The warranty is one year on parts in the event of manufacturing defect under normal riding conditions. Any product that is found to be defective in materials or workmanship will be repaired or replaced at the discretion of Real Designs. We understand that people sometimes need to ride in more severe conditions that can accelerate the wear and tear of a high performance wheel. And, unfortunately, crashes sometimes happen. It is for these reasons that we also offer a wheel service program.

Yes! Of course, we like to encourage all of our customers to support their local bike shop but everyone needs a little extra help from time to time. Just call our customer service line to get an R.A. number first. We offer three levels of service depending on your needs. Level 1 is just a straight forward true and tension. Level 2 is a true and tension and hub bearing replacement (including freehub on rear wheels). Level 3 is the 'crash-replacement' service. The rim and spokes will be replaced (cost varies with the rim). All service is done on a per wheel basis. The part numbers follow.

• Level 1 RA-WHEEL-FRONT-TRUE
  RA-WHEEL-REAR-TRUE
• Level 2 RA-WHEEL-FRONT-BEARING
  RA-WHEEL-REAR-BEARING
• Level 3 RA-WHEEL-FRONT-RIM
  RA-WHEEL-REAR-RIM

Please consult your customer service representative for pricing details.

Rider weight, riding style, and road conditions can vary the time associated with the necessary service intervals and expected life of a racing wheel. As a general rule of thumb, riders up to 190 pounds should expect service at 400, 800, then 1000 mile intervals thereafter. Riders from 190 - 225 pounds should cut these service intervals in half. Real Design wheels are not intended for riders over 225 pounds.

Rough road conditions can also reduce the service interval time by nearly half.

Yes. It's a good idea to have the wheels checked out at your local bike shop with the first 400 miles on them. Due to the lightweight nature of the wheels, the spokes will 'bed in' to the rims and hubs and could cause a change in spoke tension. Although not dangerous, the change in tension can have an effect on the ride quality and expected life of the wheel. Just like changing oil in and automobile, wheels need periodic maintenance.

Yes. The spoke nipples require a 5.5 mm socket headed driver. Because of the straight pull spoke design; you will also need a tool to keep the spokes from winding up as you tension them.

The wheels are trued in much the same manner as a conventional wheel with one exception. Because the nipples are hidden in the rim, it will be necessary to remove the tire, tube, and rim strip to expose the spoke holes. We recommend that an experienced bike shop mechanic preform any truing of Real Designs wheels in order to maintain proper wheel tension.

The rear wheel may suffer detensioning if it wasn't adequately checked over after the break in period. This is due to the increased load that the rear wheel carries and the disparity in spoke tension between the drive and non-drive side spokes. If this happens, the wheel needs to be re-trued and tensioned up to spec (see chart). Once this is done, place a drop of blue Loctite 242 down in each nipple and allow to set before riding.

Our UltraSonic and UltraSphere use straight pull Sapim bladed spokes and DT ProLock nipples. The SuperSonic and SuperSphere wheels use straight pull butted DT spokes and DT Prolock nipples. Please refer to the chart for spoke length and tension. Since changing a broken spoke may require partial hub disassembly, we recommend that your local bike shop preform this service. Warning: never try to straighten a J-bend spoke as a substitute for a straight pull spoke.

There are a couple different things that may cause this to happen. First and foremost, check to see if the rear skewer is tightened down properly. Check the spoke tension of the rear wheel. Low spoke tension may cause the drive side spoke to rub against each other. If there is still noise, you may need to do some minor maintenance on the rear hub. Remove the freehub body from the rear hub and wipe down the internals to remove any grime or mung. Lightly grease the hub pawls, ratchet ring, and the axle where it interfaces with the freehub body. Make sure the freehub body seal is oriented properly on the freehub body. Re-install the freehub body with a counter-clockwise twisting motion. See diagram on changing freehub bodies for details.

Check to make sure that the quick release skewers are tight. If the skewers are properly tightened in the frame and there still is play in the hub, your bearings will need to be replaced. The bearings are preloaded on assembly and there is no adjustment to remove play once the bearings are worn.

The worry free design of our sealed cartridge bearing hubs leaves little to be serviced. If you have been ridding a lot in wet weather, there is some preventative maintenance that can be done to the bearings. Pull the axle end caps off the hubs by pulling on them. Wipe the inside of the hub shell clean, exposing the hub bearing. Using a dental pick or a needle, gently remove the bearing seal by prying around its edges. This will expose the inside of the bearing. Wipe the bearing with a clean rag and, using a grease injector, fill the bearing approx. half full of grease. Wipe the bearing seal clean the place it back on the bearing, making sure that it is completely seated. This process will push the new grease around the bearings and any contaminants to be pushed out of the seal. Wipe the seal clean and replace the end caps.

Yes. To do this you will need a Campy freehub body service kit. This kit comes with a different axle end cap that is specific to the campy freehub. The Campy freehub body kit part number is: RD-HS CAMPY10 KIT.