Introducing. . .The 55 Road Disc!
Our new 55 Road Disc wheels are in stock and shipping now!
Continuing our desire to design the best bike and wheel combo, the 55 Road Disc is a disc brake only wheelset.
You may have noticed that our rim brake and disc brake wheels have different widths, depths, and shapes. For Boyd Cycling, disc brake wheels are not an afterthought. We didn't want to take the same rims that we feature on our rim brake wheels, build them with a disc brake hub, and call it "good enough". We really started looking at what we would do differently if we were going to design a wheelset that would never have a brake caliper touch it.
We started doing this last year when we released our very popular 36 Road Disc wheelset. That Road Disc wheelset is great for all around riding. . . a wheelset to climb, descend, go fast, ride in wind, and any type of riding you want to do.
The 55 Road Disc is all about SPEED! Just a few short years ago disc brakes on the road were used by only the recreational and enthusiast crowd. It didn't take long for more competitive riders to realize the advantage of having better and more predictable braking performance. Three years ago you wouldn't see any racers on disc brakes (although Boyd started using them in criteriums for the 2015 season). In 2019 you are seeing bikes with disc brakes in everything from Gran Fondos to Tour stages.
At the higher speeds seen in flat to rolling terrain, events, group rides, and races, having an aero wheelset designed for disc brake bikes is a major advantage.
Key Features of the 55 Road Disc:
Aero rim shape designed around 28mm tires.
With the wider clearance of modern disc brake bikes, people are realizing the benefits of running wider tires. Gone are the days of 21mm tires inflated to 140PSI. The rim shape of the 55 Road disc was designed using CFD software to work optimally around larger tires.
With a massive 22mm internal width, larger tires take on a better shape for better tire to rim air flow. Minimum tire size is 25mm. Like all Boyd Cycling wheels, the 55 Road Disc has a tubeless rim bed.
Offset Spoke Bed
Similar to our 36 Road Disc, the rim was designed with a 2.5mm spoke offset. This helps to even out the bracing angle and tensions of the wheel between the left and right sides. More even spoke tension creates a stiffer and better balanced wheelset. It also helps to increase the spoke tension of the non-drive side, which keeps the nipples in place better without needing to resort to any harsh threadlockers.
Wall Thickness Designed for Disc Brakes
Having a rim that will never be touched by a caliper means we can go into the carbon layup and adjust the thickness. The hook walls can be thinner because there's no heat to deal with. The high temperature resins also don't have to be used, so this makes a wheelset that is the same durability, with the same strength, yet lower weight! It's a win-win-win.
In stock!
The 55 Road Disc is in stock, and being hand built right now in Greenville, SC. Coming in at a scant 1700 grams for the set, the 55's are laced to our highly rated Quest Disc brake hubs. They are laced in a 24f and 28r spoke count with external brass nipples. Wheels are available through Boyd Cycling or through your local bike shop.
Now go out there and grab some speed!