Ultralight Rims

The RC Ultralight series wheels are some of the lightest carbon road wheelsets on the consumer market. One of the primary reasons is our advanced carbon layup. Our lightweight rims offer extremely low inertia, significantly improving acceleration.

The rims feature 21mm inner widths and 31mm outer widths, which make them aerodynamically and structurally optimized for 28c tires. As a result, they outperform wider rims in terms of optimal rolling resistance, grip, comfort, and handling. The rims have modern u-shaped profiles, giving them improved stability when descending and in crosswinds. For those who prefer wider tires, we recommend our GC series wheels.

RC Ultralight series wheels have all passed our standard 90-joule vertical impact test, more than twice the UCI's requirement. The rims come in both internal and external nipple options. Internal nipples offer improved aerodynamics and responsiveness, increasing power transfer. Tubeless tape comes pre-installed, and tubeless valves are included in the box.

Decals are laser engraved, giving the wheels a unique look while saving additional weight. Learn more about laser engraving here.

See here for more information on the difference between Ultralight, Light, and Team version wheels

Rim Profiles

Precision Ratchet Hubs

At Particle, we try to avoid marketing trends and tech that don’t offer real world performance gains. For this reason, we have chosen to use the gold standard of hub design, the star ratchet. We offer, 36T, 45T and 54T options depending on how much engagement you prefer. 36T ratchets are recommended for most users due to lower rolling resistance and improved longevity. 45T and 54T ratchets are recommended for those who require higher engagement, for example in crit racing.

Our ratchet hub shells and axles have been machined to 0.005mm and 0.003mm tolerances respectively, making them the most precise ratchet hubs available, therefore lowering rolling resistance and improving bearing longevity. The hubs use labyrinth seals and double layer contamination barriers, so there is a significant reduction in the likelihood of ingress, effectively protecting bearings and ratchets from the elements.

Servicing is simple, as no tools are required. Star ratchets are also simple to clean and replace.

Carbon Spokes

The RC Ultralight wheels are built using 3rd gen (3.5 grams including nipples) replaceable carbon spokes. Their benefits over even the best steel spokes include saving weight, improving aerodynamics, and offering a significant increase in lateral stiffness, which allows us to use fewer spokes. Our spokes are the most aerodynamic replaceable carbon spokes available, as they are 5.2mm wide and less than 1mm thick.

One thing that not well-known is that not all replaceable carbon spokes are made the same. After comparing the carbon spokes from several manufacturers, we have chosen 3rd generation carbon spokes for the RC Ultralight wheels. Unlike 2nd generation carbon spokes, which are the norm, our spokes are mechanically secured so they do not twist, ensuring they always stay in the most aerodynamic orientation.  The hubs we have chosen have closed flanges, ensuring there is no risk of our spokes popping out, which is a concern on some carbon spoke wheelsets.

Our carbon spokes have been thoroughly tested and can survive more than 4000 newtons of tension, as opposed to steel spokes, which break under loads of between 2600-3200 newtons. We even provide spare spokes in the box.

Steel and Ceramic Bearing Options

One of the most overlooked parts of a wheelset is the bearings. The RC Ultralight series comes in both steel and ceramic bearings options. The front hub uses large 6803 bearings, improving durability, increasing longevity, and reducing rolling resistance. The rear hub uses a 15267 and a 6802 bearings, and the freehub uses two 6802 bearings. Our bearings use mixed contact seals to protect them from contamination, improving longevity, while offering low rolling resistance.

For more information about steel vs ceramic bearings, please see this article.