Wind Shadow™

The goal:  To build wheels that aren’t merely theoretically fast in a wind tunnel or in a computational model but that are absolutely “Fast” in the real world.  In effect, creating wheels with the aerodynamics of a deep profile aero wheel, the weight of a climbing wheel and the handling, stability, and strength of a track sprinting wheel.

To accomplish that goal, RideFast starts with a 26.2mm external rim width that's shaped to allow the tire to form a nearly seamless junction with the rim, acting as an addition to the aerodynamic profile of the wheel, while also yielding a larger contact patch with the road and stiffening the tire’s sidewall to deliver better cornering grip and a faster, smother ride.  Next, extending inward from the tire, toward the hub, our rims maintain their width, when compared to traditional aero rims, tapering less as the rim approaches the spokes.  Finally, at the spokes, the rim transitions to a blunt edge.  

The combination of the wider rim and tire, flatter sidewall, and blunt tail creates a pocket or “shadow” in the wind as the wheel is rolling.  This Wind Shadow affords the aerodynamic profile of much deeper traditional aero rims without the weight penalty or difficult crosswind handling commonly associated with those deeper rims.

Wind Shadow shaping doesn’t just deliver a more aerodynamic profile as the wheel enters the wind, it also allows the air to flow around the trailing-edge of the wheel (the edge of the wheel furthest from your direction of travel) more easily, an important aerodynamic need not well addressed by traditionally shaped deep profile wheels.