There has been a lot of talk of aerodynamics and rim shapes recently, but one thing is certain – these aren’t your average toroidal rim profiles. Pictured above is Token’s new take on the aerodynamic rim, called the Swiftedge. Built with a wider 23mm rim bed, and a 45mm tall rim profile with what can only be referred to as wings, the C45A Hero wheelset is sure to be a topic of discussion.
Check out Token’s take on aerodynamics after the jump.
According to Token, with the aerodynamics of the Hero, they wanted to control the wind, not just slip through it. It’s claimed that the lip running on the inner edge of the wheels effectively strengthens the wheels and works to direct crosswinds around the wheel better than a traditional rim shape for better handling. When traveling straight into the wind, the lips are said to push air away from the the wheel rather than into the spokes and hub. The wheels feature a carbon shell bonded to an aluminum brake track for improved braking especially in the wet.
An interesting concept for sure, hopefully there will be some wind tunnel data released in the future that will confirm the design.
Each C45A Hero wheel is laced to their new HERO hubset that features Token’s TBT bearings. We have a bottom bracket and headset in from Token currently (more on those soon), that just have standard steel bearings but they feel fantastic. As long as they are durable, Token bearings are quite impressive. The wheels are laced with a 20 spoke radial front, and a 24 spoke diametric rear pattern (2x drive, 1x non drive) with straight pull Sapim CX-Ray spokes and alloy internal nipples.
Weight for the set is 1739g and the wheelset carries a 198lb (90kg) weight limit. The Hero wheelset will be on display at Eurobike, along with pricing and availability.
