You can’t help but be entranced by the very idea of Spengle’s tri-blade carbon wheels. But once you dig a little deeper into its heritage, they become even more intriguing. Can this innovative design be any stronger or more efficient than a traditional spoked wheel?
The Spengle name isn’t a new one to the industry — it was established over 20 years ago and the current CEO is the son of the founder — but composite technology and the market has finally caught up with the original product.
The core focus of Spengle is the enduro MTB scene, so the wheelset is designed and constructed, at this stage, in a 650B (27.5”) size. The company doesn’t profess to be producing a downhill wheel, and the weight and spec reflects it.
The wheels are manufactured entirely within the EU, inside custom R&D and manufacturing facilities, from the same materials used for the aircraft, vehicle, and sporting goods industries.
The design hypothesis is compelling: rather than using, say, 28 spokes, to distribute the wheels’ stress, the Spengle uses nature’s prime number of three blades, monocoque construction and tens of thousands of carbon fibers.
Spengle sees itself as a challenger brand to spoked wheel manufacturers and the spoked wheel itself. Their vision is that, in 20 years time, the tri-blade carbon wheel will be the standard and the spoked wheel a clunky object of outdated technology.
What do you think?
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