"As gravel race tires grew from 35 to 40 to 45mm, rim widths have grown too, for both aero and handling performance gains. But Dangerholm questioned why wider gravel rim widths stalled around 32-35mm inside, when at the same time, gravel racers keep expanding to 50mm and up to 57mm tires depending on terrain. So he worked with the creative minds at FactionBike Studio to go wider. How wide would you guess that these are?"
"The starting point was essentially that lightweight, fast-rolling XC mountain bike tires had become a viable option for fast, rougher gravel racing. But no existing gravel wheel was actually designed to be aerodynamic with a 29 x 2.0-2.25″ MTB tire. Most MTB racers have gone to 30mm or even 35mm inner rim widths, and stopped there. But mountain bikers experience different grip & cornering forces at different speeds than gravel racers - where a more lightbulb-shaped tire section may be more beneficial."
Dangerholm collaborated with FactionBike Studio to develop an ultra-wide aero gravel wheel concept aimed at matching growing gravel tire sizes. Gravel race tires have expanded from 35mm to 50–57mm, while rim inner widths plateaued around 32–35mm. Lightweight, fast-rolling XC MTB tires (29 x 2.0–2.25") offer a viable option for fast, rough gravel racing but lack aerodynamic wheel designs. The project explores much wider inner rim widths to create a smoother aerodynamic transition and better tire shape for gravel racers at higher speeds. Four prototype carbon rims were produced and shown as rideable concept wheels.
Read at Bikerumor
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