English custom special TT front hub
In 2008 and 2009 I was using a Zipp 1080 front wheel for time trials. No doubt a fast wheel, but for a relatively light rider (145lbs), it didn't take much wind to make it hard for me to control. So for 2010 I wanted a different front wheel that would be easier to handle, but as aero as possible. The rim choice was easy - the Edge 1.65; 65mm deep tubular that is light and stiff and with co-molded spoke holes that allow for high spoke tensions. But what hub to use? I started to think about what I needed in a hub for time trials and concluded that it didn't need to be very wide - not often hard cornering in time trials, and the rim is already very stiff. So narrow flanges. And to keep those flanges minimised I could use straight pull spokes with the heads sitting directly behind the bearings. To choose those bearings I used Alchemy's research from their ELF front hub, going for the same size but in the F1 ceramic version. I was then left with a portion of axle hanging out in the airflow between the flanges and the fork tips, so these needed to have a little airfoil section to clean it up.
From CAD model to reality took a few hours of machining time - I don't yet have any NC equipment, so all done by hand. Weight wasn't particularly an objective, but 66g is fairly light as it turns out. I should have the wheel built up for testing shortly.....
....Shortly later and the wheel is built - final weight is 506g, but more important is the super low profile as can be seen from the head on view. Next to glue a tire on and see what it feels like on the road :-
