Feeling the sting of constantly evolving bike tech? It's a common frustration: you invest in a fantastic set of wheels, only to see the next generation arrive, promising lighter weight and greater speed. But what happens when your trusty gear needs a little TLC? Getting your old equipment back in top shape can feel like an uphill battle. But, as I recently discovered, bringing my worn-out six-year-old Enve wheels back to life was not only possible but incredibly rewarding.
My story began with a deep appreciation for my Enve 5.6s, a wheelset I acquired during my U23 road racing days. These wheels weren't a freebie, but a significant discount back in the fall of 2019, when my team, Kelly Benefit Strategies, transitioned to disc-brake-equipped bikes.
Over the years, these wheels have been a constant companion, from road rides to gravel adventures, including the Unbound 200 and even professional criteriums. They've handled everything I've thrown at them, proving their versatility.
Enve discontinued the 5.6 model in 2022, replacing it with the shallower and lighter SES 4.5s or the deeper and wider SES 6.7. While the 5.6s might not be the lightest or widest rims, they held a special place in my heart. The carbon rims were still as robust as ever, untouched by rim brakes. The thought of them gathering dust or, worse, ending up in a landfill, felt like a waste.
But here's where it gets controversial... Replacing them seemed like an expensive proposition, so they sat idle for a year, awaiting a solution.
When Life Gives You Lemons...
Last summer, I cracked a rim on a pair of Shimano GRX wheels. It was a harsh blow, a testament to the rugged nature of gravel riding. But immediately, an idea sparked: one good rear rim plus one good rear hub equals one whole rear wheel. After carefully counting the spoke holes on both the rim and the hub – twice, to be sure – my plan took shape. Both had 24 spoke holes, making them compatible.
But this is the part most people miss... The real challenge? Finding spokes of the correct length to match the new hub. The Shimano hub was an OE hub, only available pre-built onto a full wheelset.
I tried online resources to determine the correct spoke length, but I couldn't quite get the measurements right. So, I turned to the professionals.
I took the Shimano hub and Enve rim to The Velo, my local bike shop in Phoenix, Arizona. They knew a guy: a semi-retired bike mechanic who worked out of his home office. A week and a mere $200 investment later, my wheel was ready.
One Final Hurdle
Nearly ready, that is. There was one final compatibility problem: the correct 12-speed Shimano hub.
Shimano offers three 12-speed freehub options. The most common is the HG Freehub, used for Shimano 11 and 12-speed 2x groupsets. But the cassette body I was using was the Micro Spline, designed for Shimano's 1x off-road offerings, allowing for a 10t small cog.
The solution? The HG L2 Freehub. Launched with the 12-speed DURA-ACE 9200 groupset, the HG L2 is currently compatible with only one type of cassette, which, at $410, became the most expensive part of the refurbishment.
A Rebirth
In the end, for $610, my beloved wheelset was back on the road, and lighter than ever.
It was a feeling of nostalgia, delivered through sweat equity, as I thought through each step of the process, trusted local resources, and refused to do the easy thing of just moving on to the new thing and forgetting about the old.
While there are certainly issues surrounding the right to repair in cycling these days, the process was a good reminder that for some things, gear is stronger than ever. If you buy good gear, maintain what you can, and keep looking for solutions when things are imperfect, your investments can hang around for quite a while – no matter the fancy tech that comes out in the meantime.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree that older gear can be revitalized, or do you prefer to embrace the latest technology? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below!
