VM Wheelset ++Highend 90

The "++Highend 90" wheelset is the final development stage of a model series that aims to make the velomobile increasingly suitable for mountain use and therefore also more suitable for long descents at high speed.

Sturmey Archer drum brake hubs in the 90 mm version are used.
First, the outer contour was turned over and the circumference of the actual drum housing was provided with cooling fins. The hub therefore has less material, more surface area and is lighter. The steel spacer is replaced with an aluminum spacer. This can save weight again, but this aluminum spacer is mainly used because it has the same thermal expansion as the hub base body. This means that the bearings are less subject to tension when they heat up significantly due to prolonged braking maneuvers.

The ++high-end hub was once again equipped with significantly more cooling surface. The space between the hub flanges is optimally filled with this design. The heat sinks have only 0.5mm thick fins and an aerodynamically shaped root. This draws the heat from the drum base and then dissipates it into the surrounding air via the wafer-thin slats

Thanks to the anodization and the black anodized 5 large heat sinks per hub, this can radiate more heat than the original XL-SD hub. In addition, the hub is extremely resistant to corrosion. While original silver drum brake hubs develop a gray layer of corrosion over time, the anodized hubs remain almost intact even after years of use in summer and winter. Another advantage is that with the anodized hubs there is less corrosion within the spoke holes. This means that the hub bore/spoke fit remains very good. With silver hubs, years of exposure to salt can cause the bore to enlarge and thus reduce the spoke tension.

Together with black aero spokes and brass nipples from Sapim, these become our tried and tested Ginkgo velomobile wheels. The Sapim CX-ray aero spokes used are extremely low-fatigue, light and resilient spokes that make the wheel more aerodynamic and even allow it to run more easily in the vehicle wheel house.
By using Polyax nipples in conjunction with special nipple washers, the spokes can run more diagonally into the rim. This is necessary when using hubs with large bolt circle diameters.

The spoke tension in our velomobile wheels is chosen to be very high. This is necessary to counteract the expansion of the drum under heavy thermal loads due to braking maneuvers. The very thin aero spokes absorb part of the tension drop due to their elasticity in the thinner middle section. This and the spoke tension being as uniform and high as possible ensures that the wheels have a high mileage.

To select the right rims, select the appropriate rim and the number of spokes for the variants.
Most rims are tubeless rims. The reason for this is security. If there is a sudden loss of air, the tire bead gets stuck behind the tubeless hump of the rim. This means that the tire cannot jump off the rim so quickly, safe rolling is guaranteed and the rim is protected by the tire.

Of course, our wheelsets can be supplied for use with 12mm and 15mm axles.
The default is 12mm. When used in A7, W9, M9, A9 and other vehicles with 15mm axles, this can simply be specified when ordering.

All wheelsets are built ready to ride. The wheels were pressed and the spokes were stretched. Nothing needs to be re-centered or re-tensioned here.
Of course, a suitable, high-quality rim tape is already installed upon delivery. We always use tubeless straps twice to ensure the highest possible safety.
In addition, a wheel report is included in which the key data of the wheelset such as concentricity, materials used and spoke tensions are recorded. This data is also stored in our company database so that we can quickly provide the appropriate replacement in the event of damage. To identify the wheels, a 4-6 digit serial number is engraved in the rim well near the valve hole.

If you have any questions when selecting a suitable wheelset, we are happy to advise you by email or telephone.

used material:
Hubs: black anodized and tuned XL-SD drum brake hubs with 5 large heat sinks per hub
Spokes: Sapim CX-ray black
Nipples: black Sapim Polyax brass nipples
If necessary, washers to improve the nipple inclination
Rim tape

Technical data:
Surface of the mounted heat sinks
per heat sink: 180 cm²
per hub: 900 cm²