I’ve been frustrated with ill-fitting wheel covers over the course of my cycling “career.” I’ve had many wheels and many covers … most from the standard source. I’ve always thought they add more weight than necessary and there’s always waviness. Despite assurance from the seller that the waviness has no impact on aerodynamics, I’m skeptical. For the record, I’ve used screws, I’ve used tape, I’ve used screws AND tape. Nothing has been near as clean as I hoped. This winter, I tried making my own using styrene. Worked well, but looked like crap.
A while back on a thread about covers, some guys posted that they were starting up a business to sell covers. They’re open for business now (catalystwheels.com) and I placed their fourth order late last week – a cover for my Bonty Aeolus D3 7. It arrived today. It’s a gorgeous carbon fiber weave that shimmers when it spins. It fits perfectly. No screws. You just tape it with Super 33 (or is it 88) electrical tape. And NO WAVES! Weight of the wheel with cover is within a few grams of my Hed Stinger disc. I won’t get to race it for a couple weeks, but I’m looking forward to having a nice, light clincher disc option for race day.
Just wanted to give a shout-out to these guys. Their product is very nice and their customer service was excellent. I’ll add a photo a bit later.
interesting… i have been shopping around for a new rear wheel because i hate the waviness, warp, and rubbing that my current cover has. i’ll have to look into this option.
yeah they are doing them this year, May 15 will be the first one. I also hope to be up at the speedway on April 9th though; I’ll keep an eye out for the cover when I go up there.
That looks really nice. It’s a good option to keep in mind. I haven’t been real happy with the cover that I have had on my 808 for the past year. The waviness bugs the crap out of me. Maybe it doesn’t have any effect on aerodynamics, but I find myself questioning that every time I see it spin. A few other minor issues pushed me to ordering a Flo disc recently, but it kind of feels like a step back from the Zipp. If I decide I would rather stick with the 808, I will certainly look at the Catalyst cover.
Hey, I’m Justin Clark, one of the founders of Catalyst Wheels. We’ve received a lot of e-mails today about our wheel covers, and it’s been great to have this kind of response! Just thought I’d let you all know that you’re welcome to post questions on here as well. I’ll be sure to respond as soon as possible.
Hey, I’m Justin Clark, one of the founders of Catalyst Wheels. We’ve received a lot of e-mails today about our wheel covers, and it’s been great to have this kind of response! Just thought I’d let you all know that you’re welcome to post questions on here as well. I’ll be sure to respond as soon as possible.
that said, it s a 299$ cover vs a $80 plastic cover.
i m a big supporter of disc cover as when you mate them with a 808 or similar wheel, you end up with the fastest disc available in the world. Nothing beats it. I rode them during my full career and had great races on them and converted a lot of athletes to those.
But after all my testing, i wasn’t able to see any negative effect from the wrapping of the cover for performance purpose. So, it comes down to a question of esthetic. at 299$ i find it excessive to pay for a cover. The point of the cover is to make a disc affordable.
Well, it’s also about half the weight of any marketed plastic wheel cover I’ve ever used and it fits better. I’ve made my own out of styrene for a whole lot less than $80, and they a) weigh about the same as the Catalyst, b) look like crap and c) don’t hold up well and tear easily unless you go with thicker material at which point, the weight becomes an issue. These seem like they’ll be far more durable.
For me, spending $300 for such an excellent solution that checks so many desirable boxes is not that big a deal when the result compares so favorably to wheels costing from $1,500 to over $2,000.
For me, spending $300 for such an excellent solution that checks so many desirable boxes is not that big a deal when the result compares so favorably to wheels costing from $1,500 to over $2,000.
Sure, if you compare it to a $2000 disc. But not so much if you compare it plus the cost of a rear wheel to a $600 Flo disc or an $800 Renn.
there’s also significant weight savings. To wit, a flo 60 is 1250 g. My 303 rear is abut 650g. Add another 200 g, and there’s a pound worth of difference. Not insignificant given some of the rolling courses around where i live
