Testing
Why testing matters
At Tune, we are dedicated to offering our customers the absolute best products. They aren't just manufactured on our premises—they are entirely developed here. From the first sketch in the design software to destructive testing, every single parameter is skillfully defined to ensure you get the best possible experience. Over the last few years, we have significantly evolved our testing approach, relying more on physical tests than simple computer simulations. This is exactly what has allowed our products to become what they are today.
Lateral sitffness
The very first test we perform right after the wheel is built by our wheelbuilders is the lateral stiffness measurement. This measures the lateral deflection of a point on the rim when a specific force is applied to the opposite side. By conducting this test on all our wheels, we can quickly compare them and predict their performance on the road. A flexible wheel will offer more comfort and better shock absorption, but it will be less efficient than a highly rigid wheel, which conversely sacrifices comfort for power transfer. By cross-referencing these results with the specific rims, spokes, tensions, and hubs used, we are able to achieve the exact ride characteristics we target for each wheel model.
Life cycle test
Before ever hitting a real road mounted on your bike, every single one of our prototype wheels must pass a battery of tests in a very specific order—from the least intense to the most destructive.
We begin with a life-cycle simulation. The wheel is placed on a drum roller to undergo a series of cycles simulating bumps, straight lines, and cornering, all under an exaggerated load. This ensures that our stated weight limits are backed by a real-world safety factor, meaning that approaching these limits poses absolutely no risk to the rider. During this test, the wheel travels roughly 8,000 km under the absolute worst conditions. Throughout the process, we constantly monitor the wheel’s integrity by checking its lateral tolerance, radial runout, and spoke tension.
Impact test
The next phase is a destructive test. A 40 kg weight is dropped vertically onto the wheel from increasing heights until the wheel breaks. We test all our products to failure. If the failure conditions are too close to real-world riding scenarios, we analyze the breakage to understand the underlying causes and optimize the wheel until it passes. Once a wheel delivers the required results, we consider it 'safe to ride' from that point forward. Additionally, our road wheels undergo an extra impact test to secure official UCI certification.
Fatigue torque test
Another destructive test we perform is our fatigue torque test. It cyclically applies an extremely high amount of torque to either the freehub body or the 6-bolt/Center Lock brake interface. In this test, we measure progress in hundreds of thousands of cycles. The load is transmitted not just through the hub, but also across the axle, bearings, spokes, and rim. While this force is lower than the absolute maximum torque our hubs can withstand—which is on par with that of a sports car or a large SUV—the focus here is purely on lifespan. Will the freehub body still be intact after 100,000 cycles? This test will tell us.
Other external tests
While we are dedicated to doing as much as possible in-house, we sometimes need to rely on external testing. This is the case, for example, for aerodynamic wind tunnel testing, as well as official ISO certifications for products we sell, such as handlebars, stems, or saddles.