For those at MADE this past week, you might have noticed a very cool (very subdued) piece of kit over at the BAUM Bikes and Partington Wheels booth. Australian brand Partington (backed by Cadel Evans) exhibited a set of its new Partington R31 climbing wheels.
What makes these wheels newsworthy?
For those who know Partington wheels, you know they are meticulously designed, lightweight, and expensive. For example, the Partington R-SERIES MKII R39/44 sells for a staggering $6,400.00.
Partington R31 ultralight carbon road wheels
The all-new Partington MKII R-Series 31/31 offers all the tech from the R-Series as mentioned above, with a 39/44 wheelset but with a 31mm rim depth. Sizing down the rim allows Partington to slim the weight to an impressive 1060g per pair.
What kind of riding are the Partington MKII R-Series 31/31 for? Though 31mm is a reasonably versatile depth, the stiffness and weight make these super-suited for climbing.
How about that tech?
The 31/31 (like the 39/44) includes Partington’s unique hub within a composite carbon shell, its proprietary Dynamic Bearing Architecture, and its InTension spoke technology. Over 8 hours of labor go into each wheel produced, and they have an excellent 2-year crash replacement program.
Partingtons’ InTension spoke technology uses 20 asymmetric bladed, full carbon rim-to-rim spokes that wrap the hub and enhance the wheel’s stiffness.
Foam Core
All Partington MKII R-Series wheels (31/31 and 39/44) utilize a low-density, high-performance aerospace-grade foam core optimized for stiffness and lightness. Partington MKII R-Series wheels (31/31 and 39/44) are disc brake only, featuring 21mm internal width hooked rims.
Partington MKII R-Series R31 Wheels Details
- Hubs: Hybrid composite hub shell, CeramicSpeed bearings
- Spokes: Asymmetric bladed full carbon, rim-to-rim design – ‘20-hole rim’
- Rim: (external): 26mm
- Rim width: (internal): 21mm
- Rim depth: 31mm
- Weight: 1060g
- Price: $6,400
“We are delighted to add the 31 wheelsets to our range. All our wheels are designed as an integrated system, with all components designed to work together and optimize the wheel’s performance. The 31’s lower profile further reduces what is already an exceptionally light wheel, so it really sings going uphill. Other wheels ask you to accept trade-offs: stiffness for comfort or weight for cornering performance. With the MKII R-Series, we have managed to unify all these aspects for a ride like no other.”
Jon Partington, PartingtonFounder and CTO
If you want to purchase a set of MKII R-Series 31/31 wheels, they are available from select dealers worldwide or at:
