The U.S. Paralympic track riders have a new weapon in their arsenal – an extremely lightweight front wheel from Phil Wood & Co. that weighs less than 1-1/2 pounds. This wheel uses all of the latest innovations from both Phil Wood and ENVE Composites to deliver a wheel that will hopefully help sprint our team to the top of the podium.
There are two main components that make up this wheel – the hub from Phil Wood and one of the lightest weight rims on the market from ENVE (formerly Edge). This hub may look like an normal Phil Wood track hub, but that is where the similarities end. This LF Track Hub features an alloy axle, titanium end caps, titanium washers, titanium bolts and Phil Wood Carbonyte bearings. These Carbonyte bearings are designed for speed and offer a very low rolling resistance, but the downside is that they are not built for longevity or endurance.
This LF Track Hub is laced to the ENVE Road Wheel 65 rim using Phil Wood double-butted spokes and ENVE alloy nipples. The all carbon fiber rim from ENVE is touted as one of the lightest, if not the lightest rim on the market. It is a 65mm deep rim that is reported to be very durable, but it is the wind cheating aerodynamics that will benefit our Paralympic track team the most. Our friends at BikeRadar.com have already posted a more detailed write up on the ENVE rim.
So far, Phil Wood has not announced pricing or even if this wheel will be released to the general public. This maybe a custom order item from Phil Wood through their website, but may be worth the time and expense if you want that one of the lightest wheels on the market at 23.8oz.