Atomik Carbon’s rim lineup continues to grow, this time with an interesting new process taking cues from things like hockey, skiing and even helicopter blades. What is that tech? Why foam, of course.
“We knew we wanted to produce a strong and light rim and decided it would have to be a single wall design,” said company co-founder Wayne Lee. “The problem with single wall rims is they tend to not be very rigid. We looked at different ways to accomplish this and decided that the foam ‘core’ would be the way to go. The foam core adds damping characteristics while also becoming a integral part of the structure, increasing rigidity and strength overall. This technology combined with the 12k weave outer layer works together to yield a light yet extremely strong rim. This process is much more difficult and time consuming to produce, but won out as the best method to produce a high quality, high performance product at a decent price point.”
Wanna see the inside? Join the foam party…
Typically, rims are made stiffer and stronger by using a double wall design. But Wayne told us that since the fat bike rims are already so wide, double wall construction was overkill. It also added weight, cost and manufacturing complexity. So, the foam-core single wall concept came about after exploring some of the tech their manufacturing partner was using in other areas.
The foam is hydrophobic, so it won’t absorb any moisture from snow, creek crossings or other muck you may ride through.
These rims will be tested in the Idatarod Invitational Race and Australian Outback this March. Assuming all goes to plan, they’ll enter full production and be available this August.
Tech specs are:
- 85MM OD
- 77MM ID
- 500-540 grams target
- 12K Weave
- 14mm Offset
- Hooked rim
- 32 and 64 hole drilling options
Depending on how the light hits it, you may or may not see the weave from all angles. These have a matte clear coat on them, but Atomik’s working on a new exterior finish that will be unlike anything else out there…we just can’t tell you about it yet.
Following this rim will be a foam-core 27.5+ rim. That one will have a 36mm ID, 43MM OD and come in around 450g.
Not into fatties? Their XC and trail lineup was recently revamped to include both hookless and their “Mod-Hook” designs for anything else, and there’s a DH 27.5″ rim in development, too.
