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3T Enters High End Wheel Market With Mercurio Carbon

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Even with new wheels popping up seemingly every day, it still seems that 3T believes that they can not only be competitive in the high end wheel market, but can be dominant above all else. Obviously, that is a tall order these days with Zipp putting out some serious firepower in the form of the Firecrest, along with many other companies building lighter, stronger, faster carbon wheels that are all vying for what is a fairly small market due to the price.

Regardless, 3T feels they can do it better, and as proof, offer up their first carbon wheel: the Mercurio 60 LTD. While the Mercurio may seem like just another me-too carbon tubular at first glance, if you look a little further you will realize that even though 3T is late to the game, the wheel’s tech seems like it could be well ahead.

Check out the radical spoke bed after the break!

Most of the brilliance of the Mercurio revolves around their unique method of attaching the spokes to the rim, which results in zero cuts to the carbon fibers. Richard McAnish, an ex-Formula One engineer from Ferrari is the one to thank for the radical design. Rather than build the rim and then mill or drill out spoke holes to place the spokes into, T shaped spoke pockets are actually molded into the rim which yields a completely smooth tire bed. 3T states that the rim was designed using unidirectional carbon fiber in tension that wouldn’t have been possible if fibers were cut due to drilling spoke holes. To take things a step further, 3T also goes on to say that spoke tension was a critical element to the composite layup, utilizing an internal composite “truss” system to connect each spoke pocket.

In order to ensure perfect alignment of each spoke, every spoke combination has a rim that is perfectly matched, meaning since the rear has drive side spokes that are two cross, and radial non drive spokes, each spoke has its own specific slot on the rim.

Clearly, since the spokes are slotted into the rim, tension and truing adjustments have to be made at the hub which prompted 3T to create a new hub. However, due to the fact that Cane Creek already created a bulletproof hub with the nipples centered at the flanges, licensing the design would save 3T untold amounts of time trying to create their own. While no longer in production from Cane Creek, the nipple-at-hub design offers more benefits than just making the Mercurio design possible, as mechanics will undoubtedly love it as they will no longer have to remove a tubbie just to true a wheel. Add in the fact that just like when Cane Creek used the design, having the nipples centered at the hub lessens the wheel’s rotational inertial.

Even though the design of the hub is licensed from Cane Creek, 3T decided to produce the hubs themselves to ensure every aspect of the hub is to their liking. Every hub will feature the ability to easily swap aluminum freehub bodies so that each wheel is compatible with both Shimano/Sram, and Campagnolo cassettes.

While only their first offering, 3T has initially released the Mercurio 60 LTD, which is a 60mm deep, 23mm wide carbon tubular. The 60 will soon be followed up by a 40 and an 80 as well, with the Accelero clincher line close behind, ultimately giving 3T a planned 8 different wheel models.

In an attempt to improve carbon rimmed braking results, the carbon rimmed Mercurios will feature a Formula 1 derived brake track coating that should exhibit similar braking performance in both wet and dry conditions. Weight for the Mercurio 60 LTD rims is around 390 +/- 10g with a complete wheelset weight of under 1,400g. Pricing for the 60s will be around $2750 for the set.

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Robin
Robin
12 years ago

Granted, it’s an interesting looking way to anchor spokes in the rim, but no objective analysis done by anyone that’s been reported, it’s only way too soon to start throwing around words like “brilliance” and phrases like “could be well ahead of the game” and “rim that is perfectly matched. C’mon: is it a requirement that anyone writing in a magazine or blog forsake objectivity? Phrases like those above read like the author was paid by 3T to say them. The article bears no evidence of critical thought or objectivity.

Robin
Robin
12 years ago

Hmmm. There should be a “with” between “but” and “no objective analysis.”

Rich
Rich
12 years ago

Damn, Robin. Why are you always so angry? Did a blogger run over your dog? It seems like all you do is complain here. If you don’t like it, then why bother reading?

Condor
Condor
12 years ago

maybe I am not getting it, but wouldn’t those open slots allow a bunch of water/dirt/sand/muck to accumulate in the rim?

pete
pete
12 years ago

@condor you don’t think the people that buy these wheels actually ride their bikes…

Robin
Robin
12 years ago

I’m willing to bet that most people who buy aero wheels–let’s arbitrarily choose wheels with rim heights of 40mm or greater–use their wheels a majority of the time. I see a lot of aero wheel equipped bikes out on the road. With that said, there’s nothing that indicates how aero these wheels are, and I’ll bet 3T won’t release data comparing these wheels with the spoke slots to wheels that are otherwise the same except with traditional spoke holes.

jonah
jonah
12 years ago

sweet, is this more over priced not very aerodynamic heavy road tubulars that dont even look cool?
nice

sorry 3T i just bought i pretty high tech pair of wheel that are half a kilo light and faster
they are by this little shop called Madfiber maybe you heard of them. They make bomb proof wheels that are light aero, and not laced to a retarded rim.

fuzzbuzz
fuzzbuzz
12 years ago

Ah roadies, you make me laugh.

CliveDS
12 years ago

Got to ride these wheels over the week and loved them.

Stiff, light and the braking was great for a carbon wheel. I will be recommending these as a top of the line race wheel to my clients.

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