The “all road” moniker is bantered about a lot these days. It’s usually describing a bike design that enables the rider to traverse lots of diverse road options, from regular smooth pavement to gnarly gravel roads and everything in between.
Such a bike would require a versatile set of wheels that would respond well to all those different road surfaces. Wheels that would give you the ability to swap out different tire widths appropriate to the kind of road you might be taking that day.
A light tire for fast club rides and possibly a more aggressively treaded tire for a day of gravel riding on old farm roads.
Does such a wheel design really work? In a word, I would say yes. Admittedly its a bit of a Swiss Army knife approach but modern carbon rims do offer that degree of flexibility if the right lacing pattern, rim depth, spoke choice, spoke count and hub design are used.
I believe our new Carbon Werx All Road wheel set is the ideal solution. A lot of thought went into getting the balance just right. Remember, these wheels are called upon to perform well in very different situations so a proper wheel design is of paramount importance.
So, just how did we achieve this design goal? My first thoughts went to rim depth. I chose a 49mm deep rim. It’s the deepest rim that I would recommend for tougher gravel roads, yet it’s also just right for a set of fast wheels that will benefit from its aerodynamic strengths. The width of our rim is 31mm and the internal dimension is 24.5mm. The trend toward wider rims marches in lock step with the trend toward wider tires. These rims are optimised for tires between 28 and 45mm wide.
The wider rim also offers some additional lateral stiffness.
The carbon weave is a 3K pattern and this particular set has a glossy finish. It’s quite attractive and offers just the right amount of compliance for rougher road surfaces. I chose a custom blend of Toray T700S and T800 carbon fibre. This is aerospace quality carbon fibre with a perfect strength to weight ratio.
The new Carbon Werx All Road rim. 49mm deep and 31mm wide. Made from aerospace grade Toray T700S & T800 carbon fibre.
The next consideration was spoke count. I decided upon a pair of 28 hole rims. Why not a pair of 24 hole rims you might be thinking, as you have seen this done with other companies like Enve for instance.
The weight of 4 extra spokes on each wheel is not worth quibbling over when one realises the added lateral strength and stiffness one achieves when going from a 24 hole wheel to a 28 hole wheel. When you get out of the saddle to sprint on these wheels you’ll immediately feel just how much stiffer and responsive they are and the same goes for climbing hills. All that sponginess and wasted watts from a typical 24 hole wheel has completely disappeared.
You’ll also begin to see the improved ride quality when you hit those gravel roads. That wider more aggressively treaded tire exerts more lateral forces on your wheel and the 28’s will be solid as a rock. The same can’t be said for a pair of 24’s.
Spoke choice was the next obvious consideration and this is more important than you may think. I have a hybrid spoking method that employs different models of spokes on the front and rear wheel. Why am I bothering to split hairs like this? Simply because the front and rear wheels have very different jobs and require different approaches in both final spoke tension and even spoke choice.
On this particular wheel design I am using the Sapim CX Sprints on the rear wheel and the Sapim CX Rays on the front wheel. Both are forged Sandvik steel bladed spokes that are made in Belgium. The CX Sprints have a very slightly meatier profile that works wonders in adding some more lateral strength to a rear wheel. The CX Rays are the lightest bladed spoke that Sapim makes and are ubiquitous in the pro peloton as a highly favoured racing spoke. Super light and super strong. This combination works perfectly for the job that each wheel is required to perform.
I opted for a very conventional and tried and true cross 3 lacing pattern. Why not a cross 2 lacing pattern you ask? Cross 3 has been around for a very long time and this classic pattern provides reliability and strength that is unparalleled. The ride quality is also immediately apparent. Greater lateral stiffness and a livelier feeling set of wheels.
My hub of choice was from Oregon, the Chris King R45D. Already a classic and much loved for several reasons. Chris King now offers a life time warranty which is nice to know for a pair of hubs that might be subjected to some extreme use now and again.
The Chris King R45D centrelock disc hub. Comes with an easily adjustable bearing preload and this hubset has the upgrade to ceramic hybrid bearings.
The Chris King R45D is a centrelock disc hub with large flanges, 57.4mm to be precise. These big flanges help to make your wheels that much stiffer and stronger, working well with my Sapim hybrid spoke selection. You also have the option of their standard steal bearings as well as an upgrade to a ceramic hybrid bearing. Chris Kings colour ways are great and their anodisation is second to none in the business. Every part on that hub is machined to the finest tolerances possible. Bear in mind there is no longer an option for a Campagnolo freehub should you be riding a Campy drive train, so another hub choice would need to be considered in that case.
The matching front centrelock R45D hub in stunning Matte Bourbon
My go to spoke nipple comes from Italy. The Alpina ABS black brass 5.5mm dual ended nipple is simply the best in the world. Alpina has designed a rather clever spoke nipple. Their brass composition yields about 30% greater strength and somehow they have devised a manufacturing process that does not require the use of highly toxic mercury which is a huge environmental boost! The plastic ABS plug in the top of the nipple acts like a thread locker stopping the spoke from ever coming loose as well as being anti vibrational.
The very last thing that brings these wheels to life and provides a superb ride quality and the confidence that these will keep performing great for years to come is the methodology used in our build. Cognoscenti Cycles method of building wheels is utterly unique. I can say this with complete assurance that this is indeed a fact. The attention to detail and the number of steps taken in every wheel that leaves the shop is unique to this company.
Our selection of custom made tools and tools that we have played a part in the final design are numerous. I have partnered with several talented tool makers and this has refined the process of wheel building to a fine art. Our custom made spoke tension meter is one of these tools. My commitment to accurate and correct spoke tension is unwavering. It makes all the difference! Please take a look at the “tool” section of our website which has photo’s and descriptions of many of the sophisticated tools I use daily.
I will not go into great detail on all the secrets of our wheel building methods. They are carefully guarded trade secrets that nobody but myself knows. Suffice to say, your wheels will be built to the highest standard possible in the industry.
If you think you’d like to experience a significant upgrade to some world class all road wheels, let me know and I’ll get you sorted out! Turn around time is usually around 2 weeks if the components are in stock and the price for this set is $2625.00 CAN + tax, with standard bearings. Choice of hub colour, and rim finish is up to you!
The Carbon Werx All Road rim in our P&K Lie truing stand.