Strada Wheels Rail

According to Strada, this change in shape equates to better handling for a few reasons. A clincher tyre sits differently on the rim depending on rim width. A tyre mounted on a narrower inner diameter will result in a more pinched profile at the bead, ballooning outwards as the tyre casing eases into the tread. The same tyre mounted on a wider inner diameter is less pinched with a less dramatic outward curve. This equates to a less dramatic tread slope and less sidewall distortion under cornering pressure.

Why does this all matter?  Strada claims wheels from other manufacturers are designed for 21 millimeter time trial tyres, while most riders are racing on 23 millimeter or even 25 millimeter tyres. This means most carbon rims on the market are designed for thinner tyres than the diameters most riders race on.  This narrower rim equates to a ballooned tyre, if using a wider than a 21 millimeter tyre, and thus a less satisfactory cornering configuration.  With a wider rim, like the Rail, the preferred racing tyre diameter balloons less, has a better contact patch, and thus performs better when the road gets twisty.

Although they might be built to handle, according to Strada these wheels are fast too. The Rail rim is toroidal-type design like other competitive wheels from Zipp, Enve, and Hed. The designers relied on the work of NACA (National Advisory Commission for Aeronatutics) for the perfect wheel shape. As a wheel and tyre is both a leading and trailing edge, depending on whether it’s behind or in front of the fork, a symmetric shape (including the mounted tyre) was desirable. The NACA 0024 shape was almost ideal.  The wheel shape is also impacted by the width of the wheel and the ideal tyre option.  The UCI restricts wheels to a 3:1 height to width ratio: The Rail’s 52 millimeter depth combined with a 23 millimeter tyre equals 75 millimeters, or exactly three times the wheel’s width of 25 millimeters.

 
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