Chris King’s new ARD44 wheelset uses a 44mm deep, 25mm internal width hookless bead rim and has a claimed weight of 1,525g. The rim is made of a novel carbon fibre-nylon composite that Chris King says is more durable and smoother-running than conventional epoxy-based carbon rims. It’s also fully recyclable.
The ARD44 wheels run on Chris King hubs and are priced at $2,850 with steel bearings, while ceramic bearings cost an extra $120.
Designed for road and gravel use
Chris King
The ARD44 wheelset is designed to handle both road and off-road use. It uses a new carbon tech called FusionFiber, which Chris King says took four years to develop and provides damping from road vibrations for a smoother, more comfortable ride.
FusionFiber is also claimed to be more robust and durable, as well as handling better and running more quietly, without additional weight. Rather than embedding the carbon fibre in epoxy resin, it uses a nylon matrix, which Chris King says is more flexible and less prone to cracking under impact. Its testing has shown that the rims can withstand 275 per cent of the UCI’s minimum standard for impact resistance.
Chris King says that the new material also substantially reduces the carbon footprint over epoxy-based carbon rims. It’s claimed to produce less waste and use less energy to produce than an epoxy-bonded rim and is designed for recyclability once it reaches end of life.
As its name suggests, the rim of the ARD44 wheelset has a 44mm deep profile and is said to work most efficiently aerodynamically with the 28mm to 32mm road bike tyres that are becoming the norm.
The rim is designed for tubeless running and is a hookless design with an internal rim width of 25mm and an external width is 30.5mm, which Chris King says also allows you to fit gravel bike tyres up to 47mm wide.
Chris King claims that the new wheelset ‘delivers unparalleled power transfer, speed, and stability’, with a wheelset weight of 1,525g and a rim weight of 435g.
Chris King hubs
Chris King
As you’d expect, the wheels turn on Chris King hubs, the R45D Centerlock disc brake model. Chris King is one of those prestige brands which cyclists tend to drool over and its patented RingDrive ratchet freehub is a byword for quality and reliability, with 45 points of engagement. The steel or optional ceramic bearings are also manufactured by Chris King.
The ARD44 wheelset is available now in the full range of nine Chris King hub colours, so you can match your wheels to your bike. There’s a new stealth logo too, which will be shared with Chris King’s other complete wheelsets, the GRD23 and MTN30.
Chris King provides a lifetime warranty on the new ARD44 wheelset, which has an SRP of $2,850 or $120 more with ceramic bearings.
Read our guide to the best disc wheelsets for more high quality wheel upgrades.
