unknown Trispoke wheel on ebay

[Matsuri]

Does anybody have a clue what wheel this is? I've searched the web and cant find anything about them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230102016233&rd=1&rd=1

[audiojan]

It looks like a SPIN TriSpoke... Neither very aerodynamic nor very stable... Disgarding the aerodynamic properties of the wheel... the last thing you want is something that flexes under you, causing power loss, instability and brake rub.

[cslone]

Yep, Spin, or Spin knockoff. Pass on that one.

[Triguy]

Not so fast...

This is not a Spin. It is a Trispoke brand wheel. It is shaped much more similarly to a Hed 3 than a Spin. It has a 50mm deep rim (whereas the Spin trispoke has a 27-30mm deep rim) and the spokes aspect ratios vary from 2.7:1 to 2.2:1 depending on where you measure. Hed is something like 2.5:1.

If you can get it for under $100-150, it's a pretty good deal.

[rplong]

Triguy,
Are Spin and Trispoke different companies? Are either related to HED? Never heard of these brands or models, or ever seen a wheel like that before. Educate.

[Triguy]

All three are different companies...

Spins were plastic, not carbon, as far as I know. They were heavy, unaerodynamic but look pretty cool.

Trispokes were a heavy carbon wheel. They weren't very popular but are a decent wheel. Probably an effort to imitate Specialized/Dupont/Hed.

Hed bought their patented Trispoke from Specialized who originally made the design with Dupont. Hed has since lightened up the trispoke with a slightly different carbon and method of laying up the wheel though the shape remains the exact same.

All in all, Hed is better than Trispoke but both are way better than Spin. The good news is that very few people recognize the Trispoke for what it is, a pretty decent wheel. Also, too many people jump at Spin's for what they aren't.

I don't remember where I found the writeup but someone had purchased a Trispoke and was thoroughly impressed at how similar it was to a Hed.

[audiojan]

I think that Spin and TriSpoke is actually one and the same...

[Triguy]

http://biketechreview.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=84&highlight=trispoke

Here is one of the write ups I saw on TriSpoke. You'll see that Spin is clearly a different wheel than TriSpoke. Furthermore, I do believe RA cycles has sold both in the last year and never draws a relationship between parent companies.