We are excited to announce the third gravel rim in the Carbon Werx gravel line up. If you recall, our very first gravel specific rim was the Gravel Head at 25mm deep and a featherweight of 350 grams. The ultimate uber light race day only rim. Our second offer was the Gravel Guru which is slightly deeper at 35mm and slightly heavier at 400 grams. Both of these rims have proven themselves in premier gravel races like Unbound and other similar challenging events in Canada, the USA and Europe.
Some riders have shown interest in a deeper rim still and this has given birth to a 40mm deep rim called the Gravel King.
This particular design also utilises an asymmetric compensation of 2.6mm which helps to minimise the disparity between the drive side and non drive side spoke tension. A very valuable feature that further strengthens the front and rear wheel.
This is especially important for any wheel that’s taking a bit of a beating which is bound to happen in some of your gravel excursions.
So what’s this rim made from? We have not strayed from the very best material available for any type of carbon rim. Again we are using Toray T700 for the highest quality carbon fibre available. With an unmatched strength to weight ratio you can’t do better.
These rims are available in a few different spoke counts that can be matched to the riders weight. Generally a recommended and time tested spoke count for a rider of average weight would be 28 holes. This enables me to build up a pair of very light but very strong wheels that will have the perfect balance of strength and stiffness but also offering that necessary degree of compliance for all day comfort in the saddle.
If a rider is quite light and wants to push the envelope with a slightly lighter set of wheels you could opt for the lightest version which would be a pair of 24 hole wheels or even a split set that utilised a 28 hole rear and a 24 hole front.
This is the clear advantage of custom built wheels. You have the option of dialing in the precise amount of stiffness and strength and compliance. No factory built wheel set gives you any of those options.
So why a 40mm rim? Based on my own extensive experience as a gravel rider and having built countless gravel wheels for riders of all levels of experience, I have come to the conclusion that 40mm has a place in the world of gravel. It’s about as deep as anyone should require, but some prefer the extra stiffness this depth of rim provides. This doesn’t mean a 40mm rim has lost all necessary compliance and comfort. There are ways to mitigate excessive stiffness in the building process by altering the lacing pattern and choice of spokes.
We opted for a 25.5 mm internal dimension and a 31mm external width. The wider internal will provide a nice shape for tires beyond 32mm in width.
The Carbon Werx Gravel King. An asymmetrically compensated gravel rim made from Japanese Toray T700 carbon fibre.
There’s also another hidden advantage to that wider internal dimension that doesn’t get talked about much. It enables you to ride slightly narrower gravel tires which will be lighter in weight, yet those same tires will measure a few millimetres wider when inflated. I’ll give you an example. I ride the 32mm Vittoria Terreno Dry gravel tires and when inflated they will measure 37.5mm if mounted to a rim with a 24 or 25mm internal. This means I get to ride a lighter tire but get the wider dimensions of one that’s heavier! A win win situation.
That’s a huge advantage if you are racing and trying to keep the weight of your wheels down.
The Gravel King weighs in at 440 grams. I think this is ideal for riders who aren’t suited for something as crazy light as the Gravel Head and want to have a worry free day on the back roads.
Even for the most dedicated gravel racer, the last thing you want to worry about is having a mechanical issue on race day, so a handful of extra grams on your rims may prove to be the wisest move you could make, and still land you on the podium.
To provide you with some aesthetic choices, you can choose your desired exterior weave. You can opt for a standard UD weave which is the plainest and least adorned of the bunch or something that shows the typical patterns found in carbon weaves like either the 3K or 12K.
Any of these exterior weaves can be finished in either a matte satin finish or a glossy finish.
If you have any questions about those decisions I’d be happy to walk you through your choices.
The Gravel King can be paired up with several different hubs that are perennial favourites for gravel use. Some of my personal favourites are White Industries CLD, Chris King R45D’s or DT Swiss 350’s. We can discuss the specs of these hubs as needed.