Scope Brings 3D Printed Hubs and Fish Scale Inspired Design to New Artech Wheelsets

The race for the fastest wheels on the road continues, and Scope is adding their latest Artech wheels to the discussion. With a unique textured rim surface, 3D-printed hubs, and carbon spokes, the Dutch brand is bringing an interesting package to the table.

The Artech wheelsets are designed in four specific series, Road, All-Road, Triathlon, and Gravel, with multiple heights in each series, ranging from 22mm to 65mm, with deeper wheels coming in the future for the Triathlon range. The Road and All-Road are currently available in 2 (22mm), 4 (45mm), and 6 (65mm) depths. The Road series offers a 23mm internal width and 31mm external width. The All-Road bumps it up to 25mm internal width and 33.7mm external width. For gravel, we know there will be a 4 wheelset that will have a 28mm internal width, and the triathlon will and 8 level wheel and a disc that will have 23mm internal width. We are unsure if the 8 will be a full wheelset, or just a front to match the disc.

Algorithms and Fish

The new Artech wheels have been three years in the making. Scope set a goal to create a new standard in aerodynamics, but with everything in cycling, make it as light as possible. Their in-house design team began collaborating with the University of Technology Delft (aerospace engineering) to create a design solution they call Algorithm Enhanced Aerodynamics. Together, they created their initial algorithm in 2017, which was 2D-based, and included a tire on the rim to take how they interact into the design. This allowed Scope to model different combinations of shapes, heights, widths, and tire combinations to find a combination that performs the best across all yaw angles, while also remaining stable in cross winds. As the research evolved, they redefined the algorithm to be 3D-based and included a complete bike into the optimization. Scope didn’t provide details on the bike that was modeled for the simulations, but it gives a more in-depth understanding about how the wheels will work as a system with the rest of the bike, instead of just on their own.

Scope wasn’t satisfied with just a rim shape. During their research, they were also studying surface structures. While you would thing that a smooth surface would allow air to glide across it, airflow tends to become unstable over time (Tollmien-Schlichting wave) and will detach from the surface, causing drag. Sometimes adding a texture will help smooth out the flow and keep it attached as it transitions across the tire, to the rim, and off to the back of the rim and the rest of the bike. Think of the dimples of a golf ball, or in this case, the scales on a fish. While most fish don’t fly through the air, water acts in a similar manner, hence why many brands use computational fluid dynamics to model and test products. Scales have received increased attention from the aerospace world for their ability to help fish glide through the water more efficiently.

Scope began exploring the shape and pattern of scales on fish to see how it could be applied to rim technology. Their new texture, called Aeroscales, helps to generate velocity streaks, which travel at different speeds over the rim surface. This helps to create a stabilizing effect on the air as it moves over the rim, which in turn, reduces drag and makes them more efficient. To investigate further and bring the concept from the computer and into the real world, Scope created 3D-printed prototypes of the Artech rims with and without Aeroscales. While they performed similarly from 0 to about 10 degrees, it was from the 10 to 20 degree ranges that saw the highest reduction in drag, offering significant improvement over the smooth Artech rim.

From there, it was time to test them against other leading wheelsets on the market. Using the Tour magazine protocol, which includes a bike, Scope tested their Artech 6 against the DT Swiss 62, Enve6.7 SES, Hunt 60 Limitless, Princeton CabronWorks 6560, Roval Rapide CLX, and Zip 454. Not only did they test all of these wheels, but they also tested at three different wind tunnels to validate the results, GST in Germany, Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub in the UK, and A2 in the US. They also tested all of the wheels using additional protocols and using independent experts to perform the tests. The result was the fastest wheelset that was also the most stable in crosswinds.

But What About Weight?

Wheels need to be more than just aerodynamic though. They also need to be light and stiff. The next area to focus on was the hub. They turned to 3D-printing and Topology optimization. Topology optimization uses a mathematical algorithm to optimize the shape of the hub shell, using load cases and a stated design space. Load cases help the algorithm understand the types of forces, strength, location, and direction of the force that the hub will face based on the components that go into building the hub and wheel, to create a design that is optimized to handle the load, without extra material. What started as a tube with what looked like three rings, became a sculpted hub body with widely spaced spoke flanges for stability and a Centerlock rotor mount.

Traditional construction would not be able to mass produce a hub this intricate, so Scope turned to 3D-printing. Using Scalmalloy material, a high-performance alloy used in Aerospace and Formula one, they are able to 3D-print the intricate designs in Germany. Scalmalloy is made from scandium (Sc), aluminum (Al) and magnesium (Mg) and us the only additive manufacturing alloy (3D-printing material) which matches the high strength of 7000 series aluminum alloys. After they are 3D-printed, each hub is hand finished to clear out any excess material.

Inside the hub body, Scope updated the design of their Diamond Ratchet system to reduce the highest points of tension on the ratchet teeth. This, along with adding a Diamond Like Carbon coating, similar to what you find on some high end chains, allows them to use a lightweight Titanium material instead of the steel used on Scopes Race Series wheelsets.

To connect everything, Scope uses Carbonlite Aerospokes. Made from a lightweight unidirectional carbon material, they allowed Scope to optimize the aerodynamic shape of the spoke to reduce drag without a weight penalty. On the front wheel, they use 18 spokes in a 2:1 spoke pattern, with the drive side radial laced and the non-drive side using double the spokes and crossing them to cover the forces of the disc brakes. On the rear, they use 24 spokes in a 2-cross pattern to cover the load on both the drive train and braking forces. The spokes work like traditional spokes, so if one ever needs to be replaced, it is is a standard process. Nipples are internal to keep the connection as smooth as possible with the rim.

In one last bit of detailing to keep weight low, Scope continued to work with the University of Technology Delft to optimize the layup of their rims for weight, strength, and stiffness. They created a layup that uses what Scope calls Local Reinforcement Technology, which focuses on reinforcing the spoke hole itself instead of the entire length of the rim. This helps to keep weight down, without sacrificing strength at the nipples.

The focus on weight reduction can be seen in the overall wheelset weights of a claimed 965g for the Artech 2 Road climbing wheel and a scant 1,244g for the 65mm Artech 6 Road aero wheelset. This means you can have the lightest set up for climbing the high peaks, or choose an aerodynamic wheelset that will provide benefits on the flats and descents without a significant weight penalty on the climbs. This is something we are starting to see more and more of in pro racing, where riders are opting for more aerodynamic options over bikes, wheels, and other components that are more specifically lightweight.

Everything Else

As the standard is these days, the Artech wheelsets are designed for tubeless and clincher tires. The Road, All-Road, and Triathlon series all use a hooked rim bed, while the Gravel series is the only one that is hookless due to the lower tire pressures.

The Road and All-Road series are available now in all sizes, while the Gravel should be available in the coming months, and Triathlon later on this year. All Artech wheels come with a lifetime warranty, lifetime crash replacement, and global service. There is also no weight limit, which is very impressive.

No for the hard part, price. In the cycling industry, you have to make the decision: aero, light, durable, cheap, pick three. With the Artech wheels, Scope picked the first three, which means these are going to be expensive. Right now, you can get your choice of Road or All-Road, in any size, for $4,397.80. That may be hard to stomach, but keep in mind what goes into the wheelsets. 3D-printing metal pieces is not cheap, and carbon spokes aren’t either. Keep in mind, comparable wheels from Zipp and Princeton CarbonWorks are all in a similar price range.

We’ll have a number of wheel reviews continuing this year and into 2025, and we are hoping to get a set of the Artech 6 Road in for review. But if everything Scope has to say about the wheels adds up, the Artech wheels will set the new standard in performance in the wheel segment.

www.scopecycling.com