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Astral by Rolf Prima now offering complete wheelsets with traditional lacing

Written by Zach Overholt
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Rolf Prima hinted at it during our recent visit, but now it’s official. Astral rims are now available in complete wheelsets – not just as stand alone rims. If you missed the news, Astral by Rolf Prima is a spin off of Rolf Prima that offers their take on the traditionally spoked wheel. Using essentially the identical rims as Rolf Prima wheels, Astral rims are drilled with traditional spoke lacing patterns rather than Rolf’s Paired Spoke design. And now they’re available as complete wheel sets with high end spokes and hubs.

Radiant Rim & Radiant Disc Wheelset

Starting with the Radiant rim or disc brake wheelset, you’ll find that many of the Astral wheels mimic Rolf Prima wheels in terms of rim profile and intended use. The Radiant is essentially the non-paired spoke version of the Rolf Vigor RS with a 32mm deep tubeless compatible rim with a 19.5/23.5mm internal/external width. Since most of the Astral rims are still made in the U.S., and the wheels are built with high end components like White Industries hubs and Sapim CX Ray spokes, don’t expect these wheels to come cheap. Though they are about $50 less expensive than their Rolf counterparts.

  • 700c Alloy clincher – Rim or Disc brake specific
  • Tubeless compatible
  • Weight: Rim brake – 1545g / Disc brake – 1615g
  • Spoke count: Rim brake – 20/24 / Disc brake – 24/24
  • Spoke type: Sapim CX Ray
  • Rim Depth: 32mm
  • Rim Width: [ex] 23.5mm, [in] 19.5mm
  • Hubset: White Industries T11 / White Industries CLD – Center Lock Disc
  • Freehub: CNC Machined Titanium – Shimano/SRAM or Campagnolo 11-sp
  • Includes: Rim strip and Astral’s Certainty
  • $1,049.00

Veil3 Rim & Veil3 Disc Wheelset

  • 700c Carbon clincher, Rim or Disc brake specific layup
  • Tubeless compatible
  • Weight: Rim brake – 1370g / Disc brake – 1440g
  • Spoke count: Rim brake – 20/24 / Disc brake – 24/24
  • Spoke type: Sapim CX Ray
  • Rim Depth: 32mm
  • Rim Width: [ex] 27mm, [in] 19mm
  • Hubset: White Industries T11 / White Industries CLD – Center Lock Disc
  • Freehub: CNC Machined Titanium – Shimano/SRAM or Campagnolo 11-sp
  • Includes: Rim strip and Astral’s Certainty
  • $2,199.00

Solstice Rim & Solstice Disc Wheelset

  • 700c Alloy clincher – Rim or Disc brake specific
  • Tubeless compatible
  • Weight: Rim brake – 1370g / Disc brake – 1440g
  • Spoke count: Rim brake – 20/24 / Disc brake – 24/24
  • Spoke type: Sapim CX Ray
  • Rim Depth: 22mm
  • Rim Width: [ex] 23.5mm, [in] 19.5mm
  • Hubset: White Industries T11 / White Industries CLD – Center Lock Disc
  • Freehub: CNC Machined Titanium – Shimano/SRAM or Campagnolo 11-sp
  • Includes: Rim strip and Astral’s Certainty
  • $1,049.00

Leviathan Touring Wheelset

  • 700c Alloy clincher, Disc brake specific
  • Weight: 1855g
  • Spoke count: 32/32
  • Spoke type: Sapim Race
  • Rim Depth: 32mm Alloy Clincher
  • Rim Width: [ex] 23.5mm, [in] 19.5mm
  • Hubset: White Industries XMR 6-bolt Disc
  • Freehub: CNC Machined Titanium – Shimano/SRAM or Campagnolo 11-sp or XD
  • Includes: Rim strip and Astral’s Certainty
  • $1,149.00

Leviathan Tandem Wheelset

  • 700c Alloy clincher, Disc brake specific
  • Weight: 1965g
  • Spoke count: 40/40
  • Spoke type: Sapim Race
  • Rim Depth: 32mm Alloy Clincher
  • Rim Width: [ex] 23.5mm, [in] 19.5mm
  • Hubset: White Industries XMR 6-bolt Disc
  • Freehub: CNC Machined Titanium – Shimano/SRAM or Campagnolo 11-sp
  • Includes: Rim strip and Astral’s Certainty
  • $1,149.00

Hollywood Wheelset

  • 29″ Carbon – Hookless, tubeless ready
  • Weight: 1510g
  • Spoke count: 28/28
  • Spoke type: Sapim Race
  • Rim Depth: 25mm Carbon Clincher
  • Rim Width: [ex] 30mm, [in] 25mm
  • Hubset: White Industries XMR 6-bolt Disc
  • Freehub: CNC Machined Titanium – Shimano/SRAM 11-spd or XD
  • Includes: Taped for tubeless, tubeless valves and Astral’s Certainty
  • $2,099.00

 

Wanderlust Wheelset

  • 700c or 650b alloy clincher – Disc specific
  • Weight: 700c – 1570g / 650b – 1520g
  • Spoke count: 28/28
  • Spoke type: Sapim CX Ray
  • Rim Depth: 23mm Alloy Clincher
  • Rim Width: [ex] 25mm, [in] 21mm
  • Hubset: White Industries CLD – Disc brake
  • Freehub: CNC Machined Titanium – Shimano/SRAM 11-spd or XD
  • Includes: Taped for tubeless, tubeless valves and Astral’s Certainty
  • $1,149.00

Wanderlust Carbon Wheelset

  • 700c / 29″ Carbon Clincher – Disc specific
  • Weight: 1445g
  • Spoke count: 28/28
  • Spoke type: Sapim CX Ray
  • Rim Depth: 22mm Carbon Clincher
  • Rim Width: [ex] 29mm, [in] 22.5mm
  • Hubset: White Industries CLD – Disc brake
  • Freehub: CNC Machined Titanium – Shimano/SRAM 11-spd or XD
  • Includes: Taped for tubeless, tubeless valves and Astral’s Certainty
  • $2,249.00

Jester Wheelset

  • 27.5″ Carbon – Hookless, tubeless ready
  • Weight: 1630g
  • Spoke count: 28/28
  • Spoke type: Sapim Race
  • Rim Depth: 32mm Carbon Clincher
  • Rim Width: [ex] 33.5mm, [in] 28mm
  • Hubset: White Industries XMR 6-bolt Disc
  • Freehub: CNC Machined Titanium – Shimano/SRAM 11-spd or XD
  • Includes: Taped for tubeless, tubeless valves and Astral’s Certainty
  • $2,099.00

All of the Astral wheels are tubeless compatible and offer options for customization from decal color to hub color and more. There’s even a ‘QuickStart’ option which gives you the opportunity to order the tires, brake rotors, and cassette straight from Astral so that your wheels will arrive with everything already installed and the tires set up tubeless so that you can slap them on your bike and immediately go for a ride. Pretty cool.

astralcycling.com
Zach Overholt
5,631 articles

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor. He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
6 years ago

Is there anyway to tame the Rolf/Astral releases? Like put a cap on how many you can submit in 6 months. I mean, it seams like anytime Rolf/Astral takes a breath or blinks an eye there’s a story on BR about it.

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Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
6 years ago
Reply to  Kernel Flickitov

….. the cap, or at least has to qualify as news. So they’re building traditional laced wheels with symmetrically drilled (normal) rims….. Just mind blowing, man. See what I mean?

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Brendan
Brendan
6 years ago
Reply to  Kernel Flickitov

It is slightly more newsworthy than Paul Components mixing up a new color in their anodizing tank.

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Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
6 years ago
Reply to  Brendan

You’re kidding, right? When Paul releases a new color it’s only around for a short time before it’s gone, so it only makes too much sense for a press release. The only thing “newsworthy” about this Astral piece is that they’re revealing that they don’t mind stepping on the toes of the of the custom wheel market that they wanted to corner by offering traditionally drilled rims. Now wheels with WI hubs… C’mon man, gimme a f’n break!

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JBikes
JBikes
6 years ago
Reply to  Kernel Flickitov

They aren’t stepping on anyone’s toes. The are simply making a product.

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Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
6 years ago
Reply to  JBikes

My oh my! The thought you put into this reply is astonishing. Thank you so much for the clear and concise explanation… “a product”. WOW!

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JBikes
JBikes
6 years ago
Reply to  Kernel Flickitov

What else is it? You honestly think companies shouldn’t expand their product line because it steps on another’s business toes, even if they see economic opportunity?

Rolf/Astral don’t exist to support wheel builders. They exist to make money selling their products, just like any other business. If selling complete wheels makes business sense, they should do it. The consumer can decide where best to spend their money.

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Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
6 years ago
Reply to  JBikes

Where do you get your alternate facts? Astral was specifically created to support wheel builders that require normally drilled rims. Now, build the same combo with White hubs that would normally be done by a shop. The manufacturer corners the part of the market where the sales are using with their economy of scale advantage. None of this is new, it’s the same formula ENVE/King used to corner that part of the market.

By your rationale, take distribution for example. Every distro back doors to Amazon while BS’ing the LBS that they support them. By your estimation this is just normal operating procedure, right?

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JBikes
JBikes
6 years ago
Reply to  Kernel Flickitov

Yes, Astral did make a product for wheel builders (commerical and DIY) – rims.

Now what happens if wheel builders don’t buy enough rims for their production models? Or Astral can only support certain halo rims by selling complete wheels?

Business plans aren’t set in stone. Its a free marketplace. No company exists to “serve” another. They exist to make money by selling products to a paying customers (be that end consumers or another business). If they need to change strategy to do so, they should.

I could care less what distro’s tell LBS. LBS are a middle man with no added value for a majority of items. If a distro can make more money and satisfy customers with the same product, cheaper/faster, good for them and better for the consumer. If it isn’t the market will make that model fail.

Times are changing. E-commerce is here to stay and opens up vast increases in manufacturer to consumer efficiencies. Business models change.

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Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
6 years ago

Sorry JB, I ain’t buying your ‘just-because-they-can’ business model, and this is way beyond the e-commerce conversation. In your attempt to justify bad biz practices you flub on facts and double up on it now saying the LBS is the middle man. Not in the real world, just in your alternate reality. The distributor is the middle man, the wholesaler, not the shop. This conversation really only works if you have a complete grasp of biz 101, I’m just not seeing it from you. If you’re in this industry I have even less hope for the future.

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JBikes
JBikes
6 years ago
Reply to  Kernel Flickitov

I think we just fundamentally disagree on what constitutes a bad business model for a given company.

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Cheese
Cheese
6 years ago

Is there any way to tame the Colonel’s whining? Like put a cap on how many he can submit in a day?

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PlaidSeats
PlaidSeats
5 years ago

The (deleted) in some of these comments is somewhat interesting. Meanwhile, Me personally, I’m glad to see another mtb wheel offering out there from a “smaller guy” company. I’d like to see a 28mm internal width 29er rim though….still intrigued by the Hollywood.

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