PATENT APPROVAL FOR WORLD’S SIMPLEST AND FASTEST TUBELESS-READY ROAD WHEELS
Knight Composites announces patent approval of revolutionary new Tubeless Aero System.
Despite the many well-documented benefits for road application of tubeless tires, the technology has yet to achieve widespread adoption in this discipline of the sport. Knight Composites has set out to change that with their newly patented TLA System.
Breaking down long-held consumer conceptions of the tubeless setup in road application, Knight Composites’ Tubeless Aero (TLA) technology has now been successfully patented in both the US and European markets. This system is currently available in 35mm and 50mm rim depths in both disc and rim brake models. Working closely with Schwalbe Tires, they’ve finally been able to provide the benefits of tubeless tires in the road industry to riders who previously thought that tubeless technology was too complicated to maintain or required special equipment to install.
2013 Vuelta a España winner, Chris Horner, summarized the benefits of new Knight TLA technology precisely: “The Knight TLA System is a game-changer for road cycling. It makes everyday rides as smooth and fast as my best fully supported race days on tubulars, only now it’s practical to run my race-day setup full time. I just wish it hadn’t taken until the end of my career in this sport to find this stuff! And over 25 years, we’re talking about a lot of flat changes and wasted tubes.”
Watch Horner demo simple TLA installation here.
The new Knight Composites TLA System removes the existing challenges of tubeless tire setup and paves the way for widespread adoption in road application. The patented TLA System allows for simple installation and maintenance, including effortless inflation with a frame or floor pump and easy tool-free installation. For added safety, TLA provides both a pneumatic and mechanical locking system, delivering an industry-leading sealing surface with an optimized aerodynamic profile.
Working with Schwalbe throughout the development of the TLA system, roll-off safety has been a focus from the beginning. Laboratory testing showed repeated inflation of the final Knight Composites TLA System to well over twice the maximum stated pressure without issue.
Thankfully, convenience, comfort and speed no longer need to come at the cost of weight. Hand built with two hub options (DT Swiss/Chris King) the Knight TLA 35’s weigh in at an impressive 1430g, with the deeper TLA 50’s tipping the scale at just 1510g.
