Unveiling the Masterminds Behind Cycling's Fastest Wheels
Decoding the World's Fastest Wheels: Insights from Industry Leaders
In the dynamic world of cycling, the pursuit of speed and efficiency is relentless. Following our initial exploration into the advancements in wheel and tire technology, this feature takes a deeper dive into the minds of the companies and suppliers whose innovations are fundamentally reshaping wheel design and construction. We connected with six prominent brands—Swiss Side, Princeton Carbon Works, CeramicSpeed, Berd, Fulcrum/Campagnolo, and Reserve—each offering unique perspectives on the technological and philosophical underpinnings of their groundbreaking products. From optimizing aerodynamics in wind tunnels to pioneering new materials for spokes and bearings, these industry leaders are not only defining the current benchmarks for performance but are also charting the course for the future of cycling wheels.
Swiss Side: The Art of Aerodynamics and Handling Harmony
Swiss Side stands as a beacon in sports engineering consultancy, renowned for its expertise in cycling aerodynamics. With a strong partnership with DT Swiss, handling all their aerodynamic development for wheels, rims, hubs, and spokes, Swiss Side also produces its own line of wheels. Founder Jean-Paul Ballard emphasizes that while some products are shared, their independent operations maintain distinct specifications. A cornerstone of Swiss Side's philosophy is the equal importance of handling alongside pure aerodynamic performance. Utilizing a specialized wind tunnel capable of measuring steering forces, they engineer wheels that offer superior stability in crosswinds, arguing that this real-world benefit often surpasses marginal aerodynamic gains. Ballard also shed light on the inconsistencies in independent wheel tests, attributing them to variations in wind tunnel precision. Swiss Side's rigorous testing protocol involves acquiring and thoroughly analyzing competitor products for aerodynamics, handling, rolling resistance, and tire performance. Contrary to popular belief, wheel balancing is deemed less critical than wheel roundness, with precision wheel building identified as a far more impactful factor for ride quality and rolling resistance. Looking ahead, Ballard sees significant potential in carbon spokes for future wheel designs, while also reminding us that overall performance is influenced by numerous factors beyond just the wheels themselves.
Princeton Carbon Works: Uncompromising Speed and Precision Engineering
Princeton Carbon Works (PCW) is synonymous with high-end, high-performance wheels. Founder Harrison Macris detailed their distinctive trailing edge shape and variable depth rims, a design innovation aimed at optimizing airflow. PCW maintains a somewhat conservative stance on rim width and remains committed to hooked rims, believing this provides greater control over tire performance. Their refinement process for new models, such as the 6560 wheels, is exhaustive, involving 3D scanning and extensive CFD modeling across various tire and rim combinations to pinpoint the optimal balance between aerodynamic efficiency and rolling resistance. Macris proudly states PCW's singular purpose: to craft the fastest wheels for elite athletes, driven by a philosophy of "Purity of Purpose." While comfort is not a primary design parameter, it is acknowledged as contributing to confidence and, ultimately, speed. Macris views wheel balancing as an increasingly critical area for future development, emphasizing the need for comprehensive wheel-and-tire system balancing.
CeramicSpeed: The Micro-World of Bearing Excellence
CeramicSpeed elevates the humble bearing to a component of paramount importance. Paul Sollenberger, a CeramicSpeed expert, explained the meticulous process behind their silicon nitride ceramic balls. This material is chosen for its exceptional density, strength, and hardness, allowing for a lifetime warranty. The manufacturing process is incredibly labor-intensive, involving 30 hours of heat and compression, followed by another 30 hours of controlled cooling to prevent brittleness. The subsequent grinding and lapping stages extend over four weeks, culminating in a mirror-smooth finish. CeramicSpeed produces Grade 3 ceramic balls, adhering to an astonishingly tight tolerance of three millionths of an inch. Their precision extends to customizing bearings for OEMs, adjusting ball sizes at the micron level to meet specific radial clearance requirements. Internally, CeramicSpeed claims significant wattage savings—10 to 16 watts at 250 watts input—from a full upgrade, distributed across the derailleur system, bottom bracket, and wheel bearings. While such performance gains are primarily targeted at elite athletes, Sollenberger acknowledges that not every cyclist requires this extreme level of optimization.
Berd: Redefining Spokes with Dyneema Fiber
Berd, aptly named from "bike" and "nerd," is a company driven by scientific innovation, particularly in its use of Dyneema fiber for bicycle spokes. Dyneema, an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, boasts unparalleled strength-to-weight ratio, being 15 times stronger than steel and buoyant in water. Founders Charlie Spanjers, Tom Brantman, and Jeff McCachren pioneered a method to connect Dyneema to stainless steel rods, enabling compatibility with conventional hubs and nipples. This ingenious connection leverages a "Chinese finger-trap" mechanism, significantly enhancing strength through friction when tensioned. Berd spokes weigh approximately 2.5g, a substantial reduction compared to traditional steel spokes, leading to a weight saving of 100-150g per wheelset. Beyond weight, Berd emphasizes the durability, impact resistance, and superior vibration damping properties of Dyneema. While carbon spokes may offer aerodynamic advantages at high speeds, Berd spokes provide a more relevant combination of low weight and comfort for the majority of riders. Berd offers a popular wheel rebuilding service, particularly in the US, and employs a specialized pre-stressing process to stabilize the Dyneema spokes. Their TRUDI machine, a computer-controlled wheel-building system, ensures precise spoke tensioning and truing, significantly improving efficiency and accuracy in wheel construction.
Campagnolo and Fulcrum: Italian Heritage and Integrated System Design
Campagnolo and Fulcrum, operating under the same corporate umbrella, maintain distinct brand identities while sharing knowledge and manufacturing resources. Marco Franceschini (Fulcrum), Matteo D'Amanzo (Campagnolo), and Federico Gardin (product and marketing) highlighted their Italian heritage and extensive in-house manufacturing capabilities, with initial prototypes and production occurring in Italy before mass production moves to Romania. Their core philosophy revolves around designing wheels as fully integrated systems, where every component, from spokes to rims and hubs, is specifically engineered to work in perfect alignment. This meticulous approach results in exceptional performance and reliability, evidenced by a calculated wheel failure rate of just 0.2 percent. They eschew being trend-followers, carefully studying market innovations and only adopting technologies, such as carbon spokes, if they can demonstrably improve upon them. This conservative stance also explains their firm rejection of hookless road wheels, citing a lack of aerodynamic advantage and limitations on tire choice and pressure. Their future focus lies in quantifying and replicating the distinct "riding feeling" of their wheels, working with the University of Padua to develop metrics that capture this qualitative aspect.
Reserve: Strength, Durability, and Real-World Aerodynamics
Brian Bernard and Chase Holleman from Reserve introduced their SL Turbulent Aero series, designed with an emphasis on strength, durability, and reliability, backed by a lifetime warranty. Their latest wheels, while maintaining this focus, also achieve significant weight reduction, with models like the Vanoa carbon-spoked version weighing as little as 1,290g without rider weight restrictions. Reserve's unique approach to aerodynamic testing involves developing Turbulent Aero protocols with a wind tunnel in Guelph, Ontario, capable of simulating real-world turbulent airflow encountered in urban environments. They also design wheels to interact optimally with the bike frame, as exemplified by the 57/64 model, which was developed in conjunction with the Cervélo S5. Looking ahead, Bernard anticipates incremental gains from higher grades of prepreg carbon but identifies carbon spokes as the next significant frontier in wheel performance. He predicts a surge in carbon-spoked wheels in the coming years due to their improved lightness, reliability, and performance advantages. For gravel cycling, Reserve foresees tire widths stabilizing rather than continuing to expand, aligning with a growing aero-focus in this segment.