Enve M 60 Forty Wheels

Spoke count: 32 front and rear; 28-spoke also available
Rim Type: Tubeless-ready clincher
Rim width: 23mm internal; 29mm external
Rotational inertia: 5.16 (f); 5.16 (r)
Deflection: 4.12mm (f); 5.06 (r)

In just over a decade, Enve has established itself as the dream wheel upgrade, and the M 60 Forty wheels prove the Utah-based company has earned its reputation. They’re customizable, stiff, and flashy without being gaudy. There’s a lot to love about these hoops.

They’re versatile thanks to Enve’s customization model, which you can play with on its website to figure out what sort of wheels are right for you: XC svelte or high-volume cush, Shimano or SRAM drivers, and even hub brand and size choice. Enve gives you no reason to tell your friends you like the rims but wish the spokes/hubs/colors were different. It’s all tailored to your tastes.

And they’re light, so you can race them if you’re so inclined. They’re known for being stiff, thereby providing confident tracking deep in corners, and that played out on the trail (though they didn’t vastly outperform at the lab). We can’t think of a better-handling wheel, though they can be harsh over consistent chatter.

While we think these are some of the best wheels money can buy, we do have a quibble: The spoke nipples are hidden within the rim, which means you need to remove your tire and rim strip in order to true the wheel or replace spokes. This might make sense on road wheels that don’t go out of true as frequently as mountain bike wheels (though even on the road side we question how much of a benefit there is to hiding the spoke nipples), but when you’re riding rough and rowdy trails frequently, it makes little sense to have to remove expensive tubeless tires filled with sealant, and peeling off rim strips just to tweak the spoke.

Despite that inconvenience, we would recommend these as a top-level upgrade for the ride quality and durability, not to mention customization.