For the last 2 years, CarbonX, a spin-off of TU Delft, and Ere Research have been silently working on the development of a brand new material for high-performance road bike tires. After extensive research, testing and tweaking, they proudly present the new Ere Genus CCX tire, made with CarbonX technology.
Faster without compromising handling or longevity
CarbonX is composed of nano-sized carbon filaments that are chemically connected to form a three dimensional micron-sized network. This extraordinary structure makes it possible to combine properties in new ways, the key to unlocking new design possibilities that can deliver both high performance and greater sustainability.
By using CarbonX, Ere Research is able to achieve a dramatic improvement in rolling resistance to increase speed without compromising grip or wear, while the compound is able to make the tires much faster without compromising handling or longevity.
CarbonX: new material with huge potential
CarbonX is an advanced materials company co-founded by Rutger van Raalten and Daniela Sordi in 2014. The company is the sole producer and supplier of CarbonX worldwide.
Van Raalten was part of the team that invented CarbonX in 2007 at the Department of Chemical Engineering at TU Delft, for which a patent was granted in 2009. As an expert in functional carbon nano-materials for smart and sustainable applications, Sordi was the first to validate the potential of this new material. Both saw huge potential for CarbonX, but they also knew that conventional development cycles for bringing a scientific breakthrough to market could take decades.
In less than two years, the company was able to scale up production and supply high volumes of high-quality carbon on a global scale. CarbonX also expanded its R&D capabilities to generate precise, unbiased data and develop innovative solutions for delivering high performance and sustainability.
Innovators that make things happen
“As a chemical engineer I always wanted to get my hands dirty. An infamous friday afternoon experiment lead us to do things beyond the scope of our project. We came up with a scalable way to manipulate the structure of carbon. That’s where our adventure started!” Rutger explains on how things started for CarbonX. “After an intensive phase of scaling production, we needed to find early adopters. Visionaries with a similar hands-on- mentality like us. With an eye for quality, performance and innovation. People who understand what we have to offer but are able to look beyond biases or potential failure. This is how I got in contact with Piet. I heard about his award-winning innovations, and how he designed, shaped and produced every detail himself. It was a direct match.”
Breakthrough development for performance tires
“When Van Raalten approached Ere Research to talk about the new CarbonX material, we were intrigued and eager to learn more about it,” says Piet van der Velde from Ere Research. “He thought it would work great with high-performance tires for cyclists. But we were also sceptical, as there have been attempts made before in the market that promised big performance increases. Many of these attempts did not deliver on true noticeable performance.”
During the process of understanding the new CarbonX material and how it could be implemented in their tires, Ere chose to take their already successful Genus CC model as a starting point. The Genus CC is already being used in the pro peloton and has had great references. So the bar was set very high.
“In a two-year cycle, you can imagine the number of tires we tested and the amount of compound we have developed to achieve the perfect compound mix,” says Van der Velde. “Along with the lab testing and field testing with our Pro riders, we have developed the perfect CarbonX rubber for our tires.”
The result is an all-new tire called the Genus CCX, which features a 320TPI handmade carcass and CarbonX technology, resulting in what Ere Research claims is a 2 watt lower rolling resistance, as well as increased grip and the anti-puncture properties.
High flexibility, low weight
At the same time, Ere has been working on the casing of the new Genus tires. To make them safer for tubeless and hookless rims, and to keep the weight low and the flexibility performance of these tires high, the company uses Zylon instead of Kevlar as a bead cord in the tires.
Zylon is frequently used in F1 cars as tethers in wishbones that keep the wheels attached to the chassis in case of a crash. Thus, it’s a very strong material and perfect for their Tubeless and Hookless tires.
The new Genus CCX tire will make its debut at the Tire Technology Expo in Hannover, Germany on May 19, which will sell for 89 euros later this summer.
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