Boulder-based Knight Composites makes wheelsets for the road, the trail and the cyclocross/gravel circuit. Knight wants you to ride long, ride hard and ride fast, and their carefully engineered and crafted wheels will enable this for you.
Knight makes carbon and alloy wheels in 700c, 27.5” and 29” sizes for road, triathlon, MTB and cyclocross/gravel uses. The rims come in five different depth profiles (25 – alloy only, 35, 50, 65 and 95 mm), plus a full carbon disc wheel, and they are made in versions for clincher, tubeless clincher and tubular tires. The wheelsets also come in both rim brake and disc brake iterations. Adding further to the choices available are either proprietary Knight hubs, or versions from Chris King or DT Swiss, and with cassette compatibility for Shimano/SRAM, SRAM XD or Campagnolo.
With all these choices for the consumer, Knight is clearly committed to meeting the full needs of the marketplace, but they see their advantages focused in three areas critical for cycling performance: speed, compliance (comfort), and durability. For each of these salient factors, Knight has engineered unique solutions that benefit the rider.
Speed is enabled through the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to develop Knight’s proprietary Trailing Edge Aerodynamic Manipulation (T.E.A.M.) rim profiles. The T.E.A.M. technology maximizes airflow around the rim, tire and downtube, minimizing drag-inducing losses and actually providing power-saving lift.
For compliance or comfort, Knight uses an EPS manufacturing process to control uniformity and compaction in the carbon rim layup. This avoids the need to overbuild the rim, which can cause a harsh, overly stiff ride. The result is a balanced, laterally stiff, yet vertically compliant ride that is as comfortable as it is efficient.
All these advantages of speed and comfort mean nothing if your wheels fail on you, so for durability, Knight also relies on the carefully-engineered EPS carbon layup process. The precision of EPS molding allows Knight to reduce “carbon drift” and “voids” associated with bladder-only molding, which can cause weak spots. Tests have proven Knight’s wheelsets to be 30% more impact resistant than their competitors.
Knight Composites’ speed, comfort and durability advantages make their wheels an excellent choice for racers in a number of different disciplines. Add to the list a lifetime crash replacement policy and lifetime warranty, and Knight fully suits the needs of those who prowl the racing circuit, or for any cyclist who values performance and durability.
Product Manager Brad Swaim hinted that the company will expand their product offerings beyond wheels, but was non-committal before we went to press. Watch this space for more news, or better yet, come visit Knight Composites’ booth at the Expo this November to see their 2020 introductions!