Wheels (click images in the page below to see a higher resolution version)
In order to determine what makes the Pro-Lite hub and wheel set unique we need to take a look at history.
 It is a myth to say that a wheel constructed with four cross spoking gives a softer ride than three cross and that a large flange is harsher than a small flange. A wheel will flex regardless of hub and spoking used. No matter how tight a wheel is built, the wheel cannot remain perfectly round. Tests show regardless of construction that the outside shape changes at the point of contact with the ground and you can relate this to the area of a clock between 5 and 7 O’clock. Not only does the rim become egg shaped, but it also spreads out under the load upon it. The reduction in the rims diameter begins at 5 O’clock, peaks at 6 O’clock and decreases to zero around 7 O ‘clock. It has also never been fully scientifically explained how a spoked wheel can actually hold up a rider and therefore a lot of claims made by wheel suppliers remain unsubstantiated.
This effect will also allow movement of the spoke and nipple, thus eventually loosening the wheel and reducing the power to output ratio. Some well know wheel suppliers actually try gluing the nipples to the spokes to reduce this effect, resulting in a fatigue failure in the spoke as the nipple and spoke need to be able to move slightly under load. All Pro-Lite wheels are hand built to extreme standards without the use of machinery. Call it old fashioned, but all the nipples are soaked in oil prior to use and hence the oil you will find on the nipples when you take delivery of your wheels. The designers of the Prolite hubs and wheels have between them over sixty years experience of hand building wheels and know only too well what happens when people try to re-invent the wheel. Prolite works on the principle of experience and knowledge first and leaves the technological verbal reasoning to those who think they can become an expert from a text book in a matter of weeks.
Historically, rotating equipment was first connected by means of a rigid flange. Experience indicates that this method did not take into account the motions and excursions (that is mis-alignment) experienced by the equipment. Shaft and flange failures were common. Then flanges were made thinner which allowed them to flex. From this start the design of couplings has evolved to the many types and styles of today, all used to transmit power while accepting the required amount of mis-alignment.
A hub is used to transmit power and can be classed as a coupling. The power is in the form of mechanical torque at some speed. In general the power lost by a flexible coupling is very small, although some couplings are more efficient than others.
Coupling mis-alignment comes into play when you look at how the coupling accommodates for shaft mis-alignment. Shaft parallel mis-alignment (offset mis-alignment) and shaft angular alignment are accommodated in the coupling by the flex elements operating at an angle.
These are usually accommodated by using an elastomeric coupling which allows for both angular and axial shifts in alignment. As a hub would never be needed to transmit such extreme forces as that say used on a train, the hub can be machined to accommodate initial forces without elastomeric materials being used, whilst minimizing flexing within the wheel’s construction and maintaining an equal power source to drive output. In other words you get more forward drive from your effort.
To assist with maintaining stability within the wheel set, the hubs are constructed using the finest Japanese EZO bearings that will ensure lower rolling resistance and durability that will outlast any other bearing available today. The rear hub is constructed with four bearings, so no matter how big the rider, the hub remains completely stable at all times. The front hub uses two bearing and despite its size, has to be one of the lightest front hubs on the market today.
The Pro-Lite hub is designed to provide maximum power to output ratios, whilst maintaining the wheels stability and structure. When coupled with the unique Pro-Lite spoke made from Swedish Stainless Steel, you have a combination that is everything the rider needs.
The Prolite spoke has been tested against a number of well know and established brands in the bicycle market. The result is that the Prolite spokes are 30% stronger than proclaimed best on the market, thus allowing greater strength within the wheels construction and far greater output than other wheel sets on the market. Fitment of the spoke to the hub flange is designed to improve on the traditional method where the head of the spoke is across the line of stress rather than inline as are the Pro-lite wheels. The spokes also pull on the flange in a direct tangent again adding significantly to the overall strength of the wheel.
ProLite Wheel Sets Summary
Padova Disc wheelsets use the Pro-Lite New 2-in-1 hub:
90 mm Full carbon tubular Front wheel for both Road and Track
2 in 1 Hub, easy to switch for Road and Track
see below for more detailed information and images.
Vicenza wheelsets use the Pro-Lite New 2-in-1 hub:
Deep 90 mm Full carbon tubular rim
2 in 1 Hub, easy to switch for Road and Track
see below for more detailed information and images.
Gavia wheelsets use the Bolzano hub, and are available with:
Full carbon clincher rim
Full carbon tubular rim
Carbon clincher with alloy braking surface
Alloy carbon wrapped matrix rim
see below for more detailed information and images.
Stelvio wheelsets
Alloy clincher rim
5 bearings rear and 2 bearings front, cartridge
see below for more detailed information and images.
Luciano wheelsets
Alloy clincher rim
4 bearing rear 2 bearing front - cartridge
see below for more detailed information and images.
Como wheelsets
Alloy clincher rim
Loose balls with ultra-high polished bearing surfaces
see below for more detailed information and images.
Series |
2-in-1 |
Track |
Code |
Padova |
Vicenza |
Gavia-TK |
Rosa |
Type |
Disc |
Tubular |
Tubular |
Clincher |
Profile |
Disc(R)-90mm(F) |
90mm |
50mm |
30mm |
Rim |
Full carbon, basalt braking surface |
Full carbon, basalt braking surface |
Full carbon, alloy braking surface |
Alloy 6061 - T6 - Pin |
Front |
Radial (20H) |
Radial (20H) |
Radial (20H) |
Radial (32H) |
Rear |
Disc |
2 Cross(24H) |
2 Cross(24H) |
2 Cross(36H) |
Hub |
2-in-1 |
2-in-1 |
Track |
Track |
Spoke |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aero |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aero |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aero |
Pro-Lite 2.3 Aero |
Nipple |
F-Integrated / R-Disc |
Integrated |
Integrated |
Brass |
Skewer |
Alloy Skewer and Solid Axle |
Alloy Skewer and Solid Axle |
Cromo - Nut |
Cromo - Nut |
System |
Track,Road(Shimano,Campagnolo) |
Track,Road(Shimano,Campagnolo) |
Sprocket |
Sprocket |
Series |
Gavia |
Stelvio |
Luciano |
Como |
Code |
Gavia-T |
Gavia-MC |
Gavia-CL |
Gavia-C |
Gavia-MX |
Stelvio |
Luciano |
Como |
Type |
Tubular |
Clincher |
Clincher |
Clincher |
Clincher |
Clincher |
Clincher |
Clincher |
Profile |
50mm |
38mm |
50mm |
38mm |
30mm |
30mm |
30mm |
30mm |
Rim |
Full carbon, basalt braking surface |
Full carbon, basalt braking surface |
Full carbon, alloy braking surface |
Full carbon, alloy braking surface |
Alloy rim with carbon wrapping |
Alloy KLM41 - T10 - sleeve |
Alloy 6061 - T6 - sleeve |
Alloy 6061 - T6 - Pin |
Front |
2 Cross (20H) |
2 Cross (20H) |
2 Cross (20H) |
2 Cross (20H) |
2 Cross (20H) |
Radial (20H) |
Radial(20H) |
Radial(20H) |
Rear |
2 Cross(24H) |
2 Cross(24H) |
2 Cross(24H) |
2 Cross(24H) |
2 Cross(24H) |
2 Cross(24H) |
2 Cross(24H) |
2 Cross(24H) |
Hub |
Bolzano |
Bolzano |
Bolzano |
Bolzano |
Bolzano |
2 x 5 cartridge bearing |
2 x 4 cartridge bearing |
Ultra smooth loose ball with CNC cone/cup - ball |
Spoke |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aero |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aero |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aero |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aero |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aero |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aero |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aero |
Pro-Lite 3.2 Aerov |
Nipple |
Integrated |
Integrated |
Integrated |
Integrated |
Alloy T 73 |
Alloy T 73 |
Alloy T 73 |
Brass |
Skewer |
Brunico Carbon - Ti |
Brunico Carbon - Ti |
Brunico Carbon - Ti |
Brunico Carbon - Ti |
Brunico Carbon - Ti |
Alloy - CroMo |
Alloy - CroMo |
Alloy - CroMo |
System |
Shimano, Campagnolo |
Shimano, Campagnolo |
Shimano, Campagnolo |
Shimano, Campagnolo |
Shimano, Campagnolo |
Shimano, Campagnolo |
Shimano, Campagnolo |
Shimano, Campagnolo |
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Gavia wheelset with tubular rim
Built around our unique, patent "Bolzano" hub set (see below)
Carbon rim fully UCI tested and approved
Available for Campagnolo or Shimano
Patented hub design (see below for exploded diagram)
Super high impact-resistant moulding of the rim
16 Spoke Front, 24 Spoke Rear
Front 550g, rear 850g (tubular)
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Gavia carbon-alloy rim - new for 2007
New for 2007 is the enhanced Gavia carbon/alloy rim. We have increased the depth of the rim from 38 to 50 mm to create a much stiffer rim and even more aerodynamic.
The rim is also designed for both road and cyclo cross use and the alloy used for the braking surface is much harder than normal alloy rims and will withstand a great deal more braking than most light/softer alloy rims used today. |
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Bolzano rear hub
Single billet CNC machined hub
Patented design flanges to allow ultra-high spoke tension
Five fully sealed EZO bearings
Worldwide Patented Design - so don't even think about it ..! |
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Bolzano rear hub exploded diagram
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Bolzano front hub
Bolzano rear hub stripdown
Bolzano rear hub reassembly
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Bolzano front and rear hub strip down and reassembly
Click on the pdf icons left to download the pdf files referring to strip down and reassembly of Bolzano hubs.
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Gavia wheelset for clinchers
Built around our unique, patent "Bolzano" hub set (see above)
The only SAFE carbon clincher wheel
Pictured below left is the lowered braking surface. Also pictured below left is a conventional brake pad with the Pro-Lite brake pad. By lowering the braking surface this eliminates heat distortion and allows tyre pressures of up to 150psi
Design of braking surface will not distort under braking, unlike some other manufacturers' rims
With the introduction of a ceramic coating onto the braking surface, combined with the Pro-Lite brake pad supplied you need never worry about braking performance again. in the wet or dry. As tested by some of the most fearless and stupid riders we could find!
As a result of the points above, this is probably the safest carbon clincher on the market |
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Stelvio clincher wheelset
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Stelvio wheels detail - Hubs
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Luciano clincher wheelset
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Luciano wheels detail - Hubs
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Mark 2 Freehub body
Pro-Lite have introduced a new version of the freehub body from August 2005 which features a unique grease port, allowing the freehub assemblies to be better maintained. This unique feature helps our freehub body last up to 3 times the service life of our competitors.
The image is clickable to see a larger version
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Mark 2 Freehub body
The image is clickable to see a larger version
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Mark 2 Freehub body
The image is clickable to see a larger version
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Mark 2 Freehub body bearings
The image is clickable to see a larger version
Note the needle roller bearing
There are also two annular bearings in the freehub body
There are two annular bearings in the hub itself
The hub runs on a total of five bearings for strength, precision and durability
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Gavia MX black carbon wheels for clinchers
A unique carbon-wrapped alloy rim in traditional black carbon finish |
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Como clincher wheelset
A high value-for-money wheel set
Super quality bearings - ultra hard and highly polished for maximum life
Fully hand built (like all Pro-Lite wheels)
A major success at Eurobike and EICMA Milan 2005 |
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Vicenza 90mm Carbon tubular rim
With so many victories in 2005 on Gavia wheels, including Michelle Dillon winning the world duathlon championships and Stuart Hayes winning the London Triathlon to name but two, we again listened carefully to what our customers around the world are asking us to produce. So now you have it the – the 90mm tubular rim.
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Padova disc wheel
This has to be the jewel in the crown. Over 12 months of development and testing to provide an incredible piece of equipment. Working with both 3M and AGFA we have what we really feel is the ultimate in disc wheels.
If you look elsewhere on the Pro-Lite website you will find a disc wheel from a competitor that we cut open to find it filled with polystyrene balls that not only soak up moisture, but decompose over a short period of time. To think these are really being used in races is pretty scary.
Our first objective was to ensure we have foam that is of the highest standards and then we need to ensure we obtain superior stiffness without adding weight. We then brought in 3m and AGFA to have foam that is designed to reduce weight and increase strength. The combination of foam and microspheres allows us to do just that. The micropsheres basically provide incredible strength by linking the bubbles together and reduce density and weight.
The wheel is not only designed for the road but can be easily and quickly converted for use on the track.
Using the same EZO bearings we use in the Bolzano hub the wheel has a very low rolling resistance compared to standard sealed bearing wheels and 5 bearings will ensure a lifetime of outstanding performances.
Production is limited and already we have a waiting list as long as your arm but we will ensure we fulfil each and every order.
Testing
You can see some information about the way that we tested our wheels against the competition in this document:
There is also a video here ... though please bear in mind this isn't serious testing, it's just Steve proving a point!
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Padova disc wheel - detail
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Padova disc wheel- detail
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 Rosa track wheelset
When we decided to produce the ROSA we had one aim in mind. A true track wheel has to withstand a huge amount of fatigue and yet must remain true and responsive at all times.
First of all the spokes are forged from the finest Swedish stainless and cnc machined to ensure the threads are precisely correct. The nipples are cnc machines so that when the wheel is built the angle between the spoke and nipple is minimal when the tension is applied during building. (Take a look at how many wheels you see in the market where the angle of the nipple and spoke exceeds 5 degrees).
The hubs are cnc machined and fitted with EZO bearings to provide a much lower rolling resistance. During the Copenhagen 6 day in riders using the Pro-Lite track wheels commented on how smooth the wheels ran and how noticeable it was to feel the acceleration through them.
Each wheel is carefully (as is all our wheels) by hand and built to extremely precise tolerances. Each spoke is tension checked six times during building and then we de-tension the wheel twice before final trueing. Pictures can be seen in our gallery of our wheel building workshop. |
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Rosa track wheelset - detail
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Rosa track wheelset - detail
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Pro-Lite Spokes
Super high strength swedish stainless steel (Inox) spokes
As used to build the Pro-Lite range of wheels
Available in double butted and aero formats |
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Pro-Lite Wheelbag
Protect your investment with our double padded wheel bag.
Supplied with protectors to fit into axle so they don’t end up sticking through the side of the bag when those baggage handlers see how far they can throw your precious wheels while you are not looking. |
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Pro-Lite Spoke Tool
Allows easy access to nipples that are enclosed in deep section rims.
Machined to the highest of tolerances and will prove to be an invaluable item for any cyclist’s toolkit. |
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