Astral Radiant Disc Rim
The Astral Radiant is the light alloy rim-brake road rim from Astral, the rim brand of Rolf Prima in Eugene, Oregon: a modern wide bed for 25 to 32mm tires, a shallow section that keeps the weight down and the ride comfortable, a machined brake track and a tubeless-ready bed with Astral's Tubeless Easy shelf. It is the alloy rim we build for classic rim-brake road bikes that want a light, comfortable, tubeless wheel from a company that builds wheels for a living.
This page covers the Astral Radiant Disc Rim in 700c. The Radiant is built to order here. Choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator; the wheel leaves Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
Design and construction
The Radiant is a welded double-wall aluminum rim with a 20mm-class inner bed that supports a 25 to 28mm tire with a round, fast profile and works up to 32mm, a machined brake track on both sides, and a Tubeless Easy bead that seats a tubeless tire with a floor pump. The spoke holes are angled toward the hub flanges so the nipples sit straight, and the section is shallow for weight and comfort. Standard nipples, J-bend spokes, rim brake only. The Solstice is the deeper alloy sibling.
How it rides
A Radiant wheel rides like a good modern alloy road rim should: light on the climbs, comfortable on rough tarmac with a 28mm tubeless tire, and predictable in corners because the tire is properly supported. The machined brake track brakes well in the wet. For a deeper, stiffer alloy rim the Solstice is the choice; for a light, comfortable rim-brake road wheel, the Radiant is the Astral rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 577 (29in) |
| Inner width | 19.5 mm |
| Depth | 32 mm |
| Drillings | 24h, 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 495g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | Clincher Tubeless Compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the Radiant in 700c with 24h, 28h, 32h drilling, about 495g, 19.5mm inside, 32mm deep, disc. If you need it in another size or for the other brake type, it is listed separately.
This is the disc-brake Radiant: plain sidewalls, no brake track to wear, a touch lighter. It fits any disc-brake bike and it is the version most of our customers now build; the rim-brake version is a separate listing.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Astral Radiant Disc Rim comes in 700c and 24h, 28h, 32h drilling. It is a rim-brake road rim. We build the Radiant on Bitex RAF and RAR 12, DT Swiss 350 and 240, Shimano, White Industries T11, Chris King R45 and Velocity Race Road hubs, usually with Sapim Laser, Race or CX-Ray spokes or DT Competition and Aerolite, and brass or alloy nipples.
Tire range on the Radiant is 25 to 32mm. Pick road as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build it with us
We build this rim to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the Astral Radiant Disc Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed and touring builds, and the configurator will not let you assemble a combination we would not build.
Spoke head is decided by the hub, not the rim: this rim builds equally well with J-bend or straight-pull spokes, and the configurator only offers the spokes that match the hub you pick.
Astral's testing and certifications
Astral Cycling is the rim brand of Rolf Prima; both operate from one facility in Eugene, Oregon, where Rolf Prima states alloy rim production has been in-house since 2014. Astral joins alloy rims with a press-fit sleeve about 2.5 inches long weighing 4-5 g that doubles the wall thickness at the joint, avoiding the heat-affected zone of welding. All wheels are hand-built in Eugene. Rolf Prima states it does not farm out testing and has logged "over 10,000 hours of lab testing to above industry standards."
Warranty: Astral states alloy rims are covered two years and carbon rims five years for the original owner, excluding impact damage; Rolf Prima wheels (2016 and newer) carry five years, bearings two years, plus lifetime discounted crash replacement for registered wheels.
Astral's videos
From Astral
Certifications
- Made in USA (alloy rims and wheels) — Astral and Rolf Prima state alloy rims are rolled and all wheels hand-built in their Eugene, Oregon facility; rim production in-house since 2014 (source)
- ISO 4210 base + in-house standard — Fatigue drum at 47 mph vs ISO 15 mph, life requirement 66% above ISO; UCI 40 J impact plus higher in-house level; ISO 4210 dry/wet brake tests (source)
- UCI note — Rolf Prima FAQ: Aspin and Elan family are 'Standard' wheels not requiring UCI approval; no approved-model list verified (source)
- Rolf Prima Certainty — In-house engineering and testing lab, eleven patents, over 10,000 hours of lab testing, 5-year warranty, lifetime crash replacement (source)
Sources on Astral's site:
- Testing – Astral Cycling
- FAQ's – Astral Cycling
- Astral Rim Warranty – Astral Cycling
- Technology – Astral Cycling
- Rim Joining: The Process and the Mystery – Astral Cycling
The figures, certificates and media above are Astral's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the rim.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Astral makes the Radiant; ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia and not the manufacturer. The build is the same every time: measured ERD, spokes cut to the half millimeter, staged tensioning with a gauge, stress relief, a final true, and tubeless tape and a valve on request.
The configurator shows only hubs and spokes that match the Radiant drilling, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel live.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Rolf Prima gives a one-year limited warranty on its wheels under normal use. Astral is Rolf Prima's rim brand; ask us and we will confirm the current terms for the exact rim before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Radiant Disc Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 19.5mm inside this is a road width. It suits roughly 25 to 32mm tires, which is where most road bikes now sit, and it will run a 23 if you still want one. Go much wider than 32 on this rim and the tire starts to balloon above the sidewalls and squirm when you lean on it.
Radiant or Solstice?
Radiant for a light, comfortable climbing and all-round rim; Solstice for a deeper, stiffer rim that suits heavier riders and fast group rides.
Is the Radiant tubeless?
Yes. Astral's Tubeless Easy bead seats a tubeless tire with a floor pump; we tape and fit a valve on request.
What tires fit the Radiant?
25 to 32mm. A 28mm tire is the pairing most of our customers run.
Is the Radiant disc compatible?
No. It is a rim-brake rim with a machined brake track; the Wanderlust is Astral's alloy disc rim.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Astral Radiant Disc Rim?
No. Astral makes the rim. ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia that builds it into a finished wheel to your spec.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Astral lists the Radiant Disc Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
