I forbindelse med 3T 50 års jubilæum, blev der ved en stor reception i Torino, dagen før Giro de Italia blev skudt i gang præsenteret to nye hjulsæt, Mercurio og Accelero. Der er tale om hjulsæt i den helt tunge klasse og 3T lægger ikke skjul på at den nærmeste konkurrent er Zipp.
MERCURIO er til lukkede ringe mens ACCELERO er til dæk og slange. Der er i udviklingen lagt vægt på aerodynamik, vægt inerti, styrke, stivhed og en bremsevene som er mindst lige så god eller bedre end hvad de nærmeste konkurrenter kan opvise. En smart detajle kasetten på baghjulet som både passer til Campagnolo og Shimano/SRAM.
Hjulene er tænkt både til landevej, triathon og cykelcross. 3T ingeniører har gennemarbejdet hver en detajle i hele hjulet så det samlet danner et harmonisk hele.
Det første hjul i den nye serie er MERCURIO LTD 60, med en fælg på 60 mm. Den suppleres senere af en 80 mm og 40 mm model. Senere på året kommer ACCELERO til dæk og slange i en 60 og 40-mm udgave. Dette hjul kommer i alle tre serier LTD, Team og Pro. All hjul i LTD serien har carbon-composite fælge mens TEAM hjulene har en blanding af aluminium og kulfiber fælge og Pro hjulene aluminiums fælge.
Aerodynamik:
er tilgodeset ud fra de de praktiske forhold som et hjul typisk kommer ud for under et cykelløb fremfor enkeltståemde vindtunnel målinger som bare ser godt ud på papiret. Luftmodstanden er reduceret til et minimum fra de mest udbredte retninger som det udsættes for under et cykelløb. Der er lagt vægt på at reducere pludselige trykvariationer når vinden pludselig skifter retning.
Vægt:
Lav vægt er naturligvis vigtigt men ikke på bekostning af styrke. Denne styrke kunne opnås med en fælg under de magiske 400 g, hvilket giver det samle hjulsæt en vægt på 1400 g for 60 mm udgaven.
Inerti:
Lav vægt er ikke alt hvis den ikke fjernes de rigtige steder. Inerti eller bevægelsesenergien er mindst lige så vigtig. Jo lavere vægt et hjul har i den yderste del omkring fælgen jo bedre accelererer det. Den lette fælg i kombination med eger som vendes så niplerne sidder inde ved navet gør tricket.
Stivhed:
Stive hjul transporterer mere energi. Lige trukne eger i kombinationen med recesser på fælgen i stedet for borede huller i fælgen, som reducerer stivhed og styrke, gør tricket her.
Pålidelighed:
Alle hjul bruger de samme typer eger i kombination med de patenterede nav. Bagnavet her en ekstra høj flanke i kæde siden som i kombination med de ligetrukne eger er lette at stramme og kan strammes mere end traditionelle design da de ikke krydser
Bremseevne:
Her satte 3T sig for at forbedre den dårlige bremsevene som de fleste kulfiberhjul har i vådt føre. Teknologien er hentet fra Formel sporten
og er en slags afledt overfaldebehandling som giver en bremsevene i vådt føre som er næsten lige så god som i tørvejr. Fælgene er blevet testet på et bremselaboratorie og de skulle angiveligt være det bedste de endnu har prøvet. samtidig giver overfladen også større slidstyrke.
Vedligeholdelse:
Både 3T MERCURIO og ACCELERO hjulen skulle være lette at vedligeholde både for professionelle og amatører. Kombi kasettenavet gør et let at skifte hjulene mellem forskellige geargruppe opsætninger uanset om det er Campagnolo, Shimano eller SRAM.
Den unikke egeropbygning med udfræsninger i fælgen gør det let at skifte eger uden at skulle have dækket af.
Link
MERCURIO tubular and ACCELERO clincher wheels benefit from clean-sheet whole-system design: key
performance measures of aerodynamics, weight, inertia, strength, stiffness, and braking equal or exceed the
best available; patented hub provides easy maintenance and cassette interchangeability
3T today launches a program of next-generation, élite-level wheelsets for ultimate performance in road,
triathlon, and cyclocross racing.
MERCURIO tubular and ACCELERO clincher wheels are designed to better previous wheels in all key
performance metrics. They are strong, light, low-drag, stiff, and easy to use and maintain.
From the outset, 3T engineers employed a whole-system approach to ensure that every aspect of the
wheels’ design contributes to the overall performance: no single aspect is exaggerated to the detriment of
others. MERCURIO and ACCELERO answer all the requirements for top-level racing wheels and synthesize
innovative engineering solutions into an harmonious whole.
The first wheelset in production is the MERCURIO LTD 60, a top-of-the-range, medium-depth (60 mm)
tubular wheelset. MERCURIO LTD will be available later in 80-mm and 40-mm rim depths. It will be followed
by ACCELERO clincher wheelsets, in 60-mm and 40-mm depths. ACCELERO will be available in LTD,
TEAM and PRO grades. All LTD wheels have carbon-composite rims, TEAM wheels hybrid alloy-carbon
rims, and PRO wheels alloy rims.
Aerodynamics: optimized for the real world
3T wheels are clean-sheet designs that benefit from accrued practical experience of highly-aerodynamic
wheels in top-level competition. Overall drag is as low as the best racing wheels, but their aero design is
optimized for stability in the random airflow of real-world conditions. Drag is consistently low throughout the
range of yaw angles encountered from moment to moment in real-world racing. In particular, MERCURIO
and ACCELERO are designed to avoid sudden, destabilizing pressure transitions caused by the wind’s
veering in direction.
Weight: competitive with the best
Low weight was a primary target for the wheels’ engineers, though not at the expense of strength. 3T’s
experience in advanced composites engineering meant that MERCURIO’s target strength was easily
achieved with a rim of less than 400 g (60-mm rim). All-up weight of the MERCURIO LTD 60 wheelset is just
under 1400 g.
Inertia: low weight where it pays off
A light all-up weight does not automatically translate into better performance. 3T engineers focused on a
system design that reduced weight where it pays off best, at the perimeter. Wheels that are lighter at the
perimeter have lower inertia, so accelerate faster: riders say they ‘spin up’ quicker. Two factors make 3T
wheels light at the perimeter. First, rims employ leading composites technology and have the best
strength:weight ratio available. Second, the spokes are reversed, so the relatively heavy nipples are at the
hub end of the spoke and add no weight at the rim.
/more…
European press agency:
Vitamina C
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info@vitaminac.net
Tel +39 011 631 3305
Via Vittorio Veneto, 25 • 24041 Brembate (BG) • Italy • tel +39 035 494 3451• fax +39 035 494 3962 • info@3Tcycling.com
…cont/
Stiffness: delivered by overall system design
Stiff wheels transfer power more effectively and confer better handling. 3T rims are laterally stiff in all 3
depths (40, 60, and 80 mm). Overall wheel stiffness is achieved by careful system design. At the rim, straight
spokes fit into recesses, or ‘pockets’, in the sidewall, a 3T engineering innovation that eliminates the need to
drill spoke holes. Drillings are a stress riser and require extra rim-wall thickness for reinforcement. The
spoke-pocket adds no weight and permits the spokes to exit the rim on one side and cross over to the
opposite hub flange, with zero deflection. This obviates a common cause of failure, where spokes bend as
they exit nipples placed centrally in rim drillings.
Reliability: even with high spoke tension
All wheels share the same short, straight spokes, which are effectively braced by the use of a 3T-exclusive,
patented hub design. The rear hub has a tall flange on the drive side, imparting a wider bracing angle to the
‘crossover’ spokes. The large, easily accessible nipples at the hub flanges (nuts in fact) are easily tightened
to tension the spokes, whose head at the rim end, because perfectly straight, can reliably support high
tension.
Braking: consistency is key
3T was determined to eliminate the poor, or unpredictable, behavior of carbon-fiber rims under braking. Rims
have a proprietary, F1-derived ‘surfacing veil’ at the braking surface, resulting in a wet-weather performance
almost identical to the dry-weather curve. The co-efficient of friction is consistent throughout both ranges.
This means braking is firm and predictable in wet, dry, and intermediate conditions, among the best the
brake-test laboratory had ever tested. This makes braking more trustworthy when it really counts, such as on
a rainy descent in a large group. The braking surface is also highly resistant to abrasion, which should
promote long life.
Maintenance: last but not least
3T MERCURIO and ACCELERO wheelsets are easy to maintain and keep on the road, for pro and amateur.
The proprietary hub has a patented spline that requires no adaptation for use with either Shimano/SRAM or
Campagnolo cassettes – wheels can be shared between bikes with different transmission setups. Agents do
not require duplicate stock, or fiddly conversion kits. The unique spoke configuration also offers the benefit of
easy spoke replacement without dismounting the tire – of great interest to the pro mech.
A complete range for all riders
3T plans to roll out a full range of carbon-fiber, hybrid and alloy wheelsets, in both tubular and clincher
formats. The program in full comprises:
LTD TEAM PRO
MERCURIO 80 Tubular carbon
MERCURIO 60 Tubular carbon
MERCURIO 40 Tubular carbon
ACCELERO 60 Clincher carbon ACCELERO 60 Clincher hybrid
ACCELERO 40 Clincher carbon ACCELERO 40 Clincher hybrid ACCELERO 40 Clincher alloy
