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Token Rolls out G-Spoke AVT Carbon Wheels Along with 3 Bolt Disc Hubs

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Token Rolls out G-Spoke AVT Carbon Wheels, 3 Bolt Disc Hubs, and More

In March of last year, Ashima displayed their new Aineon disc brake rotors that utilized only 3 of the usual 6 rotor mounting bolts. True weight weenies have been known to only use 3 of the 6 rotor bolts to save weight for some time, so why not design a rotor specifically for the purpose? Subsequently, Ashima released a 6 bolt version of the rotor as well to be sold alongside the 3 bolt model. While you can mount the 3 bolt rotors on any 6 bolt hub, if the point is to reduce weight, why not design a 3 bolt hub to go along with this? It may seem a bit regressive as people are just finally getting rid of their 4 bolt Coda rotors, but at least the 3 bolt standard uses the same spacing pattern as the popular 6 bolt standard.

Looking to do just that, Token is now offering two new 3-bolt hubsets for both Cyclocross and XC mountain biking. The CX model will be only offered in 24h drillings front and rear, and only in 130mm spacing for the rear. However, there’s nothing to say that you can’t use one of the XC rear hubs that is offered in 135mm for your cross bike, if that’s what you need. The XC hubs will be offered in 24/28, 28/32, and 32/32h f/r combinations with the front hubs either in QR or 15mm through axle. Sold as a set, they will also include Aineon rotors and a set of 6 titanium rotor bolts. As far as the weight is concerned, CX hub sets should come in at 154g for the front and 240g for the rear, with the mountain bike variants adding another 5 grams.

In addition to Token’s wide range of brightly colored, anodized parts and nearly every bottom bracket you could need these days, they also have a new carbon tubular design that is said to be more efficient thanks to their G-Spoke design. See it after the break.

Token Rolls out G-Spoke AVT Carbon Wheels, 3 Bolt Disc Hubs, and More

Most tubular wheels that have internal nipples, either attach the spokes to the inside of the aero section of the rim to reduce the overall length of the spoke, or attach them to what would be a traditional looking box section rim that uses a aero “fairing” that is glued to the box section rim to complete the profile. The latter is said to improve wheel stiffness and performance by those who use the design, and Token is taking it one step further with their G-Spoke design. Using metal grommets to support the load of the spoke, the same portion of the rim that the tire is glued to is what actually supports the nipple and spoke. Token claims that these offset spokes that are attached directly to the outer part of the rim results in better power transfer to the tire, since there is less rim material between the two. The G-Spoke design has been a few years in the making, and currently the technology seems to only be available on their T50S Carbon Tubular wheelset which clock in at 1497g for the set. Also, the T50s wheels feature Token’s Anti Vibration Carbon technology which supposedly offers a much better ride quality than other carbons. While Token doesn’t specify what the material is, they do say that the addition to the carbon has similar properties to Kevlar.

Token Rolls out G-Spoke AVT Carbon Wheels, 3 Bolt Disc Hubs, and More

Like most Token wheels, the T50s include a number of accessories including Token’s award winning Shark Tail skewers shown above, wheel bags, valve extenders, carbon brake pads, spoke adjusting tool, and extra spokes and nipples. As it stands, it seems Tufo North America is the sole importer of Token products, with most of them available for sale on their web store.

 

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Rob
Rob
11 years ago

“True weight weenies have been known to only use 3 of the 6 rotor bolts to save weight”

Really? Is that a thing? I don’t know, I kinda like having my rotors firmly attached to my hubs.

Mindless
Mindless
11 years ago

Weight weenies are funny.

Seriously? Skipping three bolts? Loading a (presumably weight weenie( hub in a way it was not designed to be loaded? To save weight of three Ti bolts?

And do not tell “some uber-racer boy wonder uses one bolt and he is the fastest on WC”. We do not have mechanics.

Erich
11 years ago

Sometimes I use three bolts on my trail bike, sometimes I use six. It’s not really a big deal. I will also, absolutely, tell you that some uber-racer boy on the WC circuit uses only three bolts, because it is true. This has been a trick of weight weenie MTB folk from XC all the way through DH for years, even in the privateer world. It provides no advantage other than a miniscule weight savings, but some people like it. Such is the beautiful, stupid tapestry of bike geekdom.

Topmounter
Topmounter
11 years ago

Sawing your nipples in half… now that’s some meaningful (rotational) weight savings! Besides, those 3 empty threaded holes just fill up with mud which ends up weighing about the same as the bolts anyway.

Mindless
Mindless
11 years ago

Three bolt rotors with the same bolt circle are stupid. End of story. There is no good reason. If weight saving are a concern, make a system with the central carrier being a part of the hub (like Hope’s four bolt ones).

Bart
11 years ago

I’ve seen what 3 rotor bolts can do and it doesn’t involve being able to continue using that hub.

BikeTech
BikeTech
11 years ago

I like having more surface area on my rotors than that. Recall this massive hydraulic brake failure, not helped by weight weenie rotors – https://bikerumor.com/2012/02/14/road-bike-disc-brakes-are-coming-but-will-they-work/

Adam2
11 years ago

Actually, I have old pair of White Brother hubs with only 3 bolts for the discs – they’re about 10 years old now – looks like Leonardo was right!

Seraph
Seraph
11 years ago

3 rotor bolts? Who do they think they are, Cannondale?

greg
greg
11 years ago

cannondale never had 3bolt anything.
the 3 bolt hubs were by White Industries, not White Bros. they were for the AMP discs a long, long time ago.
the best system takes no bolts, just a lockring.

g
g
11 years ago

@seraph- cannondale used 4 bolts.

Champs
Champs
11 years ago

Straight pull spokes with nipples on the hub, that’s the way to go.

Or maybe J-bend fed through the rim sidewall.

It’s fun to make this up as I go.

DeeEight
DeeEight
11 years ago

The White Industries hubs weren’t for AMP discs, but for Rockshox. Formula made hubs also for Rockshox. Amp made their own front hubs and an adapter for shimano rear hubs, and Chris King offered Amp and Rockshox compatible spiders for their original universal fit disc hubs (since practically every disc maker had a different rotor bolt pattern, it made sense for CK to offer one hub design that accepted a splined rotor mounting adapter).

Three bolts is perfectly fine to hold a rotor in place if you use the right grade of bolt. Rockshox did it for their 7 1/2 inch rotors for Boxxer DH forks. I’ve used rockshox and Amp discs for years and have never lost a rotor bolt.

Jack
Jack
11 years ago

I’d run this with two bolts but never apply the brakes. They only slow you down.

Mindless
Mindless
11 years ago

White industries front hub had a larger bolt circle – less stress on the bolts. Just like Hope’s four and three bolt hubs – they effectively have carrier being part of the hub.

It is all pathetic though, bolts weight nothing. No need to “innovate”.

Mindless
Mindless
11 years ago

..and flimsy disks where not the only flimsy AMP part. It is gone for a reason.

bob
bob
11 years ago

Hmm, for a weight weenie that’s half the weight of bolts by omitting half of them. Use alu bolts and that’s a third of the weight. Yeah, there’s some weight saved in having less alu in the hub and a little off the rotor. How about no bolts and glue the rotor on? Or go with alu rotors and machine them right onto the hub? You skip the rotor all together and use the rim as brakes.

Three bolt hubs are not a revolution. We must be short on news.

Rockyrider
Rockyrider
11 years ago

I think the errors in judgement begin with using an incorrectly attributed quote to Leonardo Da Vinci.

“Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else.” – Tom Peters

jlie
jlie
11 years ago

Yeah! I was just thinking, “Da Vinci didn’t invent comic sans!”

NotAMachinist
NotAMachinist
11 years ago

“Metal grommets”, also known in the bike industry as a ferrule. “Taking it one step further…” that step being back to at least the 70s. Ferruled rims are a good idea, double ferrules an even better idea and Token should be lauded for using a proven design, but they aren’t doing anything new. Is the part of that quote where Token is copying something that works big?

Topmounter
Topmounter
11 years ago

I think this is more of a tactic by weight weenies to get their weight weenie competitors to remove the bolts in the name of performance maximizing weight savings, when in reality it compromises their ability to finish races.

coniferdave
11 years ago

One of the main reasons that pro DH riders use three bolts is because they smash the hell out of rims. Their mechanic has to strip the wheels down and rebuild them regularly, and swap another wheel onto the bike. Three bolts saves time.

Three bolts, if used for a long time, lots of miles, fatigues the hub and it cracks, seen it plenty of times. Not a problem for a pro DH rider, using a wheel for six runs before smashing the rim to pieces and needing a re-build.

Surly Shawn
Surly Shawn
11 years ago

CSB: In the only race I did so far (Palos Meltdown 2010!), I rode my Iron Horse MK III Comp while wearing my full face helmet. Every so often I would hear the XC nerds coming up behind me as we approached a gnarly technical section, and as I bombed through it, I wouldn’t hear them again for a few minutes. Hahaha. They probably dismounted and ran over the obstacles, ‘cross style.

The reason for my anecdote is I associate XC riders with being weight weenies. Who cares? Go out and ride and have a blast! Especially with friends!! Stop measuring every f**king thing!!!!!!

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