West Jordan, UT - There's generally a fair amount of concern about the safety of carbon clincher wheels failing or "exploding" when braking under extreme conditions. Recently a major Gran Fondo has warned against the use of full carbon clinchers in its event. There has also been recent press raising more questions among cyclists in regards to the safety of carbon fiber clinchers.

At Reynolds Cycling, safety is our FIRST priority and we have gone to great lengths to ensure that all our wheels offer optimal braking, and are safe for riders.

We spend countless hours developing and testing wheel designs and wheels before moving to final production in our private owned manufacturing facility. We choose only the highest quality materials from Mitsubishi and control our resin chemistries to produce the highest quality of carbon fiber wheels for our customers to ride.

Once in production our wheels are hand molded using our CR6 technology. This process utilizes 6 different types of carbon fiber per rim. Each type is chosen for its attributes in weight, stiffness, quality consistency, and overall durability. These different lay-ups are used in the nipple bed, tire channel, spoke face, rim hook bead, side wall and the brake track.

Our braking technology, known as CTg (Cryo-Glass transition) has proven to be the best performing carbon braking system on the market. When paired with our proprietary Cryo-Blue brake pads, Reynolds' rim temperatures are approximately 100 degrees (F) cooler than our closest competitor. CTg runs so much cooler by using the innate energy conducting properties of carbon fiber. The material used in CTg disperses heat from the brake track into the rim. As the rim spins through the air, it naturally helps cool the material down. Overheating is the enemy of carbon fiber braking surfaces and can potentially lead to warping or failures. In regards to rims "exploding", we've found through thorough testing that this phenomenon is directly related to a tube or tire failing to the point of bursting under extreme heat. The energy from this burst can cause a rim to crack or push out, but a carbon rim spontaneously exploding to the point of massive failure is highly unlikely.

When asked about the warning from the event, Paul Lew, Reynolds' Director of Technology and Innovation, states, "Courses which are technical, particularly those with steep gradients and which involve large numbers of closely-grouped cyclists of varying abilities, create the high likelihood that cyclists will ride the brakes for prolonged periods of time. This is a recipe for trouble, regardless of the wheel or material. I think this is the reason that an event promoter would single out carbon clinchers. One could even relate the ruling against aero bars in group rides to this decision. It comes down to experience of the rider and control at higher speeds."

We at Reynolds Cycling stand behind our product and the safety of our riders whether they be on the AG2R Professional Cycling Team, Kelly Williamson racing to a record bike split, the amateur racer looking to best their opponents on a local criterium course or even a group of cyclists getting together to ride for a great cause.

For more information on Reynolds Cycling wheels and our CTg braking technology visit www.reynoldscycling.com