In this day of unorthodox wheel designs it’s difficult to tell the difference between functional design and marketing hype. Unsubstantiated claims and technologies that haven’t survived the test of time proliferate the bicycle wheel market today.
After more than a decade of experience building the world’s fastest wheels by hand, Rolf Prima has earned its place as a leader in high performance wheel design. Being different has defined us, but the proof is in our extraordinary performance over time.
Rolf invented the patented Paired Spoke Design™ more than ten years ago and it has become a standard in high performance bicycle wheels today. Fewer spokes means less weight and better aerodynamic performance. But it’s more than paired spokes that sets Rolf Prima apart form the rest.
Several other Rolf patented design technologies combine to give Rolf Prima wheel systems their superior fatigue strength and unparalleled performance including Differential Flange Diameter™, Dish Reducing Design™, Jacketed Nipple Design™, Zero Offset Flange Drilling™ and Self-Aligning Nipple™ design.
Either way you look at it, Rolf Prima wheel systems are the technological best choice in high performance bicycle wheels. For a given number of spokes, we can use a lighter rim than our competitors and for a given rim weight, we can build a wheel using fewer spokes. And we deliver all this with exceptional lightweight, stiffness and durability.
A Technical Introduction to Paired Spoke Wheels:
Rolf Dietrich invented the paired spoke technology (US PatentNo. 5,931,544) that allows us to build lighter wheels with fewerspokes at greater tensions than traditional wheeldesigns. The following is a brief primmer on the design and technology that has changed the way people think about bicycle wheels today.
Lighter Rims:
Our Paired Spoke Design enables the use of lighter weight rims which significantly lowers rotational weight, enhances climbing and sprinting speed and increases braking performance.
By pairing the spokes at the rim, the lateral force component of spoke tension is neutralized by the opposing lateral force exerted by the second spoke in the pair. By balancing these opposing lateral forces, Rolf Prima wheels can use substantially lighter rims. As spoke counts are reduced, traditional wheels quickly reach a limit on minimum rim weight. With a given number of spokes, Rolf Prima wheels can use a lighter rim.
Fewer spokes:
With a given rim weight, Rolf Prima wheels are able to use fewer spokes because they don’t have to contend with the unbalanced lateral forces at play with traditional spoke pattern wheels. And fewer spokes means lighter rotating weight and better aerodynamic performance.
Every Rolf Prima wheel system incorporates several other patented design technologies including Differential Flange Diameter™, Dish Reducing Design™, Self-Aligning Nipple™, Jacketed Nipple Design™, and Zero Offset Flange™ drilling. Our wheels are the technological best choice from professional racers to top-level amateurs.