FLASH-POINT BLOG ARCHIVE: Sep 2006

A distinct difference between copies and the real FP thing is the tire bed. Flash-Points are silver, our extrusion design has pronounced tire beads to provide a firm grip and we use the entire cavity volume to ensure a firm grip is maintained on the inflated tire.

Now take a look at the tire bed of this copy and lets walk through the differences.
1. The color is anodized black while Flash-Points are silver or un-anodized aluminum.
2. The interior of the breaking surface makes a clear 45 degree angle with the tire bed, reducing the effective volume for tire seating. FPs have almost vertical sides with the larger tire bead to give a firmer grip.
3. The extrusion line is very pronounced almost sharp. In FPs the line is slightly wider and more rounded, less obtrusive.

Another sure way to distinguish between a Flash-Point and a copy is to examine the ID (internal diameter) line. Our Flash-Points do NOT show a break in the weave pattern in this area as we use a very different lay-up technique to ensure continuity and strength in the area where the spokes enter the rim.

Sometime ago I mentioned that we are finding rims which look very similar to Flash-Points starting to enter the market.

As the signs are subtle, I thought I would provide images to illustrate how you can tell the difference.

Let's start with the rim face. The distinctive twill pattern is very similar. Flash-Points do NOT have 6 segment joins on each face. Flash-Points have a single diagonal (not radial) join opposite the valve.

Here is a picture of a FP copy showing one of the radial (segment) joints. Click on the thunmbnail to enlarge it and look at the top 1/3 of the picture for the subtle radial join.

Two weeks ago, i reached my biggest goal ever. i finished the TourUltime. thats race like the famous RaceAcrossAmerica. 4'069km around france with 50'000m to climb. All who have ridden both said, that the TourUltime was the harder one.
I finished the race as second in 10 days an 2 hours. That was now really the hardest thing i've ever done. but after the race, we have to say the it should be possible to do faster again.
If i'll do something like that again, i don't know. I would like to ride something like that again. but the organisation before that race and generally, to pay so a lot of money to take part of a race like this, that i don't like to do again. Not now, but we wanna see what the time will bring us.
Now i take the training very much easier. I ride only when the weather is good. Next friday, maybe, i'll do a little ride over some passes again. the flashpoints are mounted and are waiting to go out....

Well, it's taken me a while to update, yet again, but I've been busy and have some great news!  First off, I received the new decals for my flashpoints and got them all set up and they look fantastic.  I love the new design, and I'm excited to show the wheels off this fall!
On the racing front, things have been AMAZING!  This past weekend was collegiate track nationals at the Major Taylor Velodrome here in Indianapolis!  It's been an event I've been really amped about and training hard for and I ended up winning the Individual Pursuit and scoring the Stars & Bars!!  Also, my two amazing teammates - Pam Loebig and Katie Thompson - and I won the Team Sprint!!  The team as a whole did a great job, landing lots of medals and ending up 2nd overall in the team omnium against a bunch of teams who focus solely on the track all year!  It was fantastic!  Thanks to all who came out to support us and who helped us along the way!

Another happy Tri user:

"BIKE: was nervous I would be too cold but realized I was fine. Was really excited to test out the flashpoint 60s my friend from zipp loaned me. They are awesome! Bascially 404 non dimpled rims with a slightly lower quality hub and spoke than the 404s. I would think they would compete very favorably with the equivalent HED wheels. Plus, they are clinchers. In an ideal world i'd love to run tubulars but I really can't afford to shell out 80-150 dollars per tire for each mishap. Plus, all of jens and others posting about rolling resistance shows that it takes quite an expensive tubular to out perform a Michelin pro race 2. The wheels were great, very stiff and I could hear the whirring sound as I sped out of t1. at the first turn a guy flatted on his tubulars and I was again glad for the flashpoints. It would have put me in a bad mood to be out 80 bucks instead of 3. (also, I am a tube patcher. there, i admitted it). At the 2 inch lip of ashpalt that caused the flat the guy in front of me launched both bottles! I dodged them both but realized I had launched half the gatorade from my aero bottle. crap. I was making pretty good time. There didn't seem to be too much drafting except for one guy on a relay team who probably didn't know the rules. I put in a ton of work on the bike and was looking for a PB but it was so windy there were times I was in my small ring on the flats! I was getting discouraged till I realized I was reeling in people on the flats. I have a pretty aero position on my p2sl and the flashpoints were giving me a huge advantage. I kept aero the entire ride and just accepted that it was going to be a very slow ride but I would have a high relative placing. Finished up a dissapointing 1:15 (a personal worst by far!) but felt very strong."

Sorry for not blogging recently, but now I'm back on track with my new rear wheel. The weather is still nice here up in the north, had 25 degrees celsius today, and did a 5 hour spin on my FP 60s. It felt great being on them again, there's such a difference in every aspect of racing compared to my WH-R550s.

I'v just let my dad test them, I was a bit worried about his weight (90kg) but the Zipp assured me that the weight limit is 110kg! Anyway, he liked the performance and the new design so good that he's planning to get some for himself.

That's it for now - stay tuned.

Subtle changes to the laminates, improved quality control and increased experience with layup, molding and building, have all contributed to a wheels with increased performance, durability and comfort. The 6K woven twill, (see photo) used to make our flash points contributes to their ability to absorb road vibrations - a major factor in bike fatigue. Twill is an integral part our rim side-wall construction and not an add-on for cosmetic reasons as we have seen in some recent copies

We can safely say "you will break away from the pack" when riding on this product.

Our goal is to deliver the best value gm for gm with these products, thus I believe we are heading towards a finish line that is in constant motion. We have noticed some interesting copies starting to enter the market. Don’t be fooled, if the rim you are looking at has: (1) distinct segments – 6 radial joins in the carbon face, (2) very finely machined braking surface, (3) no wear indicators, (4) flat angled sides within the tire-bed and (5) a back anodized tire-bed, you are likely looking at a FP knock-off, not the genuine made in USA article. Another tell tale sign (6) is the carbon butting against the braking surface rather than being tucked in under the aluminum as we make our rims (see image)
BTW have you ridden a Flash-Point lately! - try it, - you will be in for a very pleasant surprise.We are now seeing less deformation in the lathe - a sure sign that the sidewalls are getting stiffer after making some laminate changes.. It is interesting to see that this happening with the rim weights staying the same or coming down slightly due to using different carbon structures. FP60 rims are around 590gm each.

Well I promised a picture of the Zipp demo bike with FP60's and the new decals - so here it is!
Must say reaction from across the board has only been good. That orange sticker just did not 'pop'.
Mike Hall our resident FP guru has been hard at work tweaking the laminates to improve sidewall stiffness and reduce spoke pull-through issues. Early field test results look very promising and the weight is coming down as well - way to go Mike!

By all accounts, the Flash-Point hubs are more than holding their own under some extreme testing conditions. Just read the blog posts to get a sense of the diverse environments where they have been ridden.

We have been pleased to see the FP60 wheels at triathlon races and some of the harder courses such as "Ride the Rockies", proving this will be a versatile performer under a wide range of conditions.
Do you have any Flash-Point stories to share? - give us a call 1-800 472-3972

We have seen a number of signals that Flash-Points are making headway in the market.


Increase in customers asking for prices, availability and additional technical information. FP wheels are present in the start pens at IM and tri races in greater numbers. Dealers are calling to inquire about the product.


The response to the recent decal change has been positive in all respects. Take a look at these wheels and click on the photo to see them enlarged - cool stuff!

It's September already.  I rode yesterday for the first time in several days.  My summer has been full of commitments and work but not as much time on my bike as I would like.  So, my body was slow to respond yesterday...but not my bike. and wheels.
All summer long my FP60s have been absolutely reliable.  They are my everday wheels, and  I simply have not had any problems.  They feel good, look good and perform extremely well.  I climb better than before I had them, and I am faster.  In short, having the FP60s has been awesome and I love them.
 

Although the Tour of Britain was finishing in London today I decided to head over to this years British Time Trial Championships in Hampshire, purely as a spectator I’m afraid. The course was a roughly 11 mile rolling, twisty circuit through the lanes and small stretch on a main road. The senior men rode 3 laps while everyone else rode 2. No one had it easy; the roads remained open throughout the event and were packed with Sunday traffic. They were brave riders indeed to be doing near 30mph on roads with traffic like today.Unfortunately British cycling’s Olympic hero Bradley Wiggins was unable to participate due to commitments on the continent with his Cofidis team (he is starting the Tour of Poland tomorrow). It’s always good to wander round events like these and check out all the kit people are using. There was lots of Zipp stuff of course, although no sight of any other Flash-Points. I am still keeping an eye out for any mention of the wheels here in the UK and on the web. Although I am yet to read an official test from the big magazines, I have seen more very positive comments from riders out on the forums. One reviewer did mention that the decals were not to their taste, but as already mentioned by other Fanatics and DevBlog-gers this is no longer an issue because the new white decals look great. Not that I mind riding around with the originals, I still think they look pretty good.Congratulations to Bri on the "Flash-Point" win.

We have Flash-Points wheels on some of our demo bikes here at the factory. These Bikes are taken on the road to shows and for riding at select races.

Now imagine that same bike with the new white pop-out decals - sweet!. I'm going to see if I can arrange to get a picture to show you all early next week.

BTW did I tell you that Zipp is expanding - we are moving into an adjoining building and connecting this with our existing factory this fall. Everyone here is looking forward to having some breathing room.

EuroBike is underway - pop in and say hellow if you have a chance.