SC: At 1160g, they are incredibly light. What’s the secret sauce to weight?
P: Lashings of secret sauce! But that will remain secret I’m afraid. In essence though, its 2 things:
1. Extended use of carbon fibre – known for its high strength and stiffness to weight ratios
2. Use of design architectures that are sympathetic to the materials we’re manufacturing with. In this case, mainly carbon fibre
SC: Can you explain the difference you feel on the ride if upgrading to these from a mid-range aero wheel.
P: Shop based metrics are immediately apparent. The low weight is obvious, and the smooth, low friction bearings support the impression of efficiency, but on the road is where its most noticeable.
The lateral stiffness and low weight – really, low inertia, make for a very responsive wheel with notably improved acceleration. Often this has been described as a ‘lively’ feeling and very noticeable in both sprints and climbing.
The high stiffness also supports precise handling characteristics that provides confidence in not only cornering and descending, but on the flats too. We managed to develop stiffness characteristics that give their performance advantages, whilst also increasing rider comfort.
The comfort, coupled with the low friction bearing architecture means that even ‘slow roads’ feel smooth and fast.