Published by Tristan on 27 Apr 2009 at 10:38 am
Marco’s weight-weenie disc front wheel
The Tune Princess front hub is a seriously light disc hub: The hub shell and axle are aluminium and each flange has a wrap of carbon around it’s circumference to help deal with the forces created by the tensioned spokes. Both sides of the shell are heavily machined and the hub weighs a feathery 107grams!
Laced to this light hub is a Stan’s ZTR Race rim. The Race is claimed at 284g but all of the examples I’ve built have come in between 293g and 297g – it’s not like Stan’s products to be over their claimed weight but this is still exceptionally light for such a stiff rim. The ZTR Race is a proper ‘race’ rim: There is a rider weight limit, no warranty, and special building instructions but despite this the other pairs which I have built are running well after enduring some serious punishment.
Holding it all together are Sapim CX-Ray spokes and matching SILS nipples. ‘SILS’ is an acronym for “Sapim Integrated Locking System” – basically the nipples have a mechanical lock to stop them unwinding with use which is great with lower-tension wheels like this ZTR Race rim. The mechanical lock serves a similar purpose to a chemical lock like the DT Swiss Prolock nipples or SpokeFreeze but is easier to work with and the lock is not broken if the nipple ever needs to be turned for truing.
Total wheel weight is an amazing 554 grams bare, or 567 grams with the tubeless tape and valvecore fitted.
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- A red Tune Princess showing the carbon-wrapped flanges
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- Machining of the non-disc side of the hub
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- Machining of the disc side of the hub. Note the carbon-wrapped flanges
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- Tune Princess and ZTR Race rim
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Marco on 28 Apr 2009 at 1:15 pm #
The wheel is very light & took quite a big hit coming down Summit Rd on Sunday. At the last second I saw a ditch about 600mm wide so I let off brakes, pulled bars up & almost cleared it. I cased the far side & hurt both wrists a bit, but the wheel is fine. Marco.