The PNW’s high-quality component maker and general bike bling specialis t, Chris King Precision Components, has released the first recyclable carbon aero wheelset. The new ARD44 is designed for “serious cyclists who want all-out speed on flats, climbs, and through corners”.
The ARD44 was designed and built with CSS Composites, which specialize in thermoplastic carbon fiber technology and are the inventors of FusionFiber. Photo c. Chris King These new wheels are built on Chis King’s R45D hub and an aero-profiled, 44mm deep Fusion Fiber rim. Chris King claims that “this combination delivers unparalleled power transfer, speed, and stability.”
ARD44 rims are said to be tested to withstand 275% of the UCI standard for impact resistance. Plus, they are tested to a minimum of 950lbs of spoke pull force. What is FusionFiber?
Here’s the quick version…traditional carbon fiber components are made with thermoset carbon fiber and epoxy resin where the strands of carbon are woven together and mixed with epoxy, which you then use to lay up a desired component.
Instead of mixing carbon fiber with epoxy, FusionFiber combines carbon fiber with Nylon. The nylon fiber bonding process produces a more flexible material that tends to dampen impact better and be less brittle than epoxy. Greg Hudson, the Wheel Product Manager at Chris King says, “ …these ARD44 wheels represent everything we’ve come to understand about what makes riders faster. We already had a hub we knew outperformed the competition, but getting this rim completed the picture”.
Hudson continues, “ That the rim […]
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