preview: Al33 kickstarter launch (new 33mm deep toroidal shaped aluminum rims (465gram) + wheels)

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bellebikes
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by bellebikes

Dear Weight-weenies,

The last year my startup company have been developing a new aluminum rim to built lightweight, yet aerodynamic aluminum wheels.
trying to fill a gap in the market.

Firstly I would like to thank all weightweenies contributors, all information on wheels and rims found here contributed a lot on the end product.

Therefore i would like to grand you a sneak preview on our kickstarter campaign wich will launch this saturday (23july 08:00 GMT).
at http://kickstarter.aforcewheels.com.
I am very interested in your opinion.

Image
Our aluminum rim next to toroidal shaped carbon rims.

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For the wheelbuilders

For more pictures, our kickstarter video please see the preview video of our kickstarter page.
http://kickstarter.aforcewheels.com

I am open for all questions. My team and i developed this product with a lot of passion and i really hope you like it.

Let me know,
Jan-Willem van Soest
http://www.bellebikes.com - info@bellebikes.com
Rides: Bellezza Stelvio <5kg and Bellezza CorsaX!

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sugarkane
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by sugarkane

seems to be a spate of wheel products been launched on kick starter recently. I don't think any of them have taken off too well..

by Weenie


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bellebikes
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by bellebikes

Dear sugarkane,

When it comes to other products, it is hard for me to comment on that, as i firstly don't know about which products we are talking exactly and therefore do not know why they failed. And when launching an own product i can not be seen as impartial. so it doesn't seem fair to react to that.

I can comment on why i think our project has a bigger success rate.

Firstly,
We are looking at a fully tested and working product. For the development we did fund this ourselves. Funding is mostly needed to create stock, also for different hole drilling combinations for wheel builders.

Secondly,
We did test our wheels in both test setups and the heaviest real life situations. I am a cycling myself, active at semi-professional level and am working with test riders from juniors (they do crash a lot), u23/elite and continental riders but also recreational more heavy riders.

For example, when it comes to cornering of the wheels, we worked with a continental sprinter to optimize lateral stiffness and backed our claims with the test setup data. We added lots of graphs in our kickstarter page to back our claims. And we are open to answer any questions on this matter

Thirdly,
We believe that it is not just another set of wheels, When you look at the rim for example, We tried to optimize the design to the latest detail, And we do not see any aluminum rim currently on the market which matches the aerodynamics of our rim while staying this light.

Time will tell if our product is successful, but i am quite confident on that.
http://www.bellebikes.com - info@bellebikes.com
Rides: Bellezza Stelvio <5kg and Bellezza CorsaX!

whosatthewheel
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by whosatthewheel

Nice, will you sell the rims alone or only the assembled wheels?

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ergott
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by ergott

Looks interesting. I've worked with enough alloy rims to be a bit skeptical of a rim of that profile with that low a weight. The challenge of that combination and the additional challenge of keeping a rim profile like that consistently round is one that no other rim manufacturer has accomplished.

Best of luck with the project. Let me know when you have US distribution.

bellebikes
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by bellebikes

whosatthewheel wrote:Nice, will you sell the rims alone or only the assembled wheels?


The rims will sell seperate, you can buy a set when our campaign goes live next saturday.

Image

These are hole drilling combinations available.

ergott wrote:Looks interesting. I've worked with enough alloy rims to be a bit skeptical of a rim of that profile with that low a weight. The challenge of that combination and the additional challenge of keeping a rim profile like that consistently round is one that no other rim manufacturer has accomplished.


Our first prototypes used 6061 alloy. Most brands use 6061 or comparable alloys.
With these alloys it is very hard, if not impossible to create a reliable and round rim with these specifications, as you said. Apart from that it is a good alloy to work with, so i am not saying it is a bad material. But the rims will be heavier.

Image

We use a different alloy which has better product properties. This allowed us to bring weight down to this point, without sacrificing reliability or roundness.
For the wheels we lace ourselve we work with a max radial and lateral offset of 0,1mm

Except for a small inconsistency at the weld, but this is the case on all aluminum rim. You have to think of around 0.3mm.but when tire is on the weld is not visible to the naked eye.

Best of luck with the project. Let me know when you have US distribution.


For our kickstarter campaign we will be shipping to us. If our campaign is successful we will take care of distribution of US, most likely by 1 or 2 distributors.
http://www.bellebikes.com - info@bellebikes.com
Rides: Bellezza Stelvio <5kg and Bellezza CorsaX!

euph
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by euph

I see that your specification graphic shows that you offer a ceramic braking surface? How does it compare to Mavic's old ceramic stuff? If you don't mind me asking. Good luck with you kickstarter

bellebikes
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by bellebikes

euph,

For the ceramic coating. I have built with many rims, not with these mavics tough. Also it hard to find information about how the ceramic is applied, so can't say how they compare.
the coating adds about 10 gram/rim

What i can say though, the coating is much more durable compared to anodized or hard-anodized rims. They last quite long when used in combination with our ceramic specific pads. When compared to standard alloy it is an improvement when it comes to braking power in wet and dry conditions.

more info on the braking surface can be found on the http://kickstarter.aforcewheels.com page.
Also, it improves rim life and looks quite good. Like similar brake coatings on the more well known brands eventually it wears off though. With rim brakes you brake by creating friction and therefore inevitably the coating will wear off over time, again it is quite long lasting.

Image
http://www.bellebikes.com - info@bellebikes.com
Rides: Bellezza Stelvio <5kg and Bellezza CorsaX!

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kavitator
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by kavitator

are nipples internal?

1415chris
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by 1415chris

As describer on kickstarter, the choice of internal or external.

bellebikes
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by bellebikes

kavitator wrote:are nipples internal?
1415chris wrote:As describer on kickstarter, the choice of internal or external.


For rim only it is all custom, you can choose both internal or external in almost all hole drilling combinations thinkable.

For wheels we standard do internal nipples, But we will contact each backer after kickstarter campaign ends to confirm preferences, if external nipples are desired that is no problem at all.

Image

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However for internal nipples we offset-drill the spoke holes 2mm to improve spoke angle & lateral stiffness, For external nipples that is not possible (due to bigger rim holes), so these will be drilled without offset (just like standard).

Please note that we do not offset to one side only, we drill offset to both side, so spoke angle will be increased to both directions.
http://www.bellebikes.com - info@bellebikes.com
Rides: Bellezza Stelvio <5kg and Bellezza CorsaX!

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Tomstr
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by Tomstr

Always nice to see some fellow Dutchmen active. :thumbup:

Are you offering a disc-only version too? I like the profile and internal width so I'd like to see how they hold up in CX or Gravel use. What spokecount would you recommend for a 80kg (rider&bike) combination?
Ride it like you stole it

bellebikes
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by bellebikes

Tomstr wrote:Are you offering a disc-only version too? I like the profile and internal width so I'd like to see how they hold up in CX or Gravel use. What spokecount would you recommend for a 80kg (rider&bike) combination?


Yes we will be, basically the same rim, but without grooves for braking, just a smooth surface, and full anodized. so it will have the smooth oval shape, no braketrack. But underneath it, it will be the same rim.

It wont be in the kick-starter release, but if you back us, at the end you can note us you want disc specific rims or wheels, that is no problem at all

With that weight i would opt for 20/24 (rim brake) or 24/24 (disc), there is no need for more spokes with this rim and your weight, Rim has been tested with standard spokes and 20/24 (2:1) in cyclocross conditions.

You might want to opt for our super-stiff spoke option tough , Not because it is needed for your weight, but When doing gravel roads or cyclo-cross the spokes will be less vulnerable to surface damage.

Image

This is a picture of a set of carbon tubes (also own brand) laced with the superstiff spokes, Owned by Pim Heemskerk (also happened to be a mechanic of Giant-Alpecin) but a fanatic cyclocross rider in winter. He got a piece of wood in his wheels during a race and the spokes weren't even damaged. Off course this might have been good luck. but when using thinner spokes this risk would have been bigger.
http://www.bellebikes.com - info@bellebikes.com
Rides: Bellezza Stelvio <5kg and Bellezza CorsaX!

thp
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by thp

Kickstarter needs some early and extra early options for the rim only pledges.

bellebikes
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by bellebikes

thp wrote:Kickstarter needs some early and extra early options for the rim only pledges.


@Thp,

Good point, We discussed this and we agree.

We changed our rewards, please check it out.
- First 10 backers for rims are getting 30%OFF
- the 11th - 35th backer gets 20%OFF
- remaining backers during our kickstarter campaign will have a 10% discount.

For wheels the same principle already applied.
http://www.bellebikes.com - info@bellebikes.com
Rides: Bellezza Stelvio <5kg and Bellezza CorsaX!

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



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