Silca SpeedBalance - wheel balancing & computer magnet system

[fiamme red]

https://silca.cc/collections/silca-accessories/products/speedbalance-wheel-balancing-and-computer-magnet-system

SpeedBalance is the world's first Aerodynamic Wheel Magnet AND tunable balancing system for high performance cycling. SpeedBalance replaces your spoke magnet with a rim mounted aerodynamic magnet that can save up to 1 watt at 30mph. 4 Tungsten slugs inside the SpeedBalance weigh 2.5 grams each allow for custom wheel balancing up to 10 grams to offset valve stem weight and create perfectly balanced wheels to eliminate high speed vibrations and improve handling.I'm surprised the late Sheldon Brown didn't invent this as an April Fool's joke. ;)

Seriously, how much does the weight of a valve stem really throw off the balance, even on a super-lightweight wheel?

[Vinci]

Do bike wheels even rotate fast enough for a small imbalance to show up?

[R3awak3n]

this is just a weird thing coming from silca.

Don't need, don't want

[ColonelJLloyd]

I guess if you already need a magnet. I don't so I won't.

[cdn_bacon]

says it all right here.

I'm sold :rolleyes:

Upgrading 2 Wheels with SpeedBalance and SpeedShield will save just over 1 Watt at 30mph, slightly more savings than upgrading that same wheelset to Ceramic Bearings.

[batman1425]

solution looking for a problem

[FlashUNC]

Seriously, how much does the weight of a valve stem really throw off the balance, even on a super-lightweight wheel?

Enough that Campagnolo touts how they balance their rims across their wheel line. Watching a Campy wheel in the stand settle with the valve at the bottom like a metronome is pretty interesting to watch.

And I know Dave Kirk around these parts has talked about balancing wheels in the past. Not as far fetched as some might think.

http://www.campagnolo.com/US/en/Technologies/dynamic_balance

http://kirkframeworks.com/2009/04/03/riding-tip/

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=92970

[fiamme red]

Enough that Campagnolo touts how they balance their rims across their wheel line. Watching a Campy wheel in the stand settle with the valve at the bottom like a metronome is pretty interesting to watch.

And I know Dave Kirk around these parts has talked about balancing wheels in the past. Not as far fetched as some might think.

http://www.campagnolo.com/US/en/Technologies/dynamic_balance

http://kirkframeworks.com/2009/04/03/riding-tip/

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=92970Interesting. Thanks for the links.

[bfd]

Enough that Campagnolo touts how they balance their rims across their wheel line. Watching a Campy wheel in the stand settle with the valve at the bottom like a metronome is pretty interesting to watch.

And I know Dave Kirk around these parts has talked about balancing wheels in the past. Not as far fetched as some might think.

http://www.campagnolo.com/US/en/Technologies/dynamic_balance

http://kirkframeworks.com/2009/04/03/riding-tip/

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=92970

This is not new! Ambrosio Excellence rims state:

Balanced rim used by professional teams.

link: http://www.labicicletta.com/ambrosio-excellence-rim

Same with the Ambrosio Nemesis tubular rim:

http://www.labicicletta.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1293x798/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/a/m/ambrosio-nemesis-rim.jpg

Btw, I heard that Silca might not be doing that well and could use the business. After all, how much demand is there for a $450 floor pump or $165 frame pump. I know they're state of the art, but that's still a lot of money. Further, Silca has now come out with a lower cost floor pump ($235?!), it is still not cheap.

I'm really considering the full frame pump, but that price is still a bit more than I'm willing to pay. Good Luck!

[FlashUNC]

Btw, I heard that Silca might not be doing that well and could use the business. After all, how much demand is there for a $450 floor pump or $165 frame pump. I know they're state of the art, but that's still a lot of money. Further, Silca has now come out with a lower cost floor pump ($235?!), it is still not cheap.

I'm really considering the full frame pump, but that price is still a bit more than I'm willing to pay. Good Luck!

Yeah, Josh and team just had one of the largest Kickstarters of all time and said in a note to backers he's hiring some additional folks to expand the company. Totally in trouble...

[sandyrs]

Yeah, Josh and team just had one of the largest Kickstarters of all time and said in a note to backers he's hiring some additional folks to expand the company. Totally in trouble...

Lol. If they were struggling this tiny, relatively inexpensive part would not be their route out of the red anyway.

[ultraman6970]

Aero disc wheels back in the day were unbalanced just to get more momentum out of the wheels, but remember that the wheels were heavier aswell, even they had pockets to add more weight too.

I dont see the need to balance a normal wheel anyways.

Since silca came to the US started producing really weird stuff.

[dustyrider]

Next Kickstarter: lightweight silca valve stems!

[choke]

Next Kickstarter: lightweight silca valve stems!

They already make them. https://silca.cc/collections/tubeless/products/tubeless-valve-kit-w-speed-shield

[Fatty]

Do bike wheels even rotate fast enough for a small imbalance to show up?

Sure. Some do. Had a bike or should say wheelset set that always found the heavy spot, it rotated down to six o'clock every time. If mounted in a bike on a work stand and cranked the crap out of said wheel fast enough, the bike and stand would start hopping all over the place.

[dustyrider]

They already make them. https://silca.cc/collections/tubeless/products/tubeless-valve-kit-w-speed-shield

Yea but their only less than half the weight..:)

[stephenmarklay]

https://silca.cc/collections/silca-accessories/products/speedbalance-wheel-balancing-and-computer-magnet-system

I'm surprised the late Sheldon Brown didn't invent this as an April Fool's joke. ;)

Seriously, how much does the weight of a valve stem really throw off the balance, even on a super-lightweight wheel?

1 watt at 30mph :) That is like a hang nail catching wind.

Having said that I am the fool that balanced his tubular Zipp 404’s. I just could not stand how it seemed to be weighted so poorly with a long valve stem extension. The only time it was noticeable was on the bike stand and the wheel spinning.

[adub]

Marginal gains.

Oh- most fly reel spools are balanced because of the weight of the handle. Just sayin..

[djg21]

While balancing offers merely a marginal gain and seems a little OCD, the product seems like a nice, albeit expensive, alternative for speed sensor magnets for a high-end aero wheel.


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[Mark McM]

Hmmm...

The Silca speed balancers can balance out up to 10 grams of weight, or 0.01 kilograms. How much force does 0.01 kgs at the periphery of the wheel produce?

The equation for centrifugal force is:

F = m x V^2 / R

where: F = centrifugal force, V is tangential speed, and R is radius.

A 700c x 25 mm tire has a radius of about 0.335 meters. At a speed of 22 m/sec (49 mph), the centrifugal force of 0.01 kg of imbalance is:

F = (0.01 kg) x (22 m/s)^2 / (0.335 m) = 14.4 N = 3.2 lb.

So, at 50 mph, the imbalance will cause the vertical force on the wheel to vary by +/-3 lb. If a bike + rider weighs 175 lb, and if the F/R weight distribution is split 40/60, there will be 70 lb. on the front wheel and 105 lb. on the rear wheel. So, with the imbalanced wheel, the weight distribution will vary by +/- (3 lb/70 lb) = +/- 4%. That's not nothing, but its not a huge amount either. Probably less than the variations due to pavement roughness on all but the smoothest roads.

[Fivethumbs]

I have a set of old Matrix aero rims and there is so much extra material at the weld of the rear wheel that even the valve stem and magnet cannot counter balance it out. When I pedal the bike really fast in the stand, the stand shakes like crazy and when I am descending I can hear it very loud. I finally was able to get it under control by putting a bunch of nuts and washers on the valve stem. None of my other wheels do this or at least to such an extent. I can't tell if it affects the performance but it sure is annoying.