FRANKFURT – During the Eurobike days, Carbon-Ti officially presented the discs of the X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 family, or those used by Pogacar and his companions Team UAE-Emirates, highly sought after and in demand by several top-tier teams.
We had a chat with Marco Monticone, Product Manager of the Brescia-based company, specialized in the design and production of ultra-lightweight, high-quality, and precise components.
SteelCarbon 3, lightness and substance
Version 3 of the Carbon-Ti discs is the natural evolution of the SteelCarbon 2, widely used in mountain biking and born in 2015. It is a component that, together with a low value on the scale, brings together a precision construction technique, noble materials and a lot of substance.
«The product, besides being beautiful to look at – explains Monticone – must also last and ensure maximum safety. It must not be subjected to the high temperatures generated during longer braking sessions and must be efficient over time.
"The braking track is made from a single block of steel, it is not a sandwich of overlapping materials, a factor that guarantees longevity and resistance to very high temperatures. Compared to version 2, the design has also been revised, to better dissipate heat and to obtain the UCI certificationThe edges of the disc are rounded, just as required by international regulations."
These are components that do not reach 100 grams in weight, 98 grams (declared) with the diameter of 160 and 86 grams (declared) for those of 140 mm (CenterLock version, excluding the locking ring).
Titanium rivets
Between the carbon spider and steel braking track there are 6 grade 5 titanium rivets, but there's also space, considering the disks aren't floating. Why this solution?
«The metal material is subject to expansion – continues Monticone – and reaches very high temperatures, it expands and when it cools it returns to its original shape when it is of excellent quality and is correctly supported by the supporting structure. The spacings that there are between steel and carbon they have the task of do not block the expansion of the steel during the most demanding and prolonged braking.
«We had the opportunity to analyze some of the discs used during the Tour of Italy, which also put the riders' materials to the test due to the weather conditions. I must say that we are very satisfied with the performance of the discs, as are the technicians and riders of the team. UAE-Emirates. Was a Tour of Italy which put men and materials to the test."
Carbon cannot be missing
The spider, or rather the supporting structure of the disc is made of carbon and in this case too it adopts precision manufacturing. Thanks to a specific adapter, which includes the titanium contrast plate, it reflects the CenterLock specifications, the most used for hub engagement.
The carbon spider, like the entire disc, is the result of a series of processes and manufacturing processes that require time, patience, and obsessive precision. The carbon spider – he explains Monticone – was born with the six-hole standard, but with the change of a rule imposed by Shimano, we have sewn a specific adapter onto it which allows it to be mounted on hubs of a natural CenterLockWe did it with the style that distinguishes Carbon-Ti, therefore with first-rate materials and without leaving anything to chance".
