THE ART OF SPIN
AND THE MAGIC OF MAGNETS
When efficiency is the goal, all resistance is the enemy. The development of cycling drive train efficiency has focused on transferring force without loss (to varying degrees of success). But what about when you stop pedalling? Why exert all those Watts just to lose them through a high drag freehub?
The QuantumMech freehub has a Magnetic Pawl Engagement System (MPES). Magnets allow a high level of engagement without the heavy, linear pressure of a steel spring causing unnecessary drag. Those loud (and very expensive) freehub systems you’ve heard are losing your forward kinetic energy by converting it to sound waves.
The feeling of a truly ‘free’ freehub can initially surprising and confusing. Like your bike accelerates underneath you, trying to get away from you when you stop pedalling. QuantumMech hubs and freewheels will make you feel like you’ve had your brakes on your whole life.
Pure Power Transfer
Simple ‘stiffness’ is not an appropriate measure of how well you and your bike will perform in tandem. Transferring power from your legs into forward momentum is a balancing game between minimised losses and handling dynamics. Compromising on comfort and stability is fine if you’re doing a 30-minute race on a smoothed, banked velodrome.
We have a simple, holistic approach to making sure you get the maximum outputs (speed and distance) for your inputs (pedalling like mad!).
- Lightweight. All the materials have been pared back to reduce the downsides of rotating mass while retaining the strength to take on your massive WATTBOMB sprint or even the most unexpected, high-speed encounter with a square-edged kerb.
- Stiffness. Lateral stiffness where it matters and flexibility where it counts. This is achieved through a precisely engineered Titanium axle in combination with highly tuned flange diameters and hub body widths.
- Bearings. We have poured decades of bearing and lubricant engineering experience into our bearing system to create the smoothest, friction-free, load-tolerant hubs on the market.
The Truth About Turbulence
Like every aspect of QuantumMech wheels, the graphics serve a specific purpose (Yes, they look cool because you should never need to sacrifice style to have the best equipment). The 0.3mm thickness and placement of the graphics in tandem with the cross section of the rim are there to create a turbulent boundary layer of air and increase the wheel's overall aerodynamic efficiency.
The best aero surface material in the world is air itself. With a barrier of air around the rims' surface, you reduce axial and perpendicular drag, meaning you also deal with crosswinds more effectively. The added benefit of using laminar turbulant air to reduce drag is that it increases its efficiency the faster you go.
We Care About Corners
To achieve fast, stable, and safe cornering on a road bike, controlled lateral flex is the most crucial element in wheel design. When cornering, the wheel needs to flex laterally to conform to the road surface, similar to a car's suspension system. A wheel that is excessively stiff laterally can result in a loss of traction and a crash.
The pursuit of stiffness above all else has not led to faster bikes, just uncomfortable, nervous riders with more missing skin.
With a Titanium axle and double bearings where it counts, our wheels are designed to provide lossless pedalling and braking stiffness while allowing for some lateral movement during cornering to increase stability and speed. To experience the benefits of our tuned stability wheels, we invite you to try them out for yourself and feel the difference.