Product news: With the brand new WASO technology, Leeze introduces a new generation of wheels. The innovative rim shape should ensure the best aerodynamics, rigidity and low weight.
After seven years of experience in wheel building, it was time for something new at Leeze. After a 12-month development phase, a new product line of Leeze wheels is now being presented. The special feature: The brand new WASO technology.
New Leeze product line with WASO technology
With the new "WASO technology" Leeze presents a new generation of wheels with its own innovative rim shape. Everything made in Germany, of course. This technology should represent a milestone in the company's seven-year history. The aim of the development was to optimize each wheel set for its intended use in terms of weight, aerodynamics and stiffness.
This new technology is called Weight Aero Stiffness Optimized (WASO). Together with Eric Helter, a real name in the field of aerodynamics engineers, the company from the Münsterland is now taking the next step. The focus is on digital calculations and tests and only a few necessary wind tunnel tests are carried out.
“With digital analyses, the rim profiles can be tested much more efficiently and, above all, no less reliably for the most important variables. No wind tunnel test manages to realistically map these diverse variables in an efficient way.” – Frank Decker, who manages business at Leeze together with his companion Florian Otterpohl.
With new, well-known partners, the ROAD and DISC rims as well as the DISC and MTB hubs could now be produced in Germany, so a large proportion of the products will be Made in Germany from 2019. Thanks to shorter and more direct communication as well as the highest production standards, production and further development can now be carried out faster and even more precisely according to the strict Leeze quality specifications.
“We took the time last year to plan the expansion and alignment of our new product portfolio and ultimately also of Leeze. We are very proud of the result.” – Florian Otterpohl
But not only the shape of the rims was fine-tuned, but also the brake pads.
The focus was on reliable braking performance and perfect dosing in the dry, but above all in the wet. The grooves in the brake pads are thus able to transport dirt and moisture away from the braking surface as quickly as possible. Due to the 37% larger contact surface, the brake temperature can be significantly reduced and the braking power can be better dosed.
In addition to the classic ROAD and DISC WASO models CC 35, CC 58 and CC 78, Leeze is putting a new focus on cross and MTB models from this season. WASO becomes WSTO and means Weight Stiffness Tire Fit Optimized. The focus of aerodynamics is shifted to the optimum tire fit for the area of application. In addition to the CC 30 CX DISC WSTO as a new cross and gravel variant, the CH 25 MTB WSTO as a carbon MTB variant and its aluminum counterpart, the AH 25 MTB WSTO. A further development of the current AC 25 Disc will follow towards the end of the year.
Leeze WASO – Features:
Weight
The best possible weight is achieved thanks to the extremely light, perfectly matched components. The flattest ROAD variant starts with less than 1200g.
aerodynamics
Many different wind tunnel tests quickly cause the development costs for new wheels to explode. For this reason, the focus was placed on digital analysis in order to obtain a solid and reliable basis for future rim development. Important wind tunnel tests were then carried out to verify the digital CFD analyses.
Stiffness
Based on intensive FEM analyses, the new Leeze wheels achieve a very high level of rigidity despite the extremely low weight. The fiber orientation, the fiber volume content (proportion of fibers to resin) and the number of fibers could not only be precisely predetermined, but also implemented just as precisely using a braiding process. The mostly used 2:1 spoke pattern with twice the number of spokes on the drive side in the rear wheel ensures unprecedented power transmission.