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How we test Parcours wheels

Aerodynamic advantage is the number one reason that drives people to upgrade their wheels.  It’s why we have been into the wind tunnel with our Passista wheelset, which you can read all about here.

But an even more important consideration is safety.  It might not be quite as exciting, but you want to know you’ll finish your ride in one piece.  It’s also why all Parcours designs have been thoroughly tested to ensure they’ll not only meet, but exceed safety requirements.

STANDARDS TESTING

Firstly, this starts with European Standards (EN14781:2005 since you ask), which were passed without a problem.  When it comes to wheels, this tests for lateral & radial true (how “round” your wheel is).  The wheel must also withstand a sideways force of 250N being applied to it for at least a minute, without buckling or permanently bending by more than 1mm.

Next, we went through testing to gain UCI approval.  Here, a wheel (without a tyre fitted) must withstand an impact with energy of 40J without sustaining any damage or being knocked out of true. 


               

A 40J impact is roughly equivalent to a 10kg weight being dropped from a height of about ½ a metre.  It’s designed to simulate the sort of impact you might encounter in a crash or hitting a kerb.  Again, another pass for Parcours, meaning all Parcours wheelsets are now UCI-approved.

BRAKING

Finally, we wanted to address one of the major concerns that crops up when people look at full carbon wheels – braking performance.  When the brakes are applied, the kinetic energy of bike and rider is rapidly converted into heat through friction between the brake pad and rim.  This heat can cause issues in one of two ways:

  1. Excess heat in the rim material can cause the temperature to rise above the glass transition temperature (TG) of the resin used in the carbon fibre. The resin is what holds the sheets of fibres together, so if it overheats like this it will soften, causing the rim to deform
  2. The heat generated through braking can cause the air inside the inner tube to expand, increasing the pressure and causing a blowout. Alternatively, the inner tube itself could melt or deform, causing a puncture or a different type of blowout 

As a result, when looking at the rim design, we wanted to ensure we had the most heat-resistant options available.  To do this, Parcours wheels use an industry-standard high TG resin.  The brake track itself also uses a basalt coating, which is an excellent thermal insulator.

TESTING 

To put the braking performance to the test, we put our rims through a repeated braking cycle, using a thermal probe to monitor the rim temperature.  As with our aero testing, to keep things transparent, here is the test protocol:

  • Test speed: wheel spun up to ~15kph each cycle
  • Test load: 60kgf
  • Braking load: 10kgf
  • Deceleration: 1.5m.s-2 ±15%
  • Testing cycle: 10s braking / 3s release, repeated over 3000 cycles

Below is a chart showing a snapshot of the results:

At no point does the rim temperature rise above 130°C, which keeps it well below the all-important TG of the carbon fibre resin (240°C).  It is also well below the TG of a standard butyl inner tube.  Note that latex inner tubes have a TG more towards 120°C, so worth bearing in mind if you’re planning on riding them when you’re expecting prolonged periods of braking.

REAL WORLD

As with our aero testing, it’s important to take into account real-world riding conditions.  Parcours wheels have been tested across all terrain, ranging from short, sharp Lake District downhills in the rain to long, sweeping Alpine descents in summer heat.  Each time they performed admirably, with no unpleasant surprises or issues.

TOP TIPS

So what does all the testing tell us, particularly about braking on Parcours wheels?  Ultimately, our goal is to keep the rim temperature down, meaning we steer well clear of the critical glass transition temperature.  To do this, you can employ a number of techniques:

  1. Most importantly, don’t drag your brakes all the way down a descent. Starting with smaller, controlled downhills, build up your confidence to release the brakes and fully enjoy the feeling that you’ve earned on the uphill
  2. Instead, use a brake/release method, often referred to as “pumping” your brakes. Even a short release allows the rim to cool significantly
  3. Alternatively, you can alternate between your front and rear brake when looking to reduce speed

We hope you’ve found this blog post interesting – certainly something we’ll be looking to do more of in the future.  If there are any topics you’d particularly like to see discussed or covered, let us know!

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