Fnhon Gust: Wheelset and Tires

The Fnhon Gust will require a 16 inch wheelset, as it is a small folding bike. For 16 inch wheels, there are actually two sizes, 305 and 349. 305 was used by Dahon Curve D3, and it is quite small. 349 is larger, and is also more common. It is used by Bromptons as well.

This bike is designed for 16 inch, 349 wheelsets. This means it will be smaller than 20 inch folding bikes, which are either 406 or 451 sizes. These numbers refer to the rim diameter.

For this bike, the wheelset was bought from AliExpress, and it came surprisingly fast. The cost was around SGD 300.

An all black wheelset was desired, and this wheelset seems to fit the bill perfectly. One more thing to take note, the Fnhon Gust uses rim brakes (caliper or V brakes), so don't get a disc brake wheelset. The OLD of the frame and fork is 74 mm front, 130 mm rear.

All black 16 inch 349 wheelset. 20 spokes for front wheel, 24 spokes for rear wheel.

Double wall rim, with hooked rims.

Black spoke nipples as well. Even the brake track is black, not sure if it will last after some usage.

Inner rim width is a narrow 13 mm, which is really narrow by modern standards.

External rim width is almost 19 mm. Also very narrow by modern standards.

Rim height is only about 18 mm, also very shallow.

With a narrow rim and short rim height, this should keep the weight of the wheelset low. That is the one of the few advantages to having narrow and short rims.

The rims are laced to standard Novatec hubs, which are normally of good quality, are affordable, and relatively lightweight. It is similar to what I used last time, the Novatec A551SB.

Front hub is A211SB, with 74 mm OLD. Straight pull lacing pattern is used for the front wheel.

There is a small gap between the rubber seal and the hub, not sure if this is normal or not.

Rear hub is Novatec F162SB. Straight pull lacing on non-drive side.

Looking pretty good with all black components. Drive side uses cross lacing pattern.

11 speed compatible freehub, important if you want to use a 11 speed road cassette.

The rear freehub has 27 clicks per round, which means 13.3 degrees of engagement angle. This is an unusual number, as a more common value is 18, 24 or 30 clicks per round. I did check a few times so the value is correct.

I forgot to measure the weight of the wheelset, but we can calculate it later, since I did weigh all the parts that go onto the wheels.

Rim tape is provided, 22 grams for a pair.

Quick release axles are included with the Novatec wheelset, 101 grams for the pair.

Next to a full sized 700C wheel (622 mm diameter), the 16 inch wheel (349 mm diameter) looks so small!

Schwalbe Kojak tires are selected for this bike, for a balance of speed and comfort. It was hard to find as it was out of stock nearly everywhere, due to it being a common size with Bromptons.

32-349 Kojak tire. A width of 32 mm is a good width for small wheeled bikes, as narrow tires on small wheels will require high tire pressures, which makes the ride very bumpy.

Each tire weighs 249 grams. These are with wire beads, which will be heavier than those with kevlar beads.

16 inch inner tubes, Schwalbe SV4. It can actually be shared with the slightly larger 18 inch, 355 wheels. This is what was used on the Tyrell IVE.

Inner tube is 84 grams each.

As expected, the tire will bulge out over the narrow rim, but I think it is OK since I have been using this combination for a long time, on the Dahon Boardwalk and Dahon MuEX.

During tire installation, I found that one section of the tire refused to seat on the rim properly, despite inflating and deflating a few times. I had to use the Schwalbe Easy Fit, which is a soapy solution that you apply on the tire bead, to lubricate it as you install the tire. With this, the tire was able to seat on the rim properly.

Schwalbe Easy Fit, with a foam applicator for easy usage.

Schwalbe Kojak tires installed! Managed to achieve the all black look. Size looks normal, until...

...next to a full sized road bike wheel, it looks tiny! The road wheel is from Ascent Bikes.

Front wheel with inner tube and tire and rim tape is 706 grams.

Rear hub with inner tube, tire, rim tape and Dura-Ace 9000 11-28T cassette is 1114 grams.

Front wheel weight with rim tape = 706 - 249 - 84 = 373 grams

Rear wheel weight with rim tape = 1114 - 249 - 84 - 195 = 586 grams

This gives a wheelset weight (inclusive of rim tape) of only 959 grams, which is pretty good. The low weight mainly comes from the small wheel size, and also the narrow and short rims.

Crius AEV20 1x11: Wheelset and Tires

Regardless of the drivetrain selection or component specification, a good set of wheels is a must. Most stock wheels are of average quality and are quite heavy. For example, the stock D7 wheelset that came on my stock Dahon Boardwalk weighs over 1.6 kg, even though it was a low profile rim.

A custom wheelset is always possible, but that is just too much work for too little benefit. Besides, why bother when Wheelsport wheelsets are available for a reasonable price? Lower prices can also be found if you import your own wheelsets from overseas, but there is also risk involved.

For an all black look, the black Wheelsport Smart 1.0 wheelset was selected, for a good balance between appearance (30mm rim profile), function (aluminium brake track is better than carbon brake track anytime) and price (aluminium wheelset is more cost effective than carbon wheelset).

Of course, it has to be compatible to 11 speed, as that is part of the setup. A front 74mm and rear 130mm OLD model was selected to match the Crius frame. Also, a 406 wheelset was selected, to keep things simple and standard, as the frame was designed for 406 wheelsets.

The Crius frame can also take a 451 wheelset, but it will mean more weight (larger rims plus larger tires and inner tubes, plus V brake adapter) and more cost, while it also raises the bottom bracket by about 1 inch. It will also work but it is not necessary.

Wheelsport Smart 1.0 406 wheelset. The spoke pattern is attractive too!

30mm rim profile

About 19mm external rim width...

...and 13mm internal rim width.

Comes with rim tape already installed. I decided to just use the stock rim tape.

11 speed compatible freehub body. I think new wheels nowadays are all 11 speed compatible.

Front wheel weighs 531 grams.

Rear wheel weighs 751 grams.

This gives a total wheelset weight of 1282 grams (inclusive of rim tape), which is quite reasonable. A lighter build with lighter hubs and rims will probably be around 1100 grams. An extreme lightweight example would be the Kinetix Pro wheelset which is just below 1000 grams, but it is more expensive and is not 11 speed compatible.

Stock Wheelsport steel quick release axles, 74/130mm length.

Front 74mm QR axle weighs 51 grams

Rear 130mm QR axle weighs 59 grams

The pair of QR axles weigh 110 grams, which is considered heavy. It is easy to shave about 60 grams off by swapping to a pair of titanium QR axles.

As for the tires, I trust Schwalbe tires, which is why I went for the tried and trusted Schwalbe Kojak tires, 35-406 in size. The wider design is better for comfort and stability, while the bald tread ensures low rolling resistance and weight. A cheaper Kenda tire will probably work well too.

Pair of Kojak folding tires

239 grams for one tire, which is impressive given the 35mm width.

Schwalbe SV6 inner tube for 406 tires

Weighs 90 grams for one inner tube. A more lightweight SV6A inner tube would weigh around 65 grams.

During tire and tube installation, I found that the inner tube valve was a bit short, as the protrusion from the rim was too short for the pump head to attach properly. I had to get a valve extender, even though the rim height was only 30mm. Perhaps I should use an inner tube with a longer valve the next time.

Presta valve extender (for removable core type). It comes as a pair, with the red tool for tightening the extender and the valve core.

Here it how it fits. Remove the original valve core, and insert the extender in between. Obviously this only works for inner tubes with removable valve cores such as Schwalbe.

Final valve length. This is the 30mm extender, which looks quite long. A 20mm one is also available. It weighs practically nothing as it did not register on my weighing scale at all.

Wheelset with tires and inner tubes installed! Ready to be installed onto the bike frame.

Once the cassette is installed onto the rear hub, the wheelset can be assembled to the bike. After that, the rest of the drivetrain components can be installed!

Wheelsport Ultegra Di2 2x11 Speed: Part 7 - Wheelsport Smart 1.0 451 Wheelset + Schwalbe One 451 Tires

Part 1: Frame Design and Carbon Fork
Part 2: Compatibility Check for Wheelset and Brake Calipers
Part 3: Component Selection
Part 4: Installation Issues and Solutions
Part 5: Final Assembly
Part 6: Accessories and Geometry Comparison

After riding the Wheelsport Fantasy Ultegra Di2 2x11 Speed mini velo for a while, I realised that the bike rode very well, but the braking performance was not good enough for me. To recap, this bike was built using a set of 406 wheels, and this required using the Tektro R559 Extra Long Reach caliper brakes. This was because the frame was originally designed for 451 wheels and standard caliper brakes. Using a smaller rim would require longer reach brakes. Although these brakes work, the leverage and braking power suffered due to the extra long reach.

I have changed the brake pads to the better SwissStop brake pads, but the braking performance was still not good enough. The only way to get more braking power is to use better caliper brakes, which are all of standard reach. An example would be Shimano 105 or Ultegra caliper brakes.

In order to use standard reach caliper brakes, it would be necessary to use the larger 451 wheels. I have been resisting changing to 451 wheels, as I still want to use my custom wheelset with gold rims and Chris King rear hub. It will also allow me to have common sized inner tubes across three different bikes (the other two being Dahon MuEX and Dahon Vitesse).

However, it seems that I have no choice this time, if I want to improve the braking performance on this bike. The decision was thus made to change to 451 wheels, so that I can use better caliper brakes to improve braking performance.

As previously reviewed, the Wheelsport wheelsets are actually good value for money, and so I decided to get a new set of Wheelsport 451 wheels for use on this mini velo. Note that there are many specifications for a wheelset, such as rim size, hub width, 11 speed compatibility, etc. In this case, I would require a 451 wheelset, with 100mm/130mm hub width, 11 speed compatibility, and in black colour.

The specific wheelset has been found! 451 wheels, 100mm/130mm to fit this frame, and 11 speed compatibility for the Ultegra Di2 2x11 speed drivetrain.

Sweet pair of new Wheelsport Smart 1.0 451 wheels! Black and white matches the frame perfectly.

11 speed compatible free hub body

QR axles are included, but I will use my own QR axles that are better.

Stock plastic rim tape that came with the wheelset. Will change it out to cloth rim tape which is better for high pressure tires.

Velox cloth rim tape, best for high pressure tires. Prevents mysterious inner tube punctures.

793 grams for the 451 rear wheel with rim tape

584 grams for the 451 front wheel with rim tape

This gives a total of 1377 grams for the pair of 451 wheels, which is more than 200 grams heavier than the 1152 grams of the custom 406 wheelset. This change of wheelset would add 200 grams of rotating weight to the bike, which is not ideal for acceleration. Nevertheless, it is necessary to improve the braking performance.

Before installing the cassette, I decided to clean and regrease the ratchet mechanism in the free hub as it usually comes with very little lubrication. What I found was yet another free hub construction that differs slightly from the other two Wheelsport freehubs that I had previously seen.

Ratchet design is the same.

6 pawls are held down by 1 circular spring. I actually prefer to have 3 pawls with individual springs, as there would then be less freewheeling resistance and also redundancy design.

Regreasing the ratchet with fresh free hub grease

A new 451 wheelset also requires new tires! However, I was told that there are limitations as to what tires I can use on 451 wheels, as there is limited frame clearance for tires. When I was previously using 406 wheels, I could put on wider and taller tires as there is plenty of clearance. With 451 wheels, I can only use narrow and slim tires, which is why I decided to get the 23mm wide Schwalbe One tires. I am also using Schwalbe One tires on my Merida Scultura 5000 road bike, which works really well.

Pair of folding Schwalbe One tires for 451 wheels

23-451 means 23mm wide, or about 0.9 inches wide. These tires are even narrower than the 25mm tires I am using on my road bike!

These tires are lightweight at only 323 grams for a pair (about 162 grams each).

451 sized inner tubes are required too

A pair of Schwalbe SV7B inner tubes weigh 156 grams (78 grams each).

Recommended tire pressure is 100 to 160 PSI! That is quite high, and is only achievable using a floor pump. The advice given to me is to pump it to 120 PSI for a fast and comfortable ride.

With the Schwalbe One tires installed on the Wheelsport Smart 1.0 451 wheelset! Once again, a black and white design theme can be seen.

Comparing the 23mm wide, 451 sized Schwalbe One tire against the 35mm wide, 406 sized Kojak tire.

The Kojak tire bulges out quite a lot from the rim, creating a light bulb shape

The slim Schwalbe One tire is flush against the rim, making it more aerodynamic too.

Comparing the front wheels. 406 wheels with Kojak tires vs 451 wheels with Schwalbe One tires. The overall wheel diameter is actually quite similar!

New 451 wheel on the left vs old 406 wheel on the right

Changing from 406 wheels to 451 wheels also causes the overall gear ratio to increase, as the wheel size is now increased from 20 inch to effectively 22 inch. This is an increase of 10% which is quite significant. The tables and graph below will give you a better picture of how the gear ratio (in gear inches) is affected.

Gear ratio is increased by 10% across the board, which translates to bigger gaps at the higher gears as compared to the lower gears.

Entire gear range is pushed up by 10%.

Increasing the overall gear range would make the top end gear range higher than was previously intended, but I believe that this higher top gear will still be utilized as the faster 451 wheels would allow a higher speed to be achieved. The gear range has been increased from 65.7 gear inches (94.5 - 28.8) to 72.3 gear inches (104 - 31.7).

Now that the wheels have been upsized from 406 wheels to 451 wheels, the next step is to change to standard reach caliper brakes for better braking performance! To be continued in the next post.

Click here for Part 8