Wheel Technology
Here at cyclingMOFOS, we stand by our products and are stoked to bring you our range of MOFO wheels. All our wheels come with a full 4 year manufacturer's warranty; we want you to love riding these MOFO'S as much as we do.
Our wheels are thoroughly tested - during the manufacturing process each wheel must pass 8 critical inspections before being deemed ready for use.
Step 1
Our rims are constructed with a combination of the highest quality TORAYCA™ T700, T800 and T1000 series prepreg carbon. This is the same carbon used in the construction of the Boeing 777. Prior to use, our TORAYCA™ carbon prepreg is stored in-house in specially constructed freezers ensuring the pregreg is at its optimal temperature and ductility at the time of construction.
Using an advanced computer aided cutting machine the TORAYCA™ carbon is cut into 23 pieces. The cutting pattern is specifically designed to maximize the material grain - This is done to ensure maximum stiffness of each rim.
Once the cutting is complete the pieces are numbered, assembled and sent to the molding room. The timing of this process is critical.
Step 2
The next step is molding or lay-up. During this process we take the pieces of cut TORAYCA™ prepreg and lay them up into the molds.
The mold is constructed in 3 parts.
- This image shows one of the side molds and the braking surface being laid with the side wall over the top.
- In this image you can see the center mold. This mold contains the clincher tire bead or tubular seat. The prepreg is also wrapped around an air bladder. Once the mold is closed the bladder is inflated, pressing the prepreg carbon outward against the mold. This ensures the rim has a smooth and even internal surface.
- Completed side mold ready for mold assembly.
Step 3
The 3 piece mold is closed and the internal bladder is inflated to create the internal void for the rim. The mold is then placed into the oven and heated to bring the prepreg resin up to a temperature where it becomes viscous and flows through the mold. This ensures 2 things:
- The carbon fibre sheets are easily pressed together by the internal pressure of the bladder.
- All voids and potential air pockets between the pregreg sheets are eliminated.
This is an extremely important stage of the rim construction, as it will directly determine the rims performance characteristics.
Step 4
Once the rim is removed from the oven we let the resin cure and the rim harden.
The rim is then sent to the drilling room where our automated drilling machines precisely drill the required hole pattern for the spokes and the valve hole. Each spoke hole is drilled on a precise angle that is determined by the hub flange height and the rim profile depth.
This important step ensures the stress on the nipple and spoke are minimized, dramatically reducing the chance of nipple or spoke breakage at the rim.
Step 5
At cyclingMOFOS we love having a good time, but when it comes to quality control we don't take any short cuts. There are no "Friday afternoon production specials". All our wheels undergo stringent quality control procedures.
Our wheels undergo no less than 8 QC steps
Roundness | <0.20mm |
Spoke hole diameter | 4.5mm |
Flatness | <0.15mm |
Valve hole diameter | 6.5mm |
weight | +/- 10g from baseline weight |
Spoke hole angle | calculated based on the rim depth / hub flange height / width between hub flange and flange offset |
Spoke hole distance | Distance between depending on spoke count |
Visual inspection | Rims are inspected visually for quality of construction |
Step 6
To ensure cyclingMOFOS rims are of the highest quality and finish, all rims are hand finished and polished. This decreases the rims overall drag coefficient and creates a 5 star bling factor.
During this process the braking surface is protected to ensure it maintains its abrasive properties.
After the polishing we apply special "water decals" that don't rub off. We then apply the matte clear coat which results in an added layer of protection.
Step 7
The Build...
Our wheels are lovingly hand built by our in-house Master Wheel Builders.
To ensure the highest build quality possible, all nipples are soaked in oil to achieve even and consistent spoke tension, not only during the build process, but also throughout the life of the wheels.
Our wheels have been designed to withstand the rigors of day in, day out training and also have the construction refinement to perform as your race wheels.
Step 8
To ensure your they remain true and trouble free, our wheels are pre-stressed then trued 3 times during the build process. We also individually check the spoke tension on every spoke prior to, and after each pre-stress of the wheel to ensure each is built to our exacting standards.
As a test of this, prior to launch we used these wheels in the lead-up to and during the Peaks Challenge Gold Coast and ran them in the USA Masters National Road Championships
Step 9
Once complete our factory manager individually checks every wheel and shipment contents to ensure you get exactly what you ordered. Once he has confirmed the shipment we will email you to let you know it's on its way.
Step 10
You officially become a part of TEAM MOFO, your wheels arrive and are ready to roll.
Once you get to try these beauties out we would love to hear from you with a review....Oh and don't forget to tell your friends, cyclingMOFOS rule!!