Astral Wheels with Chris King Hubs

Gravel in depth

Astral Wanderlust Aluminum wheels on Chris King R45 Disc hubs

Our gravel pick from the Astral and Chris King parts we build with. The Astral Wanderlust Aluminum is a hooked aluminum rim, 24mm inside, 30mm deep, about 450 grams in 700c, sized for about 35 to 50mm tires. We lace it to Chris King R45 Disc hubs in 24 hole.

• Tubeless setup with a floor pump. Astral profiles have a deep center channel that helps the tire mount, and a bead seat sized for easy inflation and a secure fit. Astral says that lets you seat a tubeless tire with a pump at home.
• Service without special tools. Take out the snap ring and seal, clean and regrease, and the bearing is ready to go again. A complete rebuild uses Chris King's own hub service tools.

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Mountain in depth

Astral Back Bone Aluminum wheels on Chris King MTB 6-bolt hubs

Our mountain pick from the Astral and Chris King parts we build with. The Astral Back Bone Aluminum is a hooked aluminum rim, 32mm inside, 20mm deep, about 535 grams in 27.5 inch, sized for about 2.4 to 2.8 inch tires. We lace it to Chris King MTB 6-bolt hubs in 32 hole.

• Asymmetric gravel and trail rims. Astral's ASYM rims set the spoke holes off center, and it says this improves spoke tension balance by up to 30 percent. Astral credits that design for added stiffness, strength and longevity.
• Every tooth engages at once. Two heat-treated stainless steel rings mesh at 72 points on mountain hubs and 45 on the R45, all at the same moment. Chris King rates the system above 800 foot-pounds of torque and says that is three times the other high-end hubs it tested.

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Road in depth

Astral Radiant wheels on Chris King R45 Disc hubs

Our road pick from the Astral and Chris King parts we build with. The Astral Radiant is a hooked aluminum rim, 19.5mm inside, 32mm deep, about 495 grams in 700c, sized for about 25 to 32mm tires. We lace it to Chris King R45 Disc hubs in 24 hole.

• Delta shaping on road rims. Astral's road rims borrow the Delta profile from sister brand Rolf Prima. Astral says the added width and sidewall shape reduce wind buffeting and give the tire more support in corners.
• Matched bearing races. The inner and outer steel races are machined at the same time, with tools of equal wear, so the two match. Chris King says the bearing tracks burnish with use and get faster with age.

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Questions about these builds

Which Astral rim should I build on Chris King hubs?

For gravel, the Wanderlust Aluminum (24mm inside) on Chris King R45 Disc hubs; for mountain, the Back Bone Aluminum (32mm inside) on Chris King MTB 6-bolt hubs; for road, the Radiant (19.5mm inside) on Chris King R45 Disc hubs. Each one opens the builder from its section above, and the cards below cover every Astral rim that fits a Chris King hub.

E-Bike / Clydesdale / Tandem

Astral rims on Chris King hubs for e-bikes, tandems and Clydesdale riders

Each card opens our custom wheel builder with the rims and hubs for a wheelset already picked, on the Chris King hub our customers choose most with that rim. The builder offers every Chris King hub that fits, and you choose the colors, spokes and the rest.

Astral Leviathan Tandem on Chris King MTB 6-bolt20mm inside · 32mm deep · 32 hole · hookedStart building this pair →