Knight Bike Co, located in Fremont, California, and operating as part of the Bicycle and Bicycle Parts business/industry for approximately 19 years, has established itself in its niche market.
Five years have passed since our last full-time employee retired, yet his wheel-building jig still sits on our bench, waiting to be used again tomorrow.
Wheels
Wheels are at the core of bicycle aerodynamics and performance, and this area of technological innovation is progressing quickly. Thanks to wind tunnel technology and carbon production at unprecedented levels, manufacturers now provide more options than ever.
Knight Composites was established in 2013 with the goal of producing the fastest carbon clincher wheels on the market. Based in Bend, Oregon, and led by industry veterans such as Jim Pfeil (founder of Reynolds wheels and former ENVE executive), Beverly Lucas (former CEO at Felt and ENVE), Kevin Quan (who’s worked on projects for Neilpryde Diamondback Parlee and more).
Knight’s advantage lies in their approach to rim design. Unlike more established brands, they concentrate their plans around the trailing edge rim design, precisely the back half, where tires and down tubes generate the most drag. Their methods aim to minimize these harmful elements while simultaneously increasing power-saving lift from their shape.
Knight’s 65mm depth wheels were quite effective at withstanding crosswinds, though slightly less stable than their lighter 35mm counterparts. Deeper rims may provide advantages at higher speeds and steeper, longer descents where additional control over the rear wheel is desired.
Knight’s wheels excelled when used with high-quality brake pads for smooth braking surfaces and provided superior stability on descents.
