and even valve stems.

Weight savings:

Valve’s: 1.5g per valve.
Spokes: 101.6g using carbon spokes with titanium hardware.
Carbon layup in rims: 36g without sacrificing durability and stiffness metrics (Compared to Control SL).
Rim tape: 9.6g accomplished through a collaboration with 3M.

Who reviewed it:

David: MTB guru who specializes in all things XC.

Key Features:

The true test of what makes a wheelset good is not just the weight. As XC courses become increasingly more technical with bigger drops, jumps, and rock gardens that one would have never dreamed of a few years ago, it is important the components hold up to these demands.

The Control World Cups utilized the internals from a DT Swiss 180 that we know and love but the actual hub shell is stripped back for even more weight savings.

DT Swiss hubs are a favorite here at Criterium for their durability, upgradable ratchets, and serviceability. It’s really cool seeing more companies using them on OE wheelsets and something we can get behind 100%!

Centerlock rotor mounts are to be expected with an ultra light wheelset and these carry that over. Using an adapter should not be an issue if you are keen to run a 6 bolt pattern.

Carbon spokes are one of the key features in the weight savings on these rims. They sport a 20 spoke count with all the spokes being the same length making spoke replacement simpler and hopefully less of a pain.

The World Cup Rims have a 28.5 internal rim width which is on par with current XC rim widths. This allows riders to run a broad range of tire sizes ranging from 1.9in - 2.6in! Another notable feature is the 4mm beadhooks that will help reduce pinch flats and give riders peace of mind.

These maintain Specialized’s “Shit Happens” warranty so you can put these through the ringer with confidence!

More Roval Options:

The Roval Control World Cups are freaking amazing and is reflected by the $3,000 price tag. Looking for something that will put on the heat at your next XC race but won’t break the bank? Check out the Roval Control rims sporting DT Swiss 350 hubs, and a slightly heavier weight coming in around 1400g.

Looking for the ultimate trail rim that you can also run at the park? Check out the Roval Traverse HD 240.

Want an even lighter trail rim? Check out the Roval Traverse SL 240.

Bottom line:

There's no way around it. This is the lightest XC wheelset in the world. Backed with Specialized "Shit Happens" warranty, these rims are not just for race day; they are for everyday, all day.