Wheelie Big News (part 1 of 4): 58mm and 85mm carbon clinchers

We have a number of deep-section announcements to make about our wheelsets. We could cram it all into one post but instead we're going to space them out over the next week or so to give you a chance to consume, chew thoroughly, swallow and digest. (Man I hate the part of the year when I'm focused on reaching race weight - I get a little preoccupied with food.)

The first is about our newest RFSC wheelsets, which will soon be available in 58mm and 85mm depths. The rims are from the same supplier that makes our excellent (and internally beloved) 38mm RFSCs and are nearly identical in construction except of course for the deeper sections. We just received a couple sets of the deeper rims to inspect and demo, and of course these same rims have been in service around the world for over a year so their reliability and performance was well-established before we even selected them. Even if you have not yet raced them yourself, you've probably gone shoulder-to-shoulder with someone who does.

The RFSC 58 Spec:
 - Rim: 58mm carbon clincher
 - Rim weight: 485g
 - Complete wheelset weight: 1550g
 - Spokes: Sapim Laser 20/24 (Sapim CX-Ray upgrade available for +$60)
 - Price: $885   
 - Pre-Order Price: $745 (see below) 

The RFSC 85 Spec:
 - Rim: 85mm carbon clincher
 - Rim weight: 605g
 - Complete wheelset weight: 1790g
 - Spokes: Sapim Laser 20/24 (Sapim CX-Ray upgrade available for +$60)
 - Price: $985   
 - Pre-Order Price: $845 (see below) 

Our New Pre-Order Pricing and Policy

We have decided to move away from a strictly pre-order policy for wheels. Part of the reason is based on demand: wheels are more of an impulse need-them-immediately-now purchase than a frameset and we want to have product on hand when racers feel the need for speed. But the other reason is supply. It is less expensive and risky to stock wheel goods than frames since we do not have to forecast different sizes in the same way we would for frames. If we have a set of RFSC 58s in stock, they will appeal equally to a 120-lb woman as they will to a 240-lb man. Having some inventory in wheels does not require us to price them significantly higher - even if they're in stock, they will still be the best deal you'll find.

But the heart of our model is unchanged: don't pay for anything that you don't value. So if you want to pre-order the wheels you can save $140. We have an order window that's closing in just a couple of days that we are taking advantage of (it's Taipei Cycle Show soon and we need to get an order in ahead of that to beat the rush). The rim supplier is forecasting 60-90 days, so it looks like we will be able to deliver wheels around mid-June at the latest (they came in on the early side of the forecast last time). 

We do not intend to stock a 755,000 square foot warehouse with wheels, however. If we could buy a few hundred pairs of each to have on hand, we certainly would. But the only way we could afford to do that is if we charged you twice as much for each wheelset you buy. So we'll have inventory, but it won't be deep inventory yet. Pre-ordering also ensures you will actually have a set of wheels with your name on them.

Inkling for speed? Tell us please.

If you want to pre-order the RFSC 58s or 85s, drop us a note. And "want" here encompasses "definitely want", "might want", "have a mildly discernible interest" and even "I'd consider them when they come in". We're new at this inventory thing so measuring demand - even if it's not immediate demand - helps us a lot.