rolf prima vigor alpha - Rolf Prima Wheel Systems

RBA
RBATECH
ROLF PRIMA VIGOR ALPHA
Aero aluminum with unique looks
B
ack
in
1996, Rolf
Prima’s namesake,
Rolf Dietrich, developed
his patented Paired Spoke technology
that utilized pairs of spokes running
nearly congruently to one another from
hub to rim, and licensed the design to
Trek who produced the wheels until
2001. In 2002, Rolf Prima was established in Eugene, Oregon, by Dietrich,
current owner Brian Roddy and two
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other partners.
And that same year, the company
released the Vigor wheel line. After
Dietrich retired in 2009, Rolf Prima
underwent a “rebuilding” process that
saw the company start fresh with only a
handful of employees. Today, Rolf Prima
maintains a staff of over a dozen individuals, offers hoops for road, mountain,
cyclocross, and the production process
for nearly every wheel part is done inhouse in Eugene, Oregon.
THE TECH
Rolf Prima offers four different lines
of aluminum clincher wheels, in addition to both carbon clinchers
and carbon tubulars, and the
company says that its fourstrong line of Vigor wheels
represents the speediest
of its aluminum bunch,
thanks to their
combination of
unique profiles,
spoke patterns
and relatively low
weights. The
$1299 Vigor
Alpha (a disc
brake version
sells for $1349)
tops the family tree, and
all of the
hubs found
in the Vigor
line feature
U.S.-sourced
CNCmachined
titanium
freehub bodies and CNCmachined aluminum shells.
The Vigor Alpha
runs with 14
front and 16 rear
Sapim CX-Ray
spokes (the RS
version gets 16 on
the front and 20
on the rear for
larger riders).
The spokes are laced
to the 33mm-deep aluminum rim in a “paired” pattern, with a twosome of spokes
positioned on opposite sides of the
hub from one another and meeting at
roughly the same location along the rim
surface. Rolf Prima has the patent on
Paired Spoke technology, and the result
is not only striking to behold, but is said
to neutralize the outward pulling forces
enacted on the spokes, thus allowing
fewer to be used in order to create a
lighter and more aerodynamic wheelset.
Rolf Prima doesn’t specify a rider weight
limit for the Vigor Alphas.
While Rolf Prima has recently begun
Rolf Prima’s oversized hub
flange helps stiffen up the
Vigor Alpha rear wheel.
RBA
RBATECH
its own in-house aluminum rim production in their Eugene, Oregon, facility, the
Alpha rims are produced in Asia. The
Rolf wheels feature a V-shape profile
with a slight rounding off at the nose.
Other features include Rolf’s oversized
non-drive side rear flange hub that is
designed to provide leverage for nondrive side spokes, as well as its jacketed
nipple design that helps improve the
durability of the spokes.
THE RIDE
Road comfort: When it comes to a
comfortable ride quality, we’ve found
that the more contemporary, wide,
round profiles of other aluminum
clinchers tend to provide a better overall
experience over sharper-nosed alternatives. But, we suspect that the unique
paired spoke design, and the resulting
smaller spoke count, of the Vigor Alphas
helps produce a marginal cushioning
factor over wheels with greater spoke
counts. The hubs are terrific and offer
an incredibly smooth-rolling feel and are
some of the best that we’ve ridden at
this price point.
Climbing: Weighing less than 1600
grams is respectable for an aluminum
wheelset at this price point, and the
Vigor Alphas are stiff enough to offer
above-average acceleration—the two
key ingredients for a good climbing
wheel. While this translates to solid
uphill ability, the Alphas truly shine on
the flats thanks to their ability to get up
to speed and maintain a quick feel.
Windy conditions: At 33mm deep,
the Vigor Alphas are on the deeper side
when it comes to aluminum clinchers.
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Coupled with a rim profile that is similar
to the classic V-shape design, we found
that the Vigor Alphas require a touch
more handling focus in crosswinds than
shallower depth alternatives, as well as
other wheels of comparable depth with
rounder profiles.
Cornering: The Vigor Alphas possess
plenty of stiffness to keep them firmly
planted and tracking well through
corners, even on fast descents.
Although, as noted, when it comes to
riding in windy conditions, paying more
attention to tracking is helpful when
taking turns at high speeds or when the
breeze picks up.
Braking: Although they sell pads
separately, Rolf doesn’t provide brake
pads with the wheels (most alloy wheels
don’t). Unlike many carbon wheels that
call for specific brake pads, any
conventional rubber pad should work
due to the tried-and-true aluminum
brake track. And, owing to the
aluminum surface, the Vigor wheels
provide predictable stopping power in
both wet and dry conditions.
Durability: We didn’t experience any
issues during our testing that would
have us think that the Vigor Alphas
would offer anything but a long life of
use. But if something were to go wrong,
the hubs are easily serviceable and the
spokes are readily replaceable.
THE VERDICT
During our testing, we had several
people praise the aesthetic appeal of
the Vigor Alphas’ paired spokes, giving
them some brownie points for panache.
At $1299, they’re on the pricier side
when it comes to aluminum
clinchers. But, we consider them a good
buy thanks to their smooth-rolling feel,
sharp looks and solid all-around
performance. Just note that you’ll feel
a slight tug of the reins in heavy
crosswinds. Those looking for a lowercost aluminum clincher should take a
look at Rolf Prima’s Aspin and Echelon
lines, while those interested in saving a
few grams at the expense of reduced
aerodynamics should check out Rolf
Prima’s Elan family of clinchers. ■
PUNCH LINES
• Smooth-rolling and eye-catching
• Sharper rim profile than many of
its rivals
• Three other versions available,
including disc brake options
STATS
Price: $1299
Weight: 1578 grams, plus 91-gram
quick releases
Rim depth: 33mm
Rim width: 22mm (external); 17mm
(internal)
Spoke count: F-14/R-16
Spoke type: CX-Ray bladed
Spoke pattern: Paired Spoke
technology (patented)
Notes: Includes quick releases and rim
strips; available in both Shimano/SRAMand Campagnolo-compatible versions
(both 10- and 11-speed); available with
a Powertap rear hub ($1399 for rear
wheel, $1984 for complete set);
available in a disc brake-compatible
version ($1349).
www.rolfprima.com