First Look: Newmen Components' New Wheels Have Spokes Made of String

May 17, 2018
by Paul Aston  
Newmen Components First Look String spokes

Newmen is the latest brand created by Michael Grätz, formerly of Syntace and Liteville fame. Michi has gone his own way recently and is applying his unique approach to some new products. The Newmen brand first showed up on my radar at the Cube AM150 bike launch, where some of their high-end bikes were built with A.30 wheelsets; I thought it was a confident move to order a large batch of products for OEM bikes from a new brand.

Newmen's Tim Jürgensen was in town last week, and he dropped by to show me some of their products.




Evolution 318.2 Stem

Newmen Components First Look Evolution 318.2 stem

First up is the Evolution SL318.2 stem. 318 for the diameter, and the '.2' references the bolts (there is also a four bolt version). Similar to the Intend Grace (we can let those guys argue over whose idea it was first), it uses a two-bolt design to save weight and increase strength. The 3D hollow forged unit weighs a measly 69 grams (claimed) in 50mm length, and unlike the already super light 83g Intend stem, it should accept any rise handlebar. The stem comes with a pair of extra grub screws and a steel plate which can be used to open up the clamp to slide in the handlebar.

Newmen Components First Look Evolution 318.2 stem
The plate and grub screws are removed after installing the bar, then replaced with Ti bolts.

Evolution SL 318.2 Stem:

• Length: 50-100 mm
• Material: 7050 aluminum
• Bolts: Titanium
• Angle: 6°
• Weight: 69-96 gram
• Price: €99





Pi Rope X Newmen Wheelset

Newmen Components First Look String spokes

This wheelset will be sold by Pi Rope, a new company born out of TU University Chemnitz, Germany. It's the result of after a ten-year development process to integrate Vectran textile fiber spokes into MTB wheelset, read: the spokes are made out of string. Of course, it sounds like a really stupid idea initially, but this system promises benefits over metal spokes that only work in tension and not in compression. When the wheel is built, the Pi Rope spokes have around 7-8mm of 'preload,' which means they can be compressed up to 8mm while holding the same tension. In use, the idea is that all of the spokes will constantly be at the correct tension at all times regardless of what the terrain is doing, leaving an equal amount of pressure on all spokes, nipples and the rim bed.

Newmen Components First Look String spokes


Pi Rope Wheels:

• Vectran textile fiber spokes
• XA25 alloy 25mm rim
• Weight: 1230g pair
• Price: N/A available end of summer

The weight saving is pretty significant at a claimed 1230g with a 28 spoke Newmen XA25 25mm wheelset, the same wheelset with lightweight steel spokes hits the scales at 1440g. Great for XC racing and weight weenies, bad for people who get ninja stars thrown at them while riding. The two companies are working on a carbon wheelset where they are hoping to get the weight down to 1060g.

The tensile strength is claimed to be 8x more than a steel spoke, and on Newmen's test rigs this wheel outperformed any of their other products, taking 100,000 cycles on the braking test (the same as pulling your front brake really hard to do a stoppie) and 5.9 million impacts where the wheel rolls over a bumpy metal drum for hours on end. The rim finally cracked at the rim bed, but Newmen say this was down to the 4.5bar pressure needed in the tire for all of the testing.

And before any of you say that Vectran can be damaged by UV rays, the production versions will have a coating to counter the sunlight.


Newmen Components First Look String spokes
This was the actual wheel from the test rig, the words denote how much abuse they took.

Newmen Components First Look String spokes
I think this requires another mention: The. Spokes. Are. Made. From. String.
Newmen Components First Look String spokes
Hmmm, light stuff...


Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset A.30 test rig damage
This rim started to fail after volumes more testing than their normal wheelset, but the spokes stayed together and under tension.





Advanced SL 318.20 Handlebar

Newmen Components First Look Blue Carbon

That ain't just a nice finish according to Newmen, that is actually blue carbon fiber. I can see this taking off and soon EWS racers will be riding multicolored, raw carbon frames, color-coded to the flag of the country they are racing in. Maybe. Aside from that, its a pretty standard carbon handlebar with 8º of back and 4º of upsweep.

Newmen Components First Look Blue Carbon

Advanced SL 318.20 Handlebar:

• Clamp diameter: 31.8 mm
• Width: 750 mm / Rise: 20 mm
• Upsweep: 4° / Backsweep: 8°
• Material: Blue TeXtreme carbon fiber
• Weight: 183g
• Price: €189





TC Adaptor

Newmen Components First Look TC Adaptor

Remeber bolt-thru frames that didn't have a recess to receive the hub? Yes, they were annoying to fit the wheels as you tried to line everything up and slide in the axle. Cleverly, somebody fixed this with the move from 135mm rear hubs to 142mm, and with 150mm to 157mm, with 15mm front axles and most modern 20mm axles. Then RockShox waltzed in with their Torque Caps to increase stiffness at the front wheel on their heavy-hitting Lyrik chassis. (Wait, didn't we already have stiffer 20mm front hub axle with pinch bolts? Yes, but, shut up, Paul). The Lyrik design was something that worked perfectly well, if you had a wheel with Torque Caps. If not, and this has happened to me many times when changing wheels or even on complete bikes that do not have Torque Caps, you felt like you had gone back in time as that front hub never sat quite in the right place to receive the axle.

Enter Newmen's TC Adaptors. A simple concept that involves peeling off the paper backing, and sticking them on the dropout of the fork. Now your peasant-grade, non-Torque Cap wearing hub can correctly and easily slot into your Lyrik or Yari dropout.
TC Adaptors:

• Color: Black
• Material: Plastic
• Weight: imperceptible
• Price: €5


Newmen Components First Look Torque Cap fixers
Before...
Newmen Components First Look Torque Cap fixers
...and after.





Evolution Wheelset E.G.30

Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset

Finally, the real reason why Tim popped around to the house, to bring me a pair of E.G.30 wheels in 29er size for long-term testing. The E.G.30 wheels are designed for eMTB with a 180kg total weight limit, and soon Newmen will be using the same rim for downhill wheelsets. Starting with the 590g, 30mm internal rim, Newmen decided to angle out the rim bead/sidewall slightly after finding that the damage from a vertical drop test done in most wheel labs didn't reflect the damage being caused on the trail. This is because the chance of a direct hit coming in perpendicular to the rim is unlikely if you are traveling in a straight line, the rocks and roots are generally at an angle, and pushing into rocky corners or compressions often cause rim damage.

Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset
Evolution Wheelset E.G.30:

• Intended Use: all-mountain
• Inner rim width: 30 mm
• Holes: 28
• Rim material: High-strength aluminum alloy
• Hub material: 7075 aluminum
• Tolerance Adjustment system
• Structural weight limit: 180 kg
• Price: €698 pair

Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset
Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset

On the samples below, Newmen tested their rim against similar competitors' rims. Their drop test involves an 8kg weight raised in 20cm increments, seven times. You can see the difference in between the damage incurred on each rim, of course, we will have to take their word for it that the test was equal.

Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset A.30 test rig damage

Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset A.30 Rim Profile
Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset A.30 test rig damage

Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset A.30 Rim Profile


Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset nipples
The spoke nipples have a rounded contact point that connects with a matching washer. This sits inside the spoke bed helping to distribute force, ease tensioning and allow weight to be trimmed from the rim.

The hubs also have a couple of interesting features, including equal length straight pull spokes all around, a star ratchet freehub system, and adjustable bearing preload. Newmen chose 28x Sapim D-Strong spokes, a thicker gauge spoke for eMTB because you are more likely to be hacking through sticks and debris without slowing down. The straight pull spokes are used in a three-cross pattern, and they are also all the same length left and right, front and rear. This was a concept piloted by SRAM some years ago where the shape, size and countersink depth of the hub flanges are adjusted to use the same length spokes all around; many people are against straight pull because they are more difficult to source, but only needing one replacement makes life easier, as well as not needing to remove rotors and cassettes to replace a broken spoke. Also, not having the spokes contact at the crossing points reduces the risk of breaking, noise, and the nipples digging themselves into the spoke bed. The spokes also feature a washer that sits between the nipple and rim bed, increasing the contact area, thus being able to reduce rim wall thickness, and making tensioning easier.

Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset freehub system

The hubs use a star ratchet system to connect drivetrain power to forward momentum. Newmen's system only uses one spring to move the floating interior ratchet, while the exterior ratchet is fixed into the hub (DT Swiss's similar patented system uses a spring to move both ratchets towards each other). They also have two versions, the smaller is for normal MTB, and the larger version is slightly heavier, but bigger to cope with eMTB loads.

Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset freehub system

The final feature of the wheelset is the TA Tolerance Adjustment caps. By following a simple process, your hubs can get the ideal preload in your frame and fork. According to Newmen, different axle systems put different clamping forces on your hub, ranging from 3000N to over 10000N, of course, all this depends on the hub and frame design, and how aggressively you tighten the axles.

Newmen Components First Look Evolution Wheelset Tolerance Adjustment caps
By using this lock ring, the bearing preload can be adjusted in your frame or fork to get the ideal preload regardless of your frame, fork, or axle.

We will be putting the Evolution E.G.30 wheelset to the test over the coming months, in the meantime, you can check out newmen-components.de for more information.

Author Info:
astonmtb avatar

Member since Aug 23, 2009
486 articles

165 Comments
  • 140 2
 Views above innovations. Utters "Newman" under breath in a subtle pun reference to Seinfeld.
  • 35 0
 "Rochelle, Rochelle" A young girl's strange, erotic journey from Milan to Minsk.
  • 24 0
 "That's quite the feedbag your working on there."
"It's for all of us."
"Brody, c'mon. He's just kidding. He's a joke maker. Tell him, Jerry."
"I'm a joke maker."
  • 8 0
 Newman!
  • 8 0
 Here's to feeling good all the time...
  • 6 0
 It's a Twix! They're ALL Twix! It was a setup!
  • 2 0
 This is basically what all the retirees at DT Swiss did when they read this!
  • 2 0
 Checking in on my likes whilst eating a box of Junior Mints.
  • 98 1
 A sweet name for the Hubs could be Pawl Newmen's Own ?

Ok I am sorry about that one, be back in few weeks.
  • 17 0
 underrated.
  • 13 0
 Nice one - in fact the name has been chosen with some ones appreciation for Paul Newman in mind. And it had to be possible to read it flip-flop.
  • 2 3
 Some people are unable to read flip-flop. Please enlighten that some of us!
  • 2 0
 @OnionRing: He meant that they wanted an ambigram, the logo looks identical upside down "flip-flopped", and that is easier to do with some words than with others.
  • 1 4
 Having known Paul Newman to a degree I'd have to suggest leaving his work out of Company Press. Just a thought.
  • 3 0
 @OnionRing: The brand is called Newmen, with an e. So that is not really a direct reference to Paul Newman. That they appreciate his work, and might have had that in mind, when they came up with the name... well I can't see any fault with that.

And I guess everybody is aware that the impression of a person that one gets from their work can, and in a lot of cases will, differ largely from the impression in any personal encounter, if that is what you were referring to?
  • 1 7
flag OnionRing (May 18, 2018 at 10:28) (Below Threshold)
 @FuzzyL:

Appears cheesy. Paul Newman Foundation has zero-stake in this Business Newmen Components; inferring a likeness does nothing to generate customers.

For example - I love Burger King.

If I called Mr. Burger to check sales I doubt there would be indicators.
If I even called Kenny Roger's Roasters next door (which may have been the real reason I expound the love of Burger King - Kenny makes a strong Bird) I doubt anything could be attributable to BK.

These type-things need not seep into media relations, personal reservations not withstanding.

Whatever though.
  • 4 0
 Will he be donating all profits to charity?
  • 1 0
 @newmencomponents:
Do those “spokes” work with other hubs? And will the spokes be available to buy by themselves to be able to build up a custom wheel set?
  • 81 2
 That click bait title sure roped me in.
  • 16 50
flag WAKIdesigns (May 17, 2018 at 12:17) (Below Threshold)
 It’s ratcheting, not clicking
  • 49 1
 Sure was an interesting thread though.
  • 18 2
 @mabboo: Come on guys... let's not string the puns out for too long...
  • 11 2
 Don't get tied in knots over it, there where threads of truth in the title.
  • 17 2
 They'll likely strike a cord with the weight weenies
  • 6 1
 It will certainly throw them into the fray.
  • 20 1
 People on this website always find something to twine about
  • 5 1
 I like how you just weaved that in there
  • 6 2
 glad to see string theory become reality
  • 7 1
 PiRope making wheels available on-line
  • 6 0
 There is no tension in the Pinkbike pun threads anymore
  • 43 0
 Can I afford one? I'm a frayed knot
  • 4 0
 My funds are all tied up in super boost hubs.
  • 3 0
 @MikeBikerson: Maybe you spoke too soon and at a claimed msrp of 1200€ for a 1230g trail wheelset there might be a string of hope some people can afford one?
  • 19 0
 Vectran as a material has been surpassed by newer iterations of dyneema which is now far superior in all metrics than vectran.

As for UV coatings for rope, it’s ok, kind of, but it wears off and with a material like vectran it will fail surprisingly quickly.
  • 8 2
 coming from the maritime industry, I can confirm the damage the sun will do to synthetic ropes such as vectran and dyneema. Most come with a wax-like coating that will wear off and the fibres begin to deteriorate in the sun. Stuff is strong like you wouldnt believe, but compared to a simple aluminum spoke in this application, there's no question it wouldn't last longer.
  • 84 0
 I still prefer a standard rope for chewing on. Call me a curmudgeon but all these new fangled materials really lack the old-fashioned mouth feel.
  • 5 0
 Does this mean I can't leave my bike outside behind the shed anymore?
  • 9 1
 @nofear259: Dyneema is very stable in UV, the coating is not required to be UV safe, its more to keep the fibres in line and make handling easier.

DSM (the maker of Dyneema) has a product called DM20 which is very low elongation, much better than Vectran, so it baffles me why these guys didn't use it.. Maybe now that I have told them they will go and do it Smile
  • 8 0
 Yeah Dyneema is super cool stuff, Dyneema composite fabric is insanely light and nearly impossible to rip by hand, waterproof, you even need a special scissors to cut it. Probably will never see any packs or gear made out of it though cause at 30 to 40 dollars a yard the profit margins aren't there for commercial companies.
  • 7 1
 @macca208: I think elongation is your friend in this scenario, it would make it much easier to have all the spokes sitting at the same tension, and small deformations from normal riding wouldn't cause the tension to spike, allowing you to run higher nominal spoke tensions.
  • 9 0
 @Kitejumping: Lots of high end ultralight backpacking gear is made with DCF. All the cool kids use it.
www.trailgroove.com/blogs/entry/135-dyneema-composite-fabric-cuben-fiber-and-backpacking
  • 2 1
 @nofear259:

"Sorry I can't make Friday's ride bros...... my fiber spokes are looking dingy and need a wax."
  • 2 0
 @nofear259: I think they should use a vectran cored double braid - no uv issues, very durable, no creep, less than $1 per foot. Weight of about 6 grams per spoke means it wouldn't be any lighter than a dt swiss spoke though. I'd still love to try a wheel like this, I bet the ride would be amazing.

www.apsltd.com/new-england-ropes-v-100-vectran-line.html
  • 2 1
 @fuzzhead45: elongation is referred to as creep, this is "permanent stretch" ie, it is not elastic within the working loads. Stretch is elastic and will vary within the working load.

In order to get even tension on the spokes, you need an absolute minimum creep, and ideally you want to have the stretch very low as well. there is enough stretch for the load cases to allow for anomalies in tension due to flex in the rim, impacts and torsional movement.
  • 6 0
 @sancho-ramerez: yep, there's an entire cottage industry for cuben fiber tents and gear supported by ultralight backpacking fetishists. i know because i used to be one. then i found an even more expensive hobby
  • 1 0
 @nofear259: so, living in Phoenix, you're saying I should just not do this..
  • 2 0
 @macca208: it may have just been the vessel I worked on, but we discarded lines at a 4.5-6 month period as they would begin to become extremely brittle and chafed. But hey, may just be my one experience.
  • 3 0
 @scary1: I think you're on to something. Maybe these are meant for market in the UK???
  • 1 0
 They’re stronger than regular spokes, but will they last as long?
  • 1 0
 @cliffhanger4life: I would doubt it, dyneema for example even though its 15x stronger than steel for its weight, it's abrasion resistance is pretty weak compared to metal.
  • 21 2
 If had a dollar for every time I've though - These heavy spokes are holding me back. I wish there was a marginally lighter and much more expensive alternative...
  • 14 0
 come on, 200g compared to 1.6mm steel spokes isn't thaaat marginal Smile
  • 1 0
 @newmencomponents: per wheel too!
  • 15 0
 TC Adaptor is a really good idea but its frustrating that RS caused it in the first place. We dont need 20mm here at RS, 15s fine. Oh hang on 15s not stiff enough, shall we go back to 20? Naaaah lets use torque caps and pish off anyone who doesnt buy our hubs. B'ends.
  • 8 0
 trying to make the best of what we have, I guess Wink

regularly testing different wheels and stuff the torque cap "problem" can become quite annoying I can tell you..
  • 3 2
 SRAM has a 29.99 torque cap in the works, once the sales of current version drop. Bam, time to change the size... then Chris King hubs will release their version to adapt to the old size.
  • 1 0
 @newmencomponents: Great products. But I think it is bad style to show the brand of the competitor rim you damaged in your test. You don't need that, you are good enough on your own.
  • 2 0
 Going to get some of those, 5 euros instead of 33 for new hub end caps.
  • 16 0
 I knew one day learning knitting from grandma will be worth it. Now i can build some wheels...
  • 17 1
 Pop a disc on there and we are back to the mid 90's with the Sugino/Tioga Disk Drive, what a noise!!
  • 8 0
 Best noise ever.
  • 2 0
 I was told they accelerate with every bump making it turn faster. I told him "I think you have it backwards"
  • 11 0
 Spinergy had tension only spokes with special hubs for ten years. I rode two sets of them and they were incredible. I've been waiting for Spinergy to get around to building a carbon wheelset but no dice. If this is anywhere near as good I'm glad the tech has been rediscovered and I'll seriously consider running them.
  • 5 0
 I bought the first generation Xcylone disc wheels (I want to say around 2001ish) after borrowing a friend's bike with Spox wheels for an XC race. They had quite a unique ride quality to them, neutered a lot of vibration, and accelerated very quickly from lack of spoke mass. Those Xyclones had terrible hubs, though...I remembered always going through bearings.
  • 2 0
 Topolino and Giant too.
  • 5 0
 @mtmw you do realize that all spokes are tension only right?
  • 1 0
 Isn't ALL bicycle wheels tension only. I know zero that have nipples that allow the spoke to be compressed. When you think about it, string spokes are not that special anymore. It just lacks the lateral rigidity of aluminum spokes.
  • 1 0
 @hirvi: @hirvi: Whats all this talk of Aluminium spokes?
I thought only Mavic was using them these days?
Steel are far more common and less brittle.
Aside from the fact that steel is far less elastic than aluminium as a material.
Besides how many reviews of Carbon Rimmed wheels complain about the harshness of the ride!
  • 3 0
 @XCAussie: Sorry, meant to write "metal spokes", my bad!
PS. i9 wheels use alu spokes to my knowledge.
  • 10 0
 I'd love to see a slow motion shot of this wheelset drifting (usually wheels hop and skip when you drift, would look amazing)

But really super keen on string spokes, we use vectran in sailing a lot and its good stuff
  • 16 8
 The spokes are not "string" That is misleading language. Climbing rope is not "string" either. Vectran is an aramid fibre used extensively in sailing applications amongst other things. It is non-dynamic and far stronger than string or twine Smile
  • 46 2
 Fun at parties.
  • 27 0
 string is also made out of fiber. or cheese.
  • 6 0
 We are discussing String Theory?
  • 4 1
 he is actually right tho - the spokes are woven from vectran fibre yarn by PiRope in Germany
  • 9 0
 So fancy string then?
  • 6 0
 You're non-dynamic.
  • 2 0
 @arphia: extra fancy
  • 7 0
 If the material is preloaded 7 to 8 mm then it has got to be fairly elastic in comparison the steel spokes, which means your rim would likely deflect more laterally with these than with steel. I'd imagine the feel would be similar to having about 10 mm of travel centered at the hub. Seems like it would result in going through rims really fast because of this. Also preload does not mean even spoke tension all the time since the tension is roughly proportional to the elastic deformation in the spoke.
  • 2 0
 I too question this aspect of those wheels.
  • 1 0
 No, they must be stiff, they only needed 28 spokes per wheel!
  • 1 0
 I'm thinking more about if you tacoed a wheel. All that preloaded energy has to dissipate. Could make for an exciting time as you hear your wheel explode.
  • 5 0
 Newman wasn't the first will the idea for the wheels. The idea has been out for years. Spinergy even makes downhill wheels like this:

www.spinergy.com/content/pbo-spoke-technology
  • 5 1
 Am I the only one who thinks that a wheel-set or hub preview / review / marketing piece should ALWAYS have the hubs POE listed? Silly me, I must have missed the memo stating that all we are allowed to do is have rack queens and pose in the parking lot whilst sipping craft ale. I mean we only pedal the damn things, and and something like how far the cranks turn before engagement is kinda important - No?
  • 5 4
 look at the picture of the star ratchet and start counting. POE is overrated. I'd rather have an 18 click DT Swiss star ratchet on my bike than anything else.
  • 8 0
 We found that 36 teeth in our star ratchet strike a nice balance between engagement angle and noise. Pawls weren't really an option for the level of durability we are aiming for. Also personally I find 36t plenty for technical climbing while I do agree that 18 can feel like a compromise after you have used a hub with more engagement points.
  • 1 0
 @mykel U mad bro?
  • 8 1
 Now THAT is a "New Tech" article. Not the usual bullshit about handlebars with new stickers.
  • 2 2
 I was a little disappointed in the lack of stickers. Not gonna lie
  • 4 1
 Cool idea on the vectran spokes. That stuff is really strong. Spokes work in tension so in theory they should work great. I'll be interested to see a review. I'm especially interested to know how the wheel works when the vectran spokes become a bit loose.
  • 2 0
 Technical comments Smile
"When the wheel is built, the Pi Rope spokes have around 7-8mm of 'preload,' which means they can be compressed up to 8mm while holding the same tension." That shoud read : "which means they can be compressed up to 8mm while holding the tension." Would really like to know how would you achieve the first result. That would be revolution Smile

And common used wire spokes are nothing different than strings, really. Their rigidity is there unneeded property I would say, but you need the torsion (thus rigidity) to tension them...
  • 3 0
 the point is that the spokes get lenghtened by 8mm when they get tensioned while building the wheel.
Under riding situations the forces of the spokes in a regular wheel get distributed so unevenly that under extreme breaking for example certain spokes lose almost all of their tension when they were tensioned to 1200N.

With the fibre spokes the forces are distributed much more evenly onto the different spoke holes, since there would have to be much more movement in the wheel before a spoke loses as much tension as a steel spoke does - thus the fibre spokes last much longer on our drum teststand than any other wheel we have tested so far (the rims for example dont crack at the nipple hole).

The stiffness of the wheel is basically the same though.
  • 2 0
 I have seen them here for the first time: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns-mH9EjyZU
Even if you don't understand a single word the video is very interesting.

When I saw it I have been like:"Please don't!" But now that Newmen are cooperating with them I'm like:"Shut up and take my money!" Big Grin
  • 6 0
 Yes! Tioga disc drive is back!
  • 4 0
 Cool to see TeXtreme carbon fiber make it's way into the bike industry, stuff works awesome on snowboards like the jones carbon flagship or kiteboards by crazyfly / north.
  • 4 0
 Felt uses it on their bikes already.
  • 4 0
 When I become a millionaire I'm going to pay someone to invent ridiculous bike parts under various company names just to make people on PB insane.
  • 4 0
 This is really cool stuff. Been waiting for someone to really put the string spokes to the test.
  • 3 0
 walter: and now, what shall we use to conduct this beautiful current with? what one particular element comes to mind?

jesse: string?
  • 1 0
 Read about similar spokes on mtbr, by user LaceMine29, which piqued my interest. Newmen gives me the impression that they're a value oriented spin off of Syntace. Similar engineering to the C33i at a lower price point? Syncros and BikeAhead also making nice designs... nice contrast to the American stuff that's all about overbuilding carbon rims and extreme POE hubs, and classic j-bend 32h design.
  • 7 1
 What is eMTB?
  • 4 0
 It's a MTB you can use with Zwift.
  • 3 1
 A confused moped contraption for people to pretend to be cyclists and ride their trails. They will be extinct in a few years when people realize they can have an actual electric motorcycle with no pedals.
  • 6 0
 A motorcycle that fat people ride to clog up trails.
  • 5 0
 Love to try the string wheels - great concept
  • 4 0
 Should make lacing up a wheel easy..... or it will end up looking like shoe laces out of habit
  • 2 0
 I've been waiting for these spokes for years. I brought the idea up to a friend who engineers high tension cables for energy transmission. he said it seemed like it would work.
  • 2 0
 In the old old days, an “on the road” fix for a broken spoke was to lace a string in place of the spoke.
It would be interesting to see how many time you need to tension them before they keep it up.
  • 4 1
 So what’s the breaking strain of those spokes then? Spoke only work in tension, so nothing new here.
  • 5 0
 spokes lose tension for example under breaking loads. In fact the lower spokes of your wheel have almost no tension at all anymore under heavy front braking. Those spokes dont lose nearly as much tension under breaking and accelerating.
  • 4 3
 Complete rubbish. Fibre spokes will do the exact same thing if that was true. @mirskeinereingefalln:
  • 3 0
 @SuperstarComponents: no because those lengthen 8mm and the rim deforms no where near as much. You can see the usual behaviour under heavy breaking on the test stand in the video I linked
  • 1 6
flag SuperstarComponents (May 17, 2018 at 23:40) (Below Threshold)
 So the string has “stretch in it”. So does a steel spoke. If enough distortion has been put in the rim to be large enough to take all tension off a steel spoke then you have a big problem with your wheel build or your rim not the spoke.

If your relying on the stretch to hide the problem then your wheels will have collapsed if you ever get to that state. Rims are weak like a coke can, put a distortion in and they collapse at the forces we are talking about.

It’s a classic “look what we did on our test rig” to prove a point which doesn’t happen in real life. Pseudoscience marketing rubbish @mirskeinereingefalln:
  • 8 0
 @SuperstarComponents: sorry but if you don't even know that spokes in every regular wheel behave like this under high braking forces and slightly less so under acceleration and impact forces you have probably not fatigue tested any wheel yourself properly yet and looked at what is happening with the wheel.

That the rim holds up so much longer at the spoke holes than the rim of any other wheel we have tested on our drum teststand yet, just underlines our point. The forces in the wheel are distributed much more evenly onto all of the fibre spokes under stress instead of having the forces peak on certain spokes in the wheel under certain riding situations.

I can also assure you that every wheel we have tested has been properly tensioned by my very self but considering your aggressiveness I am not sure if you are even trying to have a proper discussion.
  • 1 0
 @SuperstarComponents: Stretch of a cx-ray is about .9mm at 130kgf. If they have 8mm of stretch as they claim, the wheel will never go out of true.
  • 1 0
 @newmencomponents:
Hello i get really frustrated when a scientific test result is used to illustrate a point which doesnt happen in real life, for example the static impact test on a pedal axle in the CEN testing system ( ive been there and done that along with many other things). That never happens in real life and is only in there as a repeatable benchmark test to catch out poor quality axles and NOT to replicate real life.

Putting a huge load on a test rigged bare wheel and wobbling a spoke doesnt replicate real life, because if the rim had distorted enough to do that there is something else which is the issue or will fail long before rim fatigue is an issue.

What would be interesting is to know what the breaking strain of the spokes are and if after 8mm of stretch what the failiure point is. Plus if the spokes are so stretchy they will stretch more when put under greater loads, unless they have a very "interesting" stretch/force graph. My guess is they are stretchy and then behave much like a steel spoke, if that is the case then your correct they wont flap around but will just be a spring with minimal force doing very little different to the floppy spoke. Otherwise they work like a normal spoke

If what your saying is true, the elasticity of the spoke is what rounds off the load spike (to help with fatigue life), then there is this other big rubbery thing in the system which does that in real life... its called a tyre and every wheel has one.

ive got nothing against interesting new ideas but this "scientific" claim seems very unscientific IMHO, but i want to see more factual data to back up the claims made.
  • 1 0
 @newmencomponents:
Im not having a dig (honest, im just geeking out and really interested in the subject) but the vague claims made made me think about what was said.Questions:

1. you say the fatigue of x million revolutions on the new spoke, what does a normal spoke do in the same comparison, no comparison = no use to anyone/no science.
2. you say tensile strength of 8x a normal spoke. The breaking strain of a 1.8mm spoke is just over 300kg, so your saying 1 of these spokes can take over 2 ton of load? Really???
3. the rim has failed where you would expect it to from the fatigue of the edges flaring out from the drum test. this doesnt really show anything about the spokes themselves. Its the weakest point of the rim becasue thats where you generally blend/weld (in the extrusion process, the die insert doesnt magically float, it has supports which the material flows and rewelds once past) the material around the insert to make the hollow in the profile. Its the bit where it always goes wrong if your die or process is bad, please note yours isnt bad thats just fatigue life.

Thankyou for wasting my afternoon modelling up loadings on strings within wheels with solidworks....
  • 4 0
 How do these strings fare against rock strikes?
  • 3 0
 hey rockshox fuck you for doing that sincerely everyone who ever bought a bike with your crap tried to switch
  • 2 0
 Those TC adapters sound like a good spend of a few bucks. I just got a Yari, and it would be nice not to have to fiddle so much to get the axle lined up with the dropouts.
  • 2 0
 Wow wheel game changer . Don't worry Newman the luddites will absorb it eventually . Not sure about the superstar guy though
  • 3 0
 Those may be the best looking handlebars I've seen... bar none
  • 3 0
 I learned that "imperceptible" is now a weight.
  • 2 0
 Would be easy to carry a spare string spoke: just roll it up and put in in your pocket
  • 4 1
 Holy shit, real wheel strings.
  • 1 1
 Can we add a rolling speed metric to new hub details? Coefficient of friction perhaps?

Also this article title sounds like it was written by the same person as did "Gees brush with the law". Moonlighting from Buzzfeed?
  • 2 0
 What's the point of the torque cap adapter? Don't normal hubs fit already?
  • 5 0
 it's just a way of fixing the "problem" of wheels with normal hubs tending to be really fiddly to fit into torque cap forks
  • 3 0
 How are the spokes going to perform when I get a stick caught in my wheel?
  • 1 0
 also very interested - my trails are the furthest thing from groomed :-/
  • 1 0
 Spokes are always in tension anyway...
Nothing is compressing a normal spoke... The nipple is assembled from the outside of the rim.

"String" is perfectly legitimate
  • 1 0
 If I were crazy enough, I'd buy these just to take them to an LBS for work so I could see the look on their face.
  • 1 0
 "I'm free. I'm unfettered... I feel like a naked, innocent boy roaming the countryside!"
  • 2 0
 Stop making light weight garbage, slap 36 steel spokes in that beech
  • 2 1
 Cool ideas here, and nary a new "standard" in sight! I'd test some vectran spoke wheels for sure.
  • 2 0
 I'll stick with the $1 spokes all day, everyday!
  • 3 0
 Sweet looking bar
  • 2 0
 Spinergy Spox? 20 years ago about...
  • 2 1
 Me- Hey dentist man, nice rope spokes.
Dentist- Thanks man! What is that you got in your hand there?
Me- a lighter.
  • 2 0
 Why hate on Mr. Dentistman for flossing the root canal of that hub?
  • 2 0
 Didn't Spinergy of 8-blade fame make Kevlar stringed wheels for a while?
  • 1 0
 Yeah spinergy is back I use to get some they were kind of flexible But the torque cap stuff is a great idea !! Thumb up
  • 1 0
 one little slice....... be it from flying pieces of shale or from an ass hat.
  • 1 0
 Looks to me like the string spoke's only weakness is a pair of scissors or cable cutters
  • 1 0
 New industry standards and new materials will displace the wheels faster than UV deteriorates the strings.
  • 2 0
 Damn you trail ninjas!
  • 1 0
 Those spokes would be great untill someone gets the scissors out
  • 2 0
 I know people who would take great joy in doing this. Sometimes I call them friends. Sometimes
  • 6 8
 He lost me at that Trans Alp worthy stem... strings.. okaaay...a 590g rim tested against 530grim with thin sidewall and you get less dents? You no saaay. Science, facts, real News
  • 5 0
 the rim it was compared to was a bit heavier even
  • 1 1
 Micro-suspension wheels? Yes please (I can ride DH tracks with these right?).
  • 1 0
 I like the look of the stem. has anyone used one?
  • 4 0
 no rider weight limit, no usage limitations is all I can tell you Wink
  • 1 0
 can you play Zepplin on those strings?
  • 1 0
 These are a lot of good ideas. I dig what Newmen are doing!
  • 1 0
 Dude, your wheels are out of tune! And you paid how much!!!!
  • 2 1
 Hipsters unite
  • 4 3
 Is it April 1st already?
  • 1 1
 God damnnit what is this world coming to.
  • 1 1
 Is Newman new man? i knew it man.
  • 1 3
 Lmao really! One thorn could shred the entire string. This has to be a joke lol
  • 1 3
 knife cut --> no more wheel ?







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