Last year at Interbike 2014, we got a first look at the latest from Stan's NoTubes with their 2015 ZTR Grail, a tubeless wheel that the company called the most aerodynamically proficient rim in its lineup. The folks at Stan's NoTubes, however, were hiding not only a much more aerodynamic wheel that could handle low and high pressures, but a new hub that was two years in the making.
At Press Camp 2015, Stan's NoTubes new Creative Director, Chris Currie, walked us through both new products from the company.
Stan's NoTubes Neo and Neo Ultimate Hubs
Currie showed off the Neo and Neo Ultimate hubs first, which will not be sold alone, but as a part of a full wheelset for the near future. Stan's NoTubes partnered up with a CNC machining company in Asia that didn't have experience manufacturing hubs, but they had the ability to spec the Neo hubs with the tight tolerances that Stan's NoTubes needed. Both Neo models have a 100% CNC-machined hub, and are designed to fit much larger bearings than the company had used in the past (2mm wider).
Both hubs also have a forged 36-tooth ratchet ring as well as SealLock end caps for the front hubs. The latter helps with protection against loose hub caps, and we tried to pull them out with our hands with no avail, but any simple force from the inside can push the covers out with ease.
The Neo has a new 4PAWL drive system, which reportedly engages 20% faster (with a 10 degrees of engagement) than Stan's NoTubes previous hubs, while the Neo Ultimate's 6PAWL has 5 degrees of engagement, which felt like a near instant response. For a cyclocrosser, that means all the trying 180 degree turns and rocky ride-ups will be easier to manage with near instant engagement.
The Neo Ultimate is also lighter, with a large degree of more CNC machining (which you can see in the pictures below).
Stan's NoTubes Avion Road Rim
Stan's No Tubes developed their latest carbon road/gravel/cyclocross wheel that they call the Avion, which are one of the earliest models to sport the Neo hubs. Chris Currie explained that the 28mm WideRight rim (with an internal width of 22.3mm) was created with anywhere from 25mm to 40mm tires in mind, and able to accommodate both low and high pressures (the rim in the pictures below only have maximum pressures, but Currie said that many of the Stan's NoTubes athletes were happily running 20-22psi with 32-33mm tires installed.
The rim is 41mm deep, and Currie professes that they are intentionally not stiff, and are designed to adsorb impacts and roll faster. Like many wheels we see that try to hit the benchmarks of cyclocross, the Avion is built with Sapim spokes with Secure Lock aluminum nipples. The wheels come in two sets as shown below.
PRO: $1,900.00, 1593g-1705g depending on options
TEAM: $1,575.00, 1653g-1775g depending on options
Front Hub Options: 15x100mm TA (9x100mm QR Endcaps and Skewer Included), 12x100mm
Rear Hub Options: 12x142mm TA (10x135mm QR Endcaps and Skewer Included)
Brake Options: ISO 6-Bolt or Center Lock
Cassette Options: Shimano/SRAM, SRAM XD, Campagnolo
Extras: 25mm Yellow Tape and 55mm Valve Installed
Warranty: two-year with three-year crash replacement
For more details and images, use the slider below. More info: notubes.com
The internal difference of the Neo and Neo Ultimate hubs, with 10 and 5 degrees of engagement with a different set of pawls. © A. Reimann / Cyclocross Magazine
