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Section 1: General Information
Section 2: Distribution and Warranty
Section 3: Wheels
Section 4: Frames
Section 5: Other Parts
Section 6: Kid's Bikes
Section 7: Technical Information and Materials
Section 8: Sponsorship

Section 1: General Information
Q: Where is stuff made?
A: Our product is all made in Taiwan, with all Carbon Fibre, Aluminum and Steel products made in our own factories. This is unusual within the bicycle industry because most companies have most of their product made for them by manufacturing companies. While they do get to make their own specifications, they don't have as much control over the production as we do.

Section 2: Distribution and Warranty
Q: Where can I buy Pro-Lite stuff in the US?
A:

Q: Can I buy a _________?
A: Sure! However, we don't sell directly to the public. You will have to look to one of our vending partners. You can find them at our Find a Distributor section.
Q: My _________ broke. Who should I talk to?
A: Talk to the person that sold you the product first. If that fails, jump over to our Global Service Program. They can handle warranties as well as repairs by qualified mechanics. They can help you anywhere in the world and use extremely fast shipping that could save your neck in the event of a breakage before a race.
Q: Is the warranty transferrable?
A: No.
Q: Do I have to register the wheel?
A: YES! You need to register the wheel when you buy it. You may have problems with warranty if the wheel is not registered. While this may be a little inconvenient, we hope that it is clear that WE CARE about the wheels we make and what happens to them after they leave our factory. We want you to feel the same confidence that we have that every wheel that bears the Pro-Lite name is a quality wheel.

Section 3: Wheels
Brake Pad Compatibility:
Can I use pad on my PL wheel?
Can I use my PL pads on my wheel?
Can I use my carbon specific pads on my alu wheels?

Important Note: Coming online NOW: wheelset maintenance videos...
Q: My Gavia rim failed! What happened? I was using really good/expensive/fancy/sexy brake blocks and pads...

A: It is VERY IMPORTANT to READ THE MANUAL for CARBON RIMS! We have done extensive testing to ensure that the pads we use and recommend for our wheels with carbon braking surfaces are the best for the purpose. They provide very good braking performance, good longevity and MOST IMPORTANTLY, our pads DO NOT MELT or cause the rim to OVERHEAT. It is also CRITICAL to make sure that the brake pads line up with the braking surface on the rim. This braking surface should be easily identifiable by looking at the rim and there is a diagram on the rim as well as on the Builder Advisory that comes attached to the wheel when purchased new.
Q: What is the internal rim width of _________?
A: Almost all of our clincher rims are between 13.80 and 14.15mm, including the Bracciano, Luciano, Como, Merano, Rosa 50mm, Vicenza 50mm, Gavia 50mm. The Rosa 30mm is 13mm. Rims with 14mm internal width are suitable for 21-32mm tires and will therefore be quite acceptable for winter or CycloCross tires.
Q: What is the ISO/ETRTO of __________ rim?
A: If you are wondering this, you may be simply wondering what the internal rim width is. Please check the previous question for more details. ISO/ETRTO is more of a concern for tires rather than wheels and rims. Most rims follow widely accepted standards. For example, our 700c wheels all have an ETRTO of 622, which is the standard. This is the diameter of the bead and ensures that our wheels fit all standard tires. Our MTB wheels also follow common industry standards for 26" wheels. For more information on ISO/ETRTO, the late, great Sheldon Brown has a detailed explanation here.
Q: Are your hubs compatible with Campagnolo 11?
A: Yes indeed!
Q: I have a wheel with a Shimano hub body. I want to switch to Campagnolo... What can I do?
A: The free hub body is easily swapped. The part can be purchased at any of our key dealers. There are Shimano, Campy and SRAM free hub body types for our wheels. Within the Shimano types, there may be a spacer required for some cassette types (ie Ultegra). This spacer comes with the cassette. If you don't have it, please contact your closest Shimano dealer.
Q: Where can I buy a hub?
A: Although we understand that there are some very passionate home builders out there who work very hard at their hobby, it is the general policy of Pro-Lite to not sell wheels as parts. We take great pride in the quality of our hand-built wheels.
Q: What is the weight limit for ___ wheel?
A: Please note that wheel weight recommendations are just that - recommendations. A wheel will still wear out faster with a heavier rider and will be more susceptible to damage in the event of a crash. Having said that though, our wheels are carefully made and almost always exceed customer expectations. We take great pride in wheels that generally can handle weights much higher than similar wheels by our competitors. Strong is good!
Merano - 110-120kg
Como - 110-120kg
Stelvio - 100kg
...
Q: I have a spoke that keeps breaking! What's going on?
A: This is an issue that can easily come up if the manufacturer's directions are not followed carefully. You can find our wheel service manual in the Downloads section (soon to be updated).
Q: I want to change my cassette but the freehub body isn't compatible.
A: Please refer to detailed information about Freehub Bodies through this link. You can also find more information on freeehub bodies at the venerable Sheldon Brown site. In practice, it is usually only the 10 speed systems that cause compatibility problems with the Shimano/SRAM side of things and 8/9 speed systems in the Campy Camp.


Section 4: Frames
Q: Do you make the ______ in this size?
A: If you see it on our website, it should be available through our major vendors. If it is not available through our major vendors and it is not on our website, we do not make that size. If you cannot find something, please contact our vendors and ask them to carry the product.

Section 5: Other Parts
Q: What is the internal diameter of ____ Carbon fork?

A: We most frequently encounter this question with people who are trying to build up a bike with a carbon fork and are wondering about how to set up the headset and steerer nut. We have a special steerer wedge for forks with carbon steer tubes. A standard star nut will damage the steer tube.

Section 6: Kid's Bikes
Q:
A:

Section 7: Technical Information and Materials
Q: What alloys do you use?
A: We primarily use 6061, 7005 and 7046 alloys. 7046 is our top end alloy as it has extremely good strength-weight ratios and can make product in comparable strength-weight to Scandium and excellent stiffness. We have our own custom tubing shapes as well as our own CNC machines.
Q: What is special about Pro-Lite Carbon Fibre?
A: We use top quality carbon fibers, selected for high thread-count and high Young's Modulus. We use our own carbon forming machines with our own custom high pressure air bladders and high pressure within the vacuum forming process. This creates very clean curves and bends and results in an overall strength increase of 10-15% over standard vacuum forming machines. We are also industry leaders in using Microsphere technology from 3M.
Q: What does "high modulus" mean? And why is it important?
A: Young's Modulus is a measurement of Lateral Stiffness.
Carbon Fibre is made up of two parts. The fibre itself and the polymer that holds it in place (called the Matrix). The fibres are woven into a fabric which is then layered up on molding before it is coated with the liquid polymer. Air bladders are then placed to hold things in place while the liquid polymer hardens and heat is applied to cure the product. Once the Carbon Fibre is finished, the hardened matrix will allow forces to be transferred to the fibers themselves. Ideally, the forces will act on the fibers in the direction that the fiber is strongest. However, while Carbon Fibre (like many other materials) is strongest in direct tension, not all of the forces that act on it will come in direct tension. Some of the forces will always come in laterally. If the fiber is stiff against lateral forces, it will increase overall stiffness, strength and longevity. Less flex means less damage to the polymer matrix over time and less energy wasted in pedaling. High Modulus Carbon is therefore a better choice than regular carbon fibers and it is generally viewed as a sign of higher quality in the initial process of manufacturing the Carbon Thread.


Section 8: Sponsorship
Q: Do you guys offer sponsorship?
A: We regret that currently, we are unable to offer sponsorship. Still, if you have a team or rider that is noteworthy, please contact and we will be happy to see if there are other ways that we can help you out. You can see more information here.