Creating your Topolino Dream Ride

Dream bikes featuring Topolino Carbon Core wheels come in many sizes and styles, but each has one thing in common. Each one of them reflects the independent spirit of the owner and a desire for the smoothest ride possible.

If you want to find a dedicated fitting studio or bike shop specializing in bike fitting that can help you create your Topolino dream ride contact us and we will direct you to the source in your neighborhood.

The exqusite bikes featured here are from KGS Bikes in San Antonio, Texas. KGS Bikes is an example of the kind of place that appreciates what Topolino can do to transform your riding experience. KGS's owner, Kevin Saunders, works with custom builders including Guru, Serotta, and Parlee to create the perfect ride for each of his clients. The fit and build of these Topolino rides correctly meet each client's needs from a physical point of view, and correctly interprets what the client wants in their ride.

Speed, for example, is something that we all crave as cyclists because it's fun to fly along, but it doesn't mean we're all racers. It used to be that riders who wanted a smooth ride had to compromise with a heavier frame and wheels, but that's not the case anymore. If you can purchase a custom frame it is possible to tailor the construction to suit what you like from super stiff to more shock absorbent. You can finish it with components that not only won't weigh you down, but will enhance your riding comfort, speed and pleasure. The Topolino Carbon Core CX2.0 and AX3.0 wheels are what we recommend to do the job best.


Even if you can't spring for a custom frame right now, you can certainly go a long way to improving the ride of your existing machine.

Investing in a professional fit to optimize your position, efficiency and comfort on the bike is a really good start.

Adding a set of Topolino Carbon Core CX2.0 or AX3.0 wheels is the ticket to finishing your ride so you can ride your best and feel great pedaling mile after mile.

Topolino at Interbike 2008

The sign says it all...and Topolino had a strong showing at Interbike this year with the display of its 2009 line.

The new VX4.0-R wheelset drew plenty of attention from attendees with its striking all black finish. It is the lightest addition to the 2009 Topolino line up. It has continuous all black higher carbon content carbon/Kevlar rim to rim continuous spokes molded in our Carbon Core hub and rides on a 40mm highly compacted carbon tubular. The VX4.0-R sub 1100 gram wheelset is trueable and fully serviceable. The ride will be fast of course, but while stiff laterally it will maintain the smooth shock absorbent Topolino Carbon Core ride loved by riders everywhere.

The new Continuum AR3.0 3omm clincher and Continuum VR5.0 50mm tubular enter new territory for wheels by being the first rim to rim continuous steel spoke wheels.
These wheels with bladed spokes and mid to deep section rims open new opportunities to enjoy the Topolino ride and provide aerodynamic options for everyday riding in the AR3.0 and racing in the VR5.0.

Where was Topolino at Interbike? Pretty much everywhere you looked! Outdoors Topolino wheels could be found at the Outdoor Demo with Carbon Core wheels mounted on VanDessel's demo cross bike fleet for thrashing in the desert, racing at Cross Vegas in the wild cyclo-race that featured Lance Armstrong's first race following his offical comeback announcement, and in the USA Crit Finals on the Vegas Strip where our sponsored Calyon team rode to a fine 6th place finish against the finest elite road racers in America. Inside Topolino's own booth was a center of activity where we met with longtime dealers and friends as well as new dealers and introduced all to the VX4.0-R, Continuum AR3.0 and VR5.0, and wowed the crowd with the Bethel Blast project wheels which are targeted for an 860 gram set weight!

Outside of the Topolino booth Carbon Core wheels were featured on Calfee's amazing bamboo built single and tandem bikes, Rue Sports georgeous handlaid carbon road flyers and Look's carbon dream rides. The Carbon Core wheels were also prominently displayed at the Maxxis tire booth shod with their newest road race rubber and at Thule filling the car roof rack display.

Between the Carbon Core and Continuum wheels 2009 is looking like it will be a smooth ride for everyone -- if they're on Topolino wheels!

Topolino Continuum VR5.0 Tubular Wheels Debut

The Continuum wheel series is being released at Interbike 2008. Production for the bladed steel spoke Continuum wheels is slated for late fall at the Topolino Technology HQ in Bethel, Connecticut.

Although steel spokes have been used on bicycle wheels since the 1800's, the choice of spoke material is the only traditional thing about the new Continuum wheelset series. The wheels will be offered in 30mm deep clincher and 50mm deep carbon tubular specifications, named AR3.0 and VR5.0 respectively. To say that these wheels are sexy is an understatement. The 1555 gramVR5.0 wheelset combines brains and beauty at an ultra-competitive price that will have aero mavens, TT specialists, and multi-sport athletes drooling.

As Topolino's chief engineer and company owner, Rafe Schlanger commented, "The Continuum wheels use the same proven hub internals and through the hub spoke technology as our carbon/Kevlar spoked Carbon Core series wheels."

The VR5.0 wheels have the deepest rim section of any Topolino wheels to date. Their bladed steel spokes flow continuously from one side of the rim through the carbon composite hub where they are locked in place all the way to the other side of the wheel. This unique, signature Topolino technology allows for an uncommonly long aero bladed section, and significantly decreases spoke stress at the hub. The topolino design increase durability, and provides superior ride quality achieved through tangential (rather than radial) spoke lacing. The Continuums' spokes act as an integral part of the spoke flange of Topolino's innovative hub shell, and are solidly supported within its carbon composite material.

The VR5.0 tubular has 16 front and 24 rear stainless steel bladed spokes. The Continuum rear wheel deploys its 24 spokes in 2:1 arrangement with 16 spokes on the drive side and 8 spokes on the non-drive side of the wheel. This 2:1 drive side to non-drive side ratio balances the tension of the wheel and increases lateral stiffness. The result is great strenght and power transmission to the road. Continuum wheelsets are available in Shimano 8/9/SRAM, Shimano 10 and Campagnolo 10/11 configurations.

VR5.0 wheelset pricing is yet to be finalized, but is targeted at $1600.00

Just like every Topolino wheel each VR5.0 will be built by hand in the Bethel, CT factory. Coninuum series wheels are expected to be available in February 2009. Dealers will be able to view and order the exciting new Continuum wheels ehen they visit Topolino's Interbike booth this month in Las Vegas.

Ed Cangialosi joins Topolino

Greetings all! I'm Ed Cangialosi. I just joined the Topolino team to provide customer service to our dealers and Topolino wheel fans.

I've been riding my Topolino wheels for a few years now and they have taken me on some great journeys from ripping around the park at the races in NYC and vicinity, to the most comfortable long days ever!

I'm psyched about the 2009 line of wheels that will include the sub 1100 gram VX4.0-R tubular as well as new the Continuum AR3.0 steel spoked clincher and VR5.0 tubular. I am looking forward to getting a set of the VR5.0 tubulars on my TT bike! Thanks to the use of our Carbon Core Hub the steel bladed spokes on the Continuum wheels goes all the way from one side of the rim through the carbon hub to the other side to deliver the same type of great smooth ride the carbon/kevlar spokes do on our Carbon Core CX2.0 and AX3.0 wheels.

If you have any questions about any of our wheels please give me a call or drop me a line directly at ed@topolinotech.com.

Topolino at the races.

What a week for Calyon! One win, a 6^th , and a 16^th place against some of the nation’s best criterium riders in some of the most competitive crits on the US racing calendar.

Topolino has sponsored the Calyon pro cycling team for the past two years – we supply the wheels, they provide the results. Calyon is young professional team based out of Montreal, Canada with the majority of their riders in their early 20s. Having placed well at the Tour of Belize early in 2008 and many early season domestic races, Calyon is a definite force in professional peloton across North America and abroad.

Maxime Vives, one of the team’s sprint specialists, was a bit too fast for the field during the Hartford Downtown Criterium on May 25^th , taking the victory with ease. Max went on to place 6^th in the renowned Tour of Somerville the next day beating the likes of Olympic hopeful Mike Friedman. Only six days later Max placed 16^th (third to the line after the 13 man break) at the CSC Invitational, touted as the ‘toughest crit in the US’. The 16^th place was good enough to best last year's winner, Rock Racing’s Rashaan Bahati, and his teammate Freddie Rodriguez. Truly a great week of racing.

Check out Max at the line in Somerville (all the way to the right).

Meet Our New 1480 gram AX 3.0-T Tandem Wheelset

We have officially entered the world of tandem wheels with the introduction of the Carbon Core AX 3.0 - T. And what a way to enter the market -- at 1480 grams the wheelset is by far the lightest tandem selection for sale today. And at $1,349, certainly one of the most cost effective tandem wheel solutions.

As Rafe Schlanger, our founder and chief engineer, says, “Craig Calfee asked us several times to make a wheelset for his amazing carbon tandem. When a guy who makes sub - 6 lb. tandem frames asks you for a light wheelset, you know got your work cut out for you". We listened and produced a successful prototype that garnered the Craig's praise. This experiment would go on to become the AX 3.0 - T.

The AX 3.0 - T wheelset takes full advantage of our proven though-the-hub spoking and bulletproof kelvar / Carbon spokes to maximize stiffness and vastly reduce weight over a traditional steel tandem wheelset. We were able to balance the rear wheel's spoke tension by adding 50% more spokes to the drive side of the already stiff AX 3.0 road racing wheels. The extra spokes allowed us to retain the super light and durable Carbon Core hub, further reducing weight, but retaining the compliant road feel that has made Topolino wheels legendary.

Sets of AX 3.0 - T's were put through their paces during the grueling 2007 Race Across America with nary a failure in sight. The proof of the pudding, they say, is in the eating -- well, in this case I guess it is in the riding...

Expect more updates soon.

Our New Continuum™ Series

We here at Topolino have decided to revisit our roots with the production of an innovative steel spoked wheelset series tentatively named Continuum™. This radical departure from our existing lineup of carbon composite spoked wheels will allow cyclists to experience the benefits of our through-the-hub spoke routing and enhanced aerodynamics at a more affordable price point. But rest assured these are not your father’s steel spoked wheels…

Our through-the-hub spoke routing allows the Continuum’s spokes to remain bladed from nipple to hub, producing a significantly longer aero bladed section than traditionally laced wheelsets. The high spoke stress, too common on conventional bladed spoke wheels, is significantly reduced. No more broken spokes! Ride quality is also enhanced through the wheels’ tangential spoke lacing.

The 1,490 gram Continuum™ VR5.0 wheelset, with 50 mm-deep tubular carbon rim is tentatively priced at $1,490 per pair. While the 1,540 gram Continuum™ AR30, with a 30 mm-deep aluminum clincher rim is tentatively priced at $790.

Compliant, stiff, aerodynamic, lightweight, affordable, and handmade in the USA – the Continuum™ series is poised to become a legend.

Our 363 Gram Project Wheel

Our new project wheel, debuted at this year’s Interbike, is one of the lightest, if not the lightest bicycle wheel ever produced. Weighing in at an almost beyond belief 363 grams the 700c front wheel is nearly 100 grams lighter than most popular aluminum rims -- it is seriously light!

But, as our founder, chief engineer, and fearless leader Rafe Schlanger says, “The wheel is no fragile museum piece, it has all of the sturdiness one would expect in a Topolino racing wheel.” Twenty of our signature through-the-hub carbon/Kevlar hybrid-fiber spokes and a robust, low-profile, carbon rim create a wheel that is deceptively strong and flex free. Lightweight is not, in this case, synonymous with delicate.

The hub, also a prototype, relies heavily on our race proven Carbon-Core technology featured on over half of our current product lineup. Full-ceramic bearings and some other top secret tweaks make this wheel truly high-end. A complete wheelset is slated to weigh about 840 grams – talk about lust-worthy!

The wheel is still in the prototype phase serving as a test bed for a variety of new advances currently in development. But, as Rafe says, “We anticipate bringing these technologies into our lineup in the future.” Because who wouldn’t want a wheelset that weighs little more than three of your favorite cycling magazines?