Black Inc, the premium performance component brand of Factor Bikes, has introduced its new 48|58 wheelset – billed for ‘top-end speed and performance’.
Designed and developed in tandem with Factor’s latest aero racing bike, the OSTRO VAM, Black Inc’s engineers sought to develop a wheel to match the bike’s balance of low weight, stiffness and aerodynamic performance. The result is an optimised aero wheelset.
The 48|58 has featured on several 2024 early-season podiums, including Stevie Williams’ GC win and Katia Ragusa’s overall QOM victory at the Santos Tour Down Under; Tom Van Asbroeck’s stage three victory at the 2024 Tour de la Provence; and third place for Lily Williams at Nokere Koerse.
Overall, the wheelset has contributed to 45 podiums for Human Powered Health and Israel – Premier Tech combined.
The Black Inc 48|58 wheelset has been developed with extensive CFD simulation, validated in the wind tunnel, and field-tested by pro riders. The design includes a shallower 48mm rim section for the front wheel and a deeper 58mm rim section for the rear wheel to boost stability.
An increased leading edge radius uses an airfoil to promote airflow attachment at higher yaw angles and reduces the onset of dynamic stall, giving the rider a greater feeling of control in gusts and crosswinds.
The wheels are aerodynamically optimised for 28mm tyres and feature an internal rim width of 23mm between the ISO-compliant mini hooks.
The new wheelset also deploys Black Inc’s proprietary high-flange carbon spoke hub shell, allowing for an increased bracing angle with shorter spokes resulting in a wheel with greater lateral and vertical stiffness, while still maintaining a balanced spoke tension between both drive and non-drive sides of the wheel.
The spoke count has been reduced to 20 carbon spokes per wheel, offering increased aerodynamic benefits while still maintaining the same strength as traditional 24 steel spoked wheels. The hubs incorporate new custom bearing specifications from CeramicSpeed, exclusively designed for Black Inc wheelsets. These bearing advancements are claimed to reduce rotational drag by up to 20% compared to the previous generation, without compromising on durability.
At 1,300g a pair, the Black Inc 48|58 is lightweight whilst delivering a responsive, aero-optimised disc brake wheelset for riders seeking top-end speed and performance.
Rob Gitelis, Founder of Factor Bikes and Black Inc, said “Together with the 28|33 that was launched at the 2023 Tour de France, the 48|58 represents an all-new, premium performance wheelset line-up that we have developed to keep up with ever-evolving rider needs. Further, we have additional products in the development pipeline that we’re excited to share with our athletes and consumers in the near future.”
The new Black Inc 48|58 wheelset can be purchased exclusively from blackinc.cc and authorised Factor and Black Inc dealers worldwide. Shimano and SRAM-compatible hub options are available.
