The wheels feature all sorts of high-tech wizardy, starting with those diamond-cut braking surfaces.
As reported by Bike Radar,
"The company claims that this process eliminates impurities that can result from sanding the surface to remove resin."
Well, at least until you use the brakes for the first time in the wet, in which case you'll be loading impurities onto the rims faster than you can say "road grit."
Also of interest is Campagnolo's use of a dab of extra carbon fiber opposite the valve stem to balance the wheels. Great for riders who regularly go so fast that they can feel their wheels going out of balance, and news to the rest of us who have been riding unbalanced wheels for more than 100 years.
Bike Radar's writeup (which as of today lacks pricing info ... hint: they'll be expensive) is here.
For every wheel I have built, it is the joined side of the rim opposite the valve that is heavier, i.e. the wheel will always come to rest with the valve at the top, not the bottom. For a few lightweight wheel builds, I have improved balance by using brass nipples and heavier gauge spokes either side of the valve hole. If you put the bike in a repair stand and spin up the wheel, you can see the improvement in balance because the bike shakes less. However, I agree that out on the road, it is hard to tell the difference.
ReplyDeleteI still think that carbon fibre rims are a bad idea - unless you are being paid to ride them and have a mechanic who knows how to inspect them.
ReplyDelete