Ardennes SL is our best selling wheel and for good reason. It is the original Ardennes and for 2011 is upgraded with a carbon front hub and a new rear wheel lacing pattern to enhance power transmission and lateral stiffness. The SL utilizes the same high performance scandium C2 rim as its big brother the Ardennes Flamme Rouge.
But what makes 23mm better than the ubiquitous 19mm rim? Width. Picture a standard 23mm tire on the C2 rim. Tire and rim width are the same, the sidewalls are fairly straight, and the width of the rim spreads the tread contact patch out. With straighter sidewalls, and more rubber on the road, cornering is an entirely new experience. The sidewalls don`t flop over in a hard corner, and more rubber on the road is, well... better. C2s should be run with lower pressure, since there is more air volume in the wider tire profile. The same tire on a 19mm rim looks more like the profile of a light bulb. The curved sidewalls flop over under hard cornering, there is less rubber on the road, and more air pressure is needed to prevent pinch flats.