In-House Product Testing

The plastic deformation test simulates the permanent deformation a rim might experience under extreme pressure, without catastrophic failure. This test helps us predict how a rim will behave under the combined weight of the rider, bike, and any external loads, ensuring it performs as expected over time without losing shape.

For every new rim or wheelset design, particularly those involving carbon spokes, we perform multiple rounds of wheel-building tests. These tests ensure that the rim laces up smoothly and builds into a wheel that’s perfectly aligned and ready to ride, ensuring an exceptional product from the moment it leaves our factory.

The lateral stiffness of a wheel is influenced not only by the rim but also by factors like spoke count, lacing pattern, spoke type, and hub design. As such, we conduct comprehensive lateral stiffness tests on fully built wheels, with rims laced to hubs and spokes selected according to the client’s preferences or common industry standards (e.g., DT Swiss or Sapim). This ensures optimal performance across all variables.

Once a wheel is built and tensioned, we assess the vertical stiffness of the complete wheelset. This test simulates real-world conditions, providing valuable insights into how the wheel will perform in terms of ride feel and overall ride quality.

Safety is paramount, and tire retention is a key factor in ensuring that the wheel will safely hold the tire under high pressures. We inflate clincher or tubeless tires to 130–150psi (depending on tire size and type) and measure any changes in the rim’s outer width. We check for any deformations before and after inflation to ensure tire security and rim integrity.

To simulate the stresses that occur during high-pressure tire setups, we conduct a greenhouse test. We inflate the tire to the recommended pressure and place the wheel in a heated environment (80-85°C) for four hours. This test checks for any changes in the rim’s width, which should remain within a 5% tolerance after heating. This ensures the rim performs well in high-pressure and temperature conditions.

A prepreg is a composite of fabric and resin, and the resin content is referred to as the Resin Content Percent (RC%). Our Incoming Quality Control (IQC) technicians inspect the resin content of each batch, referring to the manufacturer's stated RC%.

To evaluate long-term durability, every newly developed wheel must pass an in-house fatigue test involving 800,000 cycles (the ISO standard is 750,000 cycles). We simulate real-world cycling conditions for mountain, gravel, and road wheels, ensuring that our products stand the test of time and countless miles on the road or trail.

The spoke holes are one of the most critical structural components of a rim. To ensure they’re reinforced adequately, we cut samples from the rim and conduct spoke pulling tests to evaluate the reinforcement and durability. These tests help prevent spoke hole failure under high loads, with cracks expected only after 350kgf of force.

Our impact resistance test simulates harsh conditions where the wheel might encounter obstacles or rough terrain. We perform double-sided impacts and set the standard for impact resistance 20–30% higher than the intended use case. This helps ensure that the wheel remains intact and performs reliably under challenging conditions, providing peace of mind for riders of all levels.

To predict the extreme tire retention capability of the tire interface of the rims, we conduct a high pressure test with water (nearly incompressible, thus much more resistance to pressure changes than air). The testing pressure is up to 200psi.

For time trial and road racing wheels, where speed and stability are paramount, we conduct a high-speed dynamic balancing test. This test evaluates the wheel's rolling stability at high speeds, ensuring it performs smoothly and reliably during fast, demanding rides. It also helps us identify and eliminate any unwanted vibrations that may result from an improper layup design. By simulating real-world conditions at race speeds, we ensure that each wheel remains balanced and stable, providing the rider with the ultimate in precision and control.