I’ve purchased Chris King’s latest creation—the ARD44 wheelset, a name that carries the alluring ring of “Made in USA”—and I’d like to share a quick review. This is likely the first article ever written about them in Japanese.
Of course, the hubs are made by Chris King in Portland, and the rims are manufactured in Utah using a carbon material called FusionFiber®︎. (In fact, it seems almost all carbon rims marked “Made in USA” are produced at this same factory.)
Personally, I’m a huge fan of Chris King; I own two bikes from Cielo (which they used to manufacture themselves), and most of the headsets and hubs I own are Chris King as well.
Sure, I’m interested in other brands, but when it comes to buying something for myself, I want to support a company whose philosophy I resonate with!
The Philosophy of “Chris King”
As you can see from this video, Chris King offers thought-provoking perspectives on the environmental impact of human activity, diet, the role of employees, raw materials and energy, production costs, and the significance of domestic manufacturing. (Chris King himself even visited Japan quite a long time ago.)
The concept of “high quality” held by the Chris King company—distinct from the typical industry focus on “precision” or “lightweight”—might be a little different from the rest.
To define their idea of “high quality” somewhat crudely:
“It features a beautiful finish, is durable, lasts for as long as possible, has a minimal environmental impact, and can be repaired if it breaks.”
They define a product that satisfies all of these as “high quality.”
They are challenging the mass production and mass consumption accelerated by capitalism. (And they have been since the 70s!)
That’s why most of their products can be disassembled, have plenty of replacement parts, and come with solid warranties.
It’s not just about being user-friendly; their service and warranty policies stem from this very philosophy.
They are like the Patagonia of the bicycle industry, treating business not as a way to “gain fame and make money,” but as a way to tackle “social responsibility and environmental impact.” (In fact, they are B Corp certified and truly committed to prioritizing social and environmental good.)
CK is often talked about regarding bearing precision or beautiful anodizing, but I really want to introduce these aspects and the quality of their ride feel to Japan, and I think they should be talked about. I want people who resonate with this way of thinking to use Chris King products.
There is a reason for the beauty, a reason for the durability, and a reason for the reparability.
Since I’m at it, I want people to know about this corporate stance. At first, I used their products because they looked cool, but I came to deeply resonate with their ethos, which made me love Chris King even more and ultimately led me to buy these carbon wheels.
In other words, these aren’t just luxury parts for bragging rights.
Are the ARD44 Wheelset heavy and expensive?
The preamble has become extremely long, but it continues further. Everything I’ve been talking about is a crucial concept for these carbon wheels.
The ARD44 wheelset weighs 1,525g total.
In the carbon wheel category, this is by no means light. Nowadays, if you look for lightness, 1,200g-class wheels are common, and honestly, if you invested a bit more, you could reach a price point for ENVE—the synonymous brand when people think “carbon wheels.”
So why is there a reason for you to choose CK’s carbon wheels?
It’s because the material called FusionFiber®︎ is a “thermoplastic carbon fiber,” made with a different concept than conventional carbon products.
Thermoplasticity is easy to understand if you imagine it with something familiar.
Here, let’s explain the difference using chocolate and pancakes as examples.
Let’s say thermoplastic resin is chocolate, and thermosetting resin is a pancake.Chocolate is solid at room temperature, but it liquefies when heated.
However, when you cool that liquefied chocolate, it solidifies again.
Liquefying and solidifying with temperature changes. This is the characteristic of thermoplastic resin.In contrast, a pancake is liquid before baking, but it solidifies when heated in a frying pan.
https://www.yumoto.jp/material-onepoint/thermoplastic-thermosetting
After that, no matter how much you heat or cool it, it will never return to its original liquid state.
It solidifies through heating and does not easily change shape due to subsequent temperature changes. This is the characteristic of thermosetting resin.
In short, carbon fiber that has been shaped into a rim can be born anew into a recyclable state by applying heat.
Why did CK decide to adopt FusionFiber®︎ and develop a rim? You already know why, right?
As I’ve been saying, you can feel Chris King’s stance of challenging the capitalist, mass-production/mass-consumption bicycle industry in this. (Actually, other manufacturers have also started using FusionFiber®︎ as a rim material in recent years, showing signs of it becoming a major trend.)
They often use the word “reasonable price,” but it doesn’t just mean it’s cheap; when you look at it in the long term, it is “reason-able”—there is a reason for it.
For that purpose, a lifetime warranty is provided, and by continuing to use them, they demonstrate cost-performance.
Looking only at the price, 429,000 yen seems expensive, but let’s assume you use them for 10 years while utilizing the warranty. The cost per year is 42,900 yen. That’s 3,575 yen per month. (119 yen per day! By the way, the domestic warranty for E○VE in Japan is 5 years.)
The robustness and maintainability of the hubs are recognized worldwide, and the ability to keep using them is guaranteed. (To be honest, you can even rebuild them if you get tired of them, and their subsequent versatility is high.) Whether this is expensive or cheap depends on your own value criteria, but these aspects are what they offer as a “reasonable price.”
Ephemeral lightness is attractive, but evaluating a product along a time axis is something that is actually very necessary in production.
I believe that “buying something is investing in/voting for the maker,” so I feel like I am participating in this movement myself, and I love this wheelset on a spiritual level as well.
Test Ride Review
That said, you won’t understand the true merit of this product without riding it.
I tested them out during a ride for WONDER HOPPER, which I organize together with Keita-kun from Arriba.
With decals of the same color, it’s a super understated look without any ostentation. The texture of the carbon fibers feels great.
The hubs are in the new “Midnight” color. It has a stealthy feel.
The tires are TERAVAIL Rampart Light & Supple, 700x43c. These are tires I have total confidence in, as they were incredibly smooth during my touring trip in eastern Hokkaido.
This time, the route was mostly on-road, with off-road/gravel making up less than 10%.
The road surface was severe—drenched from the aftermath of a typhoon, with gaps, fallen branches, and stones—but what surprised me was the smoothness.
The acceleration from a standstill was very light, road feedback was minimal, and the impact from bumps was super soft.
For the eastern Hokkaido tour, I used the same tires but with a Velocity Aileron x Chris King Hub setup, and the ride quality was completely different.
I also feel like the “Angry Bee” sound characteristic of CK hubs has become quieter. (No, it actually has.)
Whether it’s largely due to the vibration-damping properties of the FusionFiber®︎ material, I was able to ride over minor gaps and fallen branches without any stress.
In fact, their website states the following:
The ARD44 is designed for serious cyclists who demand maximum speed on the flats, climbs, and corners. It is an aero wheel that demonstrates its power on a wide range of surfaces, from flat paved roads to rough gravel roads.
From the CK website
When we started using FusionFiber®, the innovative thermoplastic carbon fiber we use for our rims, its ability to absorb road noise and maintain stability suggested that it could be part of building a super high-performance wheel.
We make the ARD44 because we believe it is the best road wheel available; it’s an idea and a product that makes you want to ride further, longer, and faster.
And the agility when swinging the bike from side to side during dancing. It felt like it had more impact than changing the frame.
Also, I rode with higher air pressure at first, but when I dropped it slightly, the ride became even smoother. I seriously recommend riding these wheels tubeless at a lower pressure.
To exaggerate, it feels like you’re riding on a carpet.
A feeling that you could go anywhere.
My tentative number one best purchase of the year.
I’ve praised them a bit too much, and I can’t deny that this is a biased review as a CK fan, but I hope you take it as just my personal opinion.
Chris King wheels are currently available for order; please check them out here.
Please feel free to consult with Circles for any questions.
If you want to test ride them, definitely come to Circles! Let’s have you test ride mine!
