Just In: Token T28 wheels

Having finally cleared Customs, these new T28 wheels from Token have just rolled into the road.cc office. They feature what the manufacturer calls its Anti-Vibration Technology.

Now before we start, we need to point out to you that Token’s UK distributor, i-ride, doesn’t have any of these wheels yet. We got this set directly from Token, so we’re not sure about UK availability at the moment. We’ll keep you updated on that.

We don’t have a UK price either. Sorry, but they’re too spanking new to have one sorted. We do know that they’re going to be about US$1,295. That converts to around £840, although there’s no guarantee that they’ll be that price once they make it to the UK. Hopefully, we’ll have a price for you by the time we’ve finished our review.

What we can tell you though, is this… The T in the name stands for tubular and the 28 is the rim depth in millimetres. The width is 21mm. A C28 (C for ‘clincher’) is also available, as is a C590 wheelset with a 55mm-deep front wheel and 90mm rear.  

While we’re handing out free facts, the road.cc Scales of Truth reveal the front wheel to be 517g while the rear is 669g, so you’re looking at a total of 1,186g (Token’s official weight is 1,132g) – very light. The quick-release skewers add another 78g (the pair). The official weight of the C28 clinchers is 1,210g.

One of the key features of the T28s is that they’re made with AVT Carbon. Whassat? Well, it’s difficult to say because Token are keeping it Top Secret. Classified. Hush-hush.

AVT stands for Anti-Vibration Technology ¬– Token will tell you that, no problem – and they say that it’s “a high-tech material normally found in aerospace and military applications.”

They also say, “Weight for weight, AVT is eight times stronger than steel, resistant to high temperatures, fatigue, and corrosion from chemicals or saltwater.”

When we spoke to the Token guys at Taipei Cycle earlier in the year, they told us that they were using thin layers of their mystery fibre, and that it has similar properties to Kevlar in reducing vibration. We did our best to prise more information out of them but they were having none of it. So now you know as much about AVT as we do. We can’t wait to find out whether the ride quality of the T28s really is as good as Token suggest.

We're wondering whether the material is anything like the Vectran that Time use in their frames, or the CounterVail Vibration Cancelling Composite Technology that Bianchi use in their new Infinito CV, although that is exclusive to Bianchi in the cycle industry at the moment.

Although only 28mm deep, the T28’s rims are designed to have an aerodynamic profile, while the hubs are Token’s own Arsenal designs. These are alloy with TBT Tiramic Bearings – titanium-coated ceramic balls. Token reckon they’re 60% lighter than steel and that they accelerate faster. They also say the balls last 5-10 times longer than steel and that you get a smoother ride. Well, we’ll see how they perform out on the road shortly.

The spokes are Sapim’s excellent quality CX-Ray Aeros – 20 at the front and 24 at the rear – and Token use their own Shark Tail quick release skewers with stainless steel axles. They’re easy to use and they look pretty neat to us.

The T28s ship with their own wheelbag – two-part so they don’t scratch one another in transit – and carbon-specific brake pads. And that, good readers of road.cc, is all we can tell you for now. We’re going to get some tubs glued up right away and have the wheels on the road in a few days, with a full review to follow over the coming weeks.