Every Chris King wheelset is hand built in Wide Open's specialist workshop by a craftsman wheelbuilder. Our expertise and precise control over the build process ensure that every wheel we produce delivers the ultimate in performance and reliability.

We understand what makes wheels fast. The keys are fast bearings, power transfer, and a rim that absorbs road chatter and holds its line. When we began working with FusionFiber®, the revolutionary thermoplastic carbon fiber in our rims, its ability to eat road noise and stay planted suggested it could be part of a super high-performance wheel build. We make the ARD44 because we think it’s the best a road wheel can be, and that’s the idea, the kind of product, that makes us want to ride further, longer and faster.

The ARD44 is designed for serious cyclists who want all-out speed on flats, climbs and through corners. It’s an aero wheel that shines across a wide range of terrain, from smooth pavement to rough gravel roads. Built to surpass even the most rigorous industry standards, the ARD44 Wheelset is built around King’s industry-leading R45D hub and an aero-profiled, 44mm deep FusionFiber® rim. The combination delivers unparalleled power transfer, speed, and stability.

King’s R45D hub serves as the perfect core for this wheelset, with their superior, house-made bearings, perfectly matched races, and single-piece axles. The R45D’s flanges are optimized for lateral stiffness and durability. The final piece is Chris King's unparalleled RingDrive™ system, which maximizes engagement throughout the pedal stroke by providing 45 points of simultaneous engagement. King’s reputation throughout the industry is built on bearings that wear in, not out coupled to RingDrive’s™ high engagement super-efficient core.

The ARD44’s rim produces a stable, responsive and nimble ride while reducing bodily fatigue and strain on the rider, due to the superior damping attributes of FusionFiber’s® thermoplastic technology. It effectively minimizes unnecessary road feedback and vibrations, resulting in better traction and a smooth, comfortable ride that will keep riders fresher, longer, and make the next day’s ride easier too.

• Aerodynamically tailored for 28mm-30mm tyres. Only compatible with tubeless or tubeless-ready tyres


• 25mm internal width and 30.5mm external width accommodate a broad range of tyre sizes generally up to 47mm.


• Hookless, tubeless rim design simplifies installation and maintenance while optimizing the interface between the tyre and rim bed.


• Lifetime warranty


• Hubs Made in our Portland, OR factory


• Rims Made in Utah


• Hubs available in all current Chris King colors

SPECIFICATIONS

DIAMETER: 700c
RIM DEPTH: 44mm
INNER RIM WIDTH: 25mm
HOLE COUNT: 24h/24h
HUB: Chris King R45D Centerlock
SPOKES: Sapim CX-Ray
NIPPLES: Black Alloy
DRIVETRAIN: HG11, XDR
RECOMMENDED TIRE WIDTH: 28-47c
WEIGHT: 1525g 

THE GOOD, THE BETTER AND THE EVEN BETTER THAN THAT

THE GOOD - MANUFACTURED IN THE U S OF A

It’s good to make stuff you want to ride, and wheelsets are the most exciting thing we’ve worked on in a long time. It’s good that we found a US-based, rim partner who understands our vision for products that perform well and last forever with minimal impact on the planet.

THE BETTER - LIFETIME WARRANTY

It's better we tested multiple layup options to get the exact ride-feel we wanted. It’s better that we were able to find a sweet spot in the high-end wheel game that adds some comfort back into the mix, without sacrificing handling or durability. And it's really better that; based on all the good stuff above, we can warranty them for life so you can focus on riding.

EVEN BETTER THAN THAT - FULLY RECYCLABLE

These wheels will last forever, and in the event they do break, we have a recycling path for them that will keep them out of the landfill. You should take for granted that a Chris King wheel is going to ride great and look great, but that it also dramatically reduces the environmental impact that most carbon fiber wheels have is even better than that. It’s maybe even the best.

AND some extra bullets that our friends at CSS want to make sure you knew about the manufacturing of our rims:

• ZERO waste or scrap


• ZERO carbon dust


• ZERO emissions


• Uses 1/3 electricity per part compared to traditional composite parts


• 50% increase in damping properties


• 100% Recyclable