3T Bike | Cicli Corsa

Discus 45 | 32 LTD Wheelset

28-30mm tires are the smart choice for comfort and grip so the Discus 45 | 32 was engineered around those tire widths.

The chart shows the Discus 45 | 32 (red graph named C45 WIDE) is as fast as a deep rim (grey graph), using tires with the same measured, effective width.

The Discus 45 | 32 is the fastest wheel at this rim depth; in fact it tests as fast as other 60mm deep rims. So you have the advantages of a shallower rim, like ease of handling in crosswinds, and the speed of a deeper rim. The Discus 45 | 32 achieves this with its unique NoseTail design. By definition rim design is a compromise, because it whatever shape is aerodynamic on the front half doesn’t work so well 180 degrees later when it’s backwards.

The NoseTail shape developed by the legendary Dave Kennedy (an aerodynamics professional for over 50(!) years) and 3T’s Head of Design Gerard Vroomen actually sacrifices some performance on the front half of the wheel in favor of working better on the back half. Not only do the two effects cancel each other out, but the resulting shape also requires less rim depth and better guides the airflow from the rear of the front wheel onto the downtube.

If you want even more comfort on the road or plan to ride gravel, the Discus 45 | 32 has another trick up its sleeve: the rim shape is very insensitive to tire size.

So where the drag of the deep rim “blows up” once you get past a certain tire size (grey graph), the Discus 45 | 32 works great with oversized road tires (red graph) that are even larger than the ones mounted on the deep rim. In fact, you can see the oversized tire performs almost as well as the two wheels with the regular 29.5mm tires.

BIG INNER WIDTH: Wider tires equal more comfort & roll lighter but weigh more. The Discus' increased inner width turns narrow tires into wider ones without a weight penalty. Most “25mm” labeled tires fit 28-30mm wide on the Discus 45 | 32 while “28mm" tires give a super-comfortable 30-33mm ride.

HOOKED ON SAFETY: Hookless designs save a few grams and are a good choice for low-pressure applications (such as our 650b DiscusPlus wheels). But at higher pressure, hooked rims provide additional safety. Yes, it make manufacturer more complicated and expensive, but it’s the correct engineering solution.

SAFETY RIDGE: With tubeless tires, rolling resistance is lower and flats are very rare. But when you do flat with a road tire, a safety ridge keeps the tire on the rim for safety and to avoid damage (they're often skipped to save some weight & make manufacturing easier).

SEALTIGHT: Little-known fact: Most people are impressed if a new wheel spins endlessly. But it actually means the seals don’t make proper contact, so water, mud & grit can enter the bearings easily. Good (contact style) seals should feel stiff when new and need 100-1,000km of use to settle in. Not as sexy, but proper engineering.

SEALANT-RESISTANT: You may have heard of wheels destroyed by aggressive sealant. That’s why we use chrome-plated brass nipples (much more durable than alloy) with stainless steel washers & spokes. For best results, we recommend avoiding alkaline sealants with ammonia or sodium hydroxide.

DUAL FREEHUB: The Discus 45 | 32 wheelset comes standard with two freehub bodies: a SRAM xD-R freehub for both xD and xD-R cassettes as well as a Shimano freehub for 10/11speed cassettes. Use one, save the other and you will always be prepared for future changes and upgrades to your drivetrain setup.