Princeton CarbonWorks Peak 4550
The all-around wheel with a distinctive sinusoidal shape is set to roll under Ineos Grenadiers at the Tour de France.
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Ineos Grenadiers are set to race the 2021 Tour de France on the new Peak 4550 wheels from the American-based Princeton CarbonWorks.
The new, all-around-use wheels with a unique sinusoidal profile are available in tubular, tubeless-ready clincher, rim brake, and disc brake configurations.
The British squad has been using a variety of wheels including the deeper Princeton CarbonWorks Wake 6560 — seen under Filippo Ganna during time trials — for more than a year, and now they will have even more wheels from which to chose, depending on weather, parcours, and preference.
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Princeton CarbonWorks owner Martin Crotty indicated that Ineos Grenadiers have been training on the Peak 4550 wheels during the final stages of development.
“Maybe if it rains or the weather is horrible they will go with what they know vs something new, but they’ve been training on them for the last month so it should be ok,” Crotty said.
Princeton CarbonWorks also indicates that development prioritization was given to creating a wheel with exceptional aerodynamic qualities and easy handling in all conditions.
Peak 4550 wheel weights are claimed to be as scant as 1,071g/set for the tubular/rim brake configuration. The tubeless-ready clincher versions are said to weigh 1,297g/set for the rim brake version, and 1,348g/set for the disc brake version. Internal widths for the clinchers are 18.5mm and the maximum external width is 26mm.
Sapim CX-Ray spoke counts are 16 front/24 rear for the rim-brake wheels, and 24 front/24 rear for disc-brake wheels, and the spokes are secured with Sapim SecureLock Alloy nipples.
The non-drilled tire bed design promises strength and stiffness for power transfer, allowing for carbon to be applied where it’s needed most in critical areas of the wheel.
Initially, Princeton CarbonWorks will only offer the Peak 4550 for $3,400 with limited Launch Edition graphics and a carbon and titanium hub. Standard black graphics and other hub options are promised to be available later in 2021.
