Deep-section fairings at the rim on new Discovery team wheels

[SDK]

Check this out: these wheels appear to be regular ***-lite wheels with
a deeper section fairing glued on top of the rim (the accompanying
cyclingnews story seems to confirm this, and I can't see nipples at the
edge of the rim). This kind of reminds me of those vinyl wheel covers
that guys use to make discount disc wheels out of regular spoked rears.
Does anyone know if this has been tried before? I guess you might have
to take off the rim tape to true them. Otherwise it seems like a decent
way to make a lightweight but very deep rim--or not? Jobst?--Shayana
Kadidal

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/tour05/tech/?id=round-up1/cntdf05-bontyaeolus1

> Another new wheel for Discovery is the Bontrager Aeolus, named after the keeper of the winds in ancient Greek mythology. Daubert said, "With the Aeolus prototype, we've collaborated with our wheel aerodynamics consultant Steve Hed to develop this new wheel to create an efficient aero shape. With plenty of wind tunnel and rider feedback, Aeolus has a 60mm rim diameter, coupled to the DT spokes and hubs we've been using for several years." Daubert explained that Bontrager had used a special high temperature resistant silicone adhesive to bond a carbon fibre 'skin' to the carbon fiber rim used in the Race Lite *** wheel. <

 

[[email protected]]

i am so dissapointed colorado cyclist sold all the ultra light wheel
sets before i could sell the back 40

 

[Bill Sornson]

[email protected] wrote:
> i am so dissapointed colorado cyclist sold all the ultra light wheel
> sets before i could sell the back 40

Pitch a tent and wait for a sale.

:-D

 

[Chalo]

SDK wrote:
>
> Check this out: these wheels appear to be regular ***-lite wheels with
> a deeper section fairing glued on top of the rim (the accompanying
> cyclingnews story seems to confirm this, and I can't see nipples at the
> edge of the rim). This kind of reminds me of those vinyl wheel covers
> that guys use to make discount disc wheels out of regular spoked rears.
> Does anyone know if this has been tried before? I guess you might have
> to take off the rim tape to true them. Otherwise it seems like a decent
> way to make a lightweight but very deep rim--or not?
>
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/tour05/tech/?id=round-up1/cntdf05-bontyaeolus1

Steve Hed has been making such things for a long time. At one point he
even offered one for downhill MTBs-- 45mm wide with a carbon fairing.

I don't think the fairing is part of the rim's primary structure.

Chalo Colina

 

[JeffWills]

Chalo wrote:
>
> Steve Hed has been making such things for a long time. At one point he
> even offered one for downhill MTBs-- 45mm wide with a carbon fairing.
>
> I don't think the fairing is part of the rim's primary structure.
>
> Chalo Colina

True. The primary "rim" carries the load and uses special nipples that
are accessed by removing the tire and rim strip. They're even available
in small sizes for us wacky recumbent riders:
http://www.hedcycling.com/wheels/recumbent.php

Jeff

 

[[email protected]]

> Pitch a tent and wait for a sale.
the sails ah comin'
now for the six hour road test's results!!
so tell us Big Jam, the *&^^$ cracked at the fourth hour at the bottom
of McGreedys hill?
good question, ask your nab!

 

[[email protected]]

SDK wrote:
> Check this out: these wheels appear to be regular ***-lite wheels with
> a deeper section fairing glued on top of the rim (the accompanying
> cyclingnews story seems to confirm this, and I can't see nipples at the
> edge of the rim). This kind of reminds me of those vinyl wheel covers
> that guys use to make discount disc wheels out of regular spoked rears.
> Does anyone know if this has been tried before? I guess you might have
> to take off the rim tape to true them. Otherwise it seems like a decent
> way to make a lightweight but very deep rim--or not? Jobst?--Shayana
> Kadidal

Mavic Cosmic Carbone wheels have been doing this for years and years.
Open Pro rim with a deep carbon fairing glued onto it for aerodynamics.
$1450 for the pair. Mavic must have a HUGE profit margin on these
Open Pro with plastic glued to the sides wheels.

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?...+Rear+Wheel&vendorCode=MAVIC&major=1&minor=24

Features

Rims are Maxtal, ISM lightened rim body with bidirectional carbon
flanges
Joint is SUP welded. UB Control Braking surface
Spoke Material stainless steel black, ultra flat straight pull ABS
Front wheels radial 16 spokes
Rear wheel 20 spokes radial non drive side, 2 cross drive side





>
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/tour05/tech/?id=round-up1/cntdf05-bontyaeolus1
>
> > Another new wheel for Discovery is the Bontrager Aeolus, named after the keeper of the winds in ancient Greek mythology. Daubert said, "With the Aeolus prototype, we've collaborated with our wheel aerodynamics consultant Steve Hed to develop this new wheel to create an efficient aero shape. With plenty of wind tunnel and rider feedback, Aeolus has a 60mm rim diameter, coupled to the DT spokes and hubs we've been using for several years." Daubert explained that Bontrager had used a special high temperature resistant silicone adhesive to bond a carbon fibre 'skin' to the carbon fiber rim used in the Race Lite *** wheel. <

Apparently Trek has a slightly different take on the Mavic Cosmic
Carbones. Glue the plastic fairing to a carbon rim instead of an
aluminum rim. Probably a lot lighter with Trek's method since they
start with a lighter wheel. But much less profit margin for Trek since
they start with a more expensive wheel than the Mavic Open Pro wheel.

 

[Al Williams]

"SDK" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Check this out: these wheels appear to be regular ***-lite wheels with
> a deeper section fairing glued on top of the rim (snip)

Aren't such wheels illegal? Wheel covers instead of discs were illegal some
years per UCI because no part was allowed that was purely aerodynamic. An
aerodynamic component has (had) to be mechanically functional as well.

--

__o
Keep on Ridin' `\ <
(*)/(*)
***********************************************
* Al Williams [email protected] *
* San Jose CA Chief Cyclist, DNRC *
***********************************************

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

JeffWills wrote:

>
> Chalo wrote:
>
>>Steve Hed has been making such things for a long time. At one point he
>>even offered one for downhill MTBs-- 45mm wide with a carbon fairing.
>>
>>I don't think the fairing is part of the rim's primary structure.
>>
>>Chalo Colina
>
>
> True. The primary "rim" carries the load and uses special nipples that
> are accessed by removing the tire and rim strip. They're even available
> in small sizes for us wacky recumbent riders:
> http://www.hedcycling.com/wheels/recumbent.php

How is that allowed? In UK time trials, at least, no form of fairing is
permitted. You want to go faster, you have to be rich, because all
those deep rims are structural.

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Al Williams wrote:
> "SDK" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Check this out: these wheels appear to be regular ***-lite wheels
>> with a deeper section fairing glued on top of the rim (snip)
>
> Aren't such wheels illegal? Wheel covers instead of discs were
> illegal some years per UCI because no part was allowed that was
> purely aerodynamic. An aerodynamic component has (had) to be
> mechanically functional as well.

If it's glued or screwed or bolted...

Based on their logic, pretty much almost all carbon clincher wheels are
therefore illegal because they have an aluminum rim with a carbon "fairing."

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[Chalo]

Zog The Undeniable wrote:
> JeffWills wrote:
>
> >
> > Chalo wrote:
> >
> >>Steve Hed has been making such things for a long time. At one point he
> >>even offered one for downhill MTBs-- 45mm wide with a carbon fairing.
> >>
> >>I don't think the fairing is part of the rim's primary structure.
> >
> > True. The primary "rim" carries the load and uses special nipples that
> > are accessed by removing the tire and rim strip. They're even available
> > in small sizes for us wacky recumbent riders:
> > http://www.hedcycling.com/wheels/recumbent.php
>
> How is that allowed? In UK time trials, at least, no form of fairing is
> permitted. You want to go faster, you have to be rich, because all
> those deep rims are structural.

I said "not part of the rim's primary structure".

The carbon-faired rims I have seen probably gained some amount of
stiffness from their fairings. Would the rims support their loads
without them? Almost certainly. Did the fairings add a significant
amount of structural integrity? I don't think so.

But if they serve to stiffen the structure at all, then that would make
them "structural", wouldn't it?

Chalo Colina