|
|
Rolf Prima Wheels Rolf Wheels are back! Some of you will remember them - and are still using them - because Rolf are quality wheels that have stood the test of time; hand-built with care, technology, performance and durability in mind.
Rolf Dietrich, a curious engineer who literally wanted to 'reinvent the wheel' set about doing so back in the 1980s. He created the revolutionary (US Patent No 5,931,544 - so you won't see them elsewhere!) Rolf paired spoke technology and changed the way people thought about bicycle wheels. Today, at Rolf Prima, the spirit of ingenuity continues, along with their original principles. Rolf Prima still hand-builds all wheels in Eugene, Oregon, with a team that lives cycling. Whether it is racing or triathlon, commuting or touring, Rolf Prima are all about wheels. Rolf Prima Paired Spokes The obvious difference in Rolf Wheels compared to the rest of the wheel industry, is the paired spokes. Rolf Prima wheels look amazing! Paired spoking is when the spokes meet at the rim in pairs, as opposed to conventional even spacing. Spokes are tensioned and there is a force pulling not only down toward the hub, but also outward toward the flanges. Imagine a very flexible rim using 10 evenly spaced spokes. The rim is too flexible to resist the unbalanced left and right pulling forces under the tensioned spokes, so you can see how easy it would be for the wheel to not run true. The solutions for conventionally produced wheels are:
All these solutions have negative consequences. Imagine that same rim with 10 paired spokes. A Rolf Prima wheel rim! The Rolf paired spokes balance the left and right forces, neutralising the pulling forces, so the wheel runs true. With a light rim. Only Rolf wheels can achieve such light rims with such low spoke counts. Rolf Prima Paired Spokes = Lighter Rims = Fast Wheels Fewer spokes and lighter rims create Rolf Prima lighter wheels. Rolf light wheels create better aerodynamic performance, and the wind tunnel test data from the San Diego Air and Space Technology Centre proves it: www.rolfprima.com shows how Rolf Prima wheels beat the competition. Rolf Prima Wheels can play a significant role in lowering the air resistance of the rider, but of course, it's then up to you to be in as efficient a position as possible! All this without compromising performance. For a given number of spokes, Rolf Prima can use a lighter rim than the competitors. For a given rim weight, Rolf Prima can build a wheel using fewer spokes. Together, these Rolf technologies significantly lower rotational weight, enhancing climbing and sprinting speed and increasing braking performance. Rolf Prima Paired Spokes = Higher Spoke Tensions Rolf Prima delivers lighter wheels with stiffness and strength, and creates excellent ride quality, durability and stability through the use of high spoke tensions. Pairing the spokes at the rim is a design that provides the opportunity to build each Rolf Prima wheel with two or more times the spoke tension of a traditionally laced wheel. The left and right spokes meet at the rim at the same point, so any left and right pulling forces are negated. Higher tensions can therefore be created in the Rolf Prima wheel without there being issues of lateral trueness. These higher tensions increase stiffness and improve spoke durability by decreasing the load-cycle the spoke experiences. As any wheel rotates and the spoke comes into contact with the road surface, the weight of the rider will cause it to go from full tension to a lesser tension. The lower the spoke tension, the greater the detensionizing range and the greater the stress on the spoke. With Rolf Prima higher tensioned spokes, the range of tension change will be less with a consequent decrease on the stress of the spoke and an increase in its durability. Rolf Prima Paired Spokes = Greater Stiffness By using internal spoke nipples, the Rolf Prima wheel can be made stronger, with higher spoke tensions for an extended life and greater stiffness. External nipples have a flange that is loaded in tension under the pulling forces of the spokes, whereas internal nipples are loaded in compression. Under higher tensions a nipple in compression lasts longer. As an added bonus, aerodynamic performance is also significantly improved since the nipples hidden inside the rim create less wind drag. Rolf Prima J-bend Paired Spokes = simply the best shape for spokes! Straight vs. J-bend. A source of discussion with an easy answer as far as Rolf Prima is concerned. The J-shape of the spoke, where it enters the spoke hole of the hub, allows it to rotate slightly in the spoke hole under the torque loads coming from the chain/cogs. This movement helps the spoke absorb the input force more readily - increasing fatigue life. Look closely at many straight pull hub designs and you'll find that many try to copy the feature by using 2 flanges per side (4 per hub), with straight pull spokes threaded into brass barrels that join the flanges to allow rotation ... a heavy way of achieving what a J-bend spoke achieves in its design. Simple. Rolf Prima and the Hidden Technology Rolf Prima paired spokes are just the beginning. Rolf Prima have developed and have patents for other technologies that, while harder to see, are every bit as revolutionary as their famous Paired Spokes. The competition knows they work, because some of them license the technologies from Rolf. But only Rolf Prima wheels combine ALL of the Rolf proprietory techniques to build the highest performing wheels available.
Rolf Prima Wheels - paired spokes, fewer spokes, lighter rims, higher spoke tensions and greater stiffness - and all of this made by the human hand. Most bicycle wheels sold today are built by machine. For run-of-the-mill wheels this can work, but to build a truly light wheel with uniform tensions, you just can't match the skill of human hands. Every Rolf Prima wheel is carefully hand-built using a painstaking build process, enabling the Rolf Prima wheel to run true for longer, without the need for constant attention or a 'break-in' period. The actual process involves building each Rolf Prima wheel three times with two stress cycles to seat and stretch all components. So which Rolf Prima wheel will you choose?
Bookmark with :
|
Syndicate:
Copyright © 2010 Ten-Point
Powered by Yorganic - This website is Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional and CSS Level 2.