Carbon with color, these are the first wheels with this material

We have always associated carbon fiber with that black material that endowed bikes and components with elegance and unique characteristics. Now, that perception is about to change with the technology created by Hypetex that allows a wide range of colors to be added directly to carbon fiber, without the need to paint after manufacture or decorate with adhesives. A material that has been used by the American wheel company Parcours to build spectacular carbon wheels.

Hypetex, changing the image of carbon fiber

It seems obvious, but carbon fiber is black and, therefore, its decoration possibilities are limited and involve the use of paint and/or adhesives to obtain those spectacular finishes that we see on bikes and components. However, this has a toll that is the extra weight added by the paint, in the case of complex designs, something not negligible.

In fact, many top professionals opt in decisive stages for bikes with just a light coating in order to save a good amount of grams. On the other hand, image is important in a world that lives largely on the publicity that brands give their products thanks to their visibility in competition. This visibility is enhanced by products that are capable of attracting attention.

To solve this dilemma, Hypetex, a brand specialized in the customization of materials for the Formula 1 world, has developed a method for directly coloring carbon fiber thanks to the use of resins that add a wide range of shades. The advantage of this method is that full customization can be added without increasing the weight, quite the contrary.

The first sample of the possibilities of these materials could be seen last week at the Cycle Show, the most important fair of all those held in the United Kingdom, which took place at the Alexandra Palace in London. There, all eyes were on the bike presented by the British firm Handsling, which was equipped with spectacular Chrono wheels from the American firm Parcours, a model with 68 mm profile at the front and 75 at the rear in a special edition made of Hypetex carbon with a gold finish.

A limited edition of which only 10 pairs of wheels will be manufactured, the buyer can choose the desired model among those available in the range. Specifically, these very special Chrono have a price of 1,999 pounds, approximately 2,276 €, not unreasonable for such exclusive wheels as these.