Family portrait of Princeton wheels
A new addition to our wheel range, American brand Princeton CarbonWorks recently entered the world of performance cycling and immediately turned heads. This includes the prestigious world elite circuit, specifically INEOS Grenadiers, which contributed to the research and development of their ultra-lightweight model. Here is a family portrait of these wheels with their exceptional profile.
While there are several ways to improve your performance and feel on the bike, the most remarkable is undoubtedly adding a pair of high-quality wheels.
The effect will result in a significant reduction in weight in a strategic location (due to inertia), improved handling, and often also increased performance thanks to the quality of the materials and their response during intense effort.
A good wheel will therefore be light and rigid. Ideally, it will also be aerodynamic, meaning deeper, but designed to prevent unpleasant surprises in the event of side winds. Carbon is therefore the ideal material to tick all these boxes.
A family resemblance
With a mechanical engineer and an aerospace engineer at the helm of its product development, Princeton can count on undeniable expertise in its quest for the perfect wheel.
The family currently includes three models (plus a solid wheel, the BLUR) that share certain qualities (aerodynamics, stiffness, and durability), a wave design that promotes lateral aerodynamics, among other things, and a fairly light weight.
The firstborn, the WAKE 6560, is so named because of its variable depth (the carbon waves on the disc oscillate between 65 and 60 mm). It is a very fast wheel, tested in a wind tunnel, whose lobes, where the spokes are attached, maintain rigidity while minimizing weight. We're talking about rims weighing less than 490 g each. These are fast, very strong wheels with impressive stability, no matter which way the wind blows.
The PEAK 4550 is an ultra-lightweight climbing wheel. It is the wheel used by INEOS riders during high mountain stages (they used to use the Lightweight Meilenstein, so we are talking about a top-tier product in terms of weight and stiffness). The caliper brake version with Tubulars just 1071 g per pair (1297 g for clinchers, 1348 g for disc brakes). Nothing has been sacrificed to reduce weight: this wheel also promises formidable performance on descents.
The latest addition is the GRIT 4540, designed for gravel. Wider and more impact-resistant thanks to improved carbon layer distribution and reinforced spoke contact points, it is a formidable weapon for racing along dirt roads and climbing steep hills at full speed.
Original, but not too exotic
While their design is ingenious and Princeton's approach seems different from that of its competitors, some of the components of these wheels also have the advantage of being simple and easyCare repair.
No exotic carbon spokes here. Good old Sapim aluminum spokes, easy to find, adjust, and replace.
As for hubs, you are spoiled for choice. Each model can be equipped with bearings from Tune, Chris King, DT Swiss, White Industries, or Industry 9 if you want a freewheel that is loud enough to wake up the neighbors.