The technical concept of the Oocycle wheelset is based on the development work of Timothy Habermacher, who studied mechanical and process engineering at ETH Zurich and dealt intensively with fiber composites and aerodynamics during his studies. Habermacher and his partner Frederic Poppenhäger answer Ride's questions:

Ride: What distinguishes full carbon wheels from Oocylce from other comparable suppliers?
Frederic Poppenhäger: The main point of difference is certainly that we are the first to offer a full carbon wheelset for disc brakes. This is not currently available on the market in this form. Furthermore, thanks to a new type of manufacturing process, we can make various material savings that reduce the weight. We also attach great importance to the distribution of mass so that our wheels have much less mass on the rim than on the hub, for example. This allows us to achieve an advantageous moment of inertia for faster acceleration. At the same time, our wheels achieve top values in terms of stiffness.

The front wheel adds up...

... with the rear wheel together at a modest 1000 grams (without tires, disc and cassette, of course)

Where is Oocycle manufactured?
Poppenhäger: Oocycle wheels are completely developed and handmade in Switzerland. So we are 100% Swiss Handmade.
Timothy Habermacher: We rely on Switzerland as a high-tech location because we want to offer a high-performance product for top-class sport. We have closely involved our production partners in the development process right from the start. This is the only way to achieve competitive advantages in terms of performance. Outsourcing production abroad would not make this possible.

MTB Cycletech's Tool model equipped with the Newcomer wheels

You are in contact with MTB Cycletech, how did the contact come about?
Poppenhäger: Through Martin Schütz, an ETH contact of Timothy's who is connected to MTB Cycletech. MTB Cycletech wanted to show a special edition of their tool model at the Infotech and equip it with various high-tech components.

How is Oocycle planning to market it, directly or with a Swiss distributor, or will there be another model?
Poppenhäger: We are not yet able to provide any detailed information about the specific marketing model. The launch and sales start are planned for March/April 2015.

The marketing launch of the innovative wheels is planned for spring 2015

What is the estimated price for a wheelset? Poppenhäger: We can't and don't want to say anything about this yet either. Due to the level of innovation of the product, the components used and the fact that it is manufactured in Switzerland, Oocycle is clearly in the upper price range of exclusive wheels.

René Wittweiler also puts the spurs to the wheels off-road

With regard to wheels specifically for mountain bikes: When can we expect to see them around?
Poppenhäger: Our developments are currently focused on the road and cyclocross sector. However, we can well imagine doing something for mountain bikes in the future. We have already tested the wheels off-road, for example at the Tortour cyclocross event in January. We had René Wittweiler, an experienced cyclocross rider, at the start. The material performed excellently and we are very satisfied with the test.

Who is Oocycle aimed at and what are the goals?
Poppenhäger: With our newly developed wheelset for disc brake technology, we want to break into the growth market for disc brake systems for road bikes, which is already being served by major manufacturers such as Shimano and Sram. We are convinced that disc brakes, which offer major advantages particularly in mountainous regions and for long-distance rides, will also become established on the road in the medium to long term. Oocycle is aimed at professional and demanding riders who use high-quality components for their bikes and also appreciate the combination of sophisticated engineering, exclusive design and quality-oriented craftsmanship.

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Oocycle is marketed by Radiate Engineering GmbH, which is based in Zurich. The key data of the wheels are 16 spokes on the front wheel and 20 on the rear wheel. The IS-2000 6-hole scheme is used for the brake disk standard, while DT Swiss 240s components are on board for the hubs. The weight is stated as 1000 grams per wheelset.

www.oocycle.com