New brand, Atomik Carbon, rolls out mountain bike rims and handlebars

TAMPA, Fla. (BRAIN) — Atomik Carbon, a new brand out of Florida, is hitting the market this year with carbon rims and handlebars.

The start-up is now shipping its all-mountain/Enduro carbon rim, which goes counter to some recent trends — it has a tire bead hook and has a moderate internal width of 24 millimeters, while many trendy carbon wheels are going hookless and offering internal widths of 30mm or more.

Atomik co-founder Kevin Lineberger explained that the company's angled rim hook serves several functions: it holds the tire in place during riding to prevent burping; it holds it in place when the tire is deflated, making it easier to install sealant; and the hook strengthens the rim. Atomik calls the design Mod-Hook.

"The Mod-Hook bead becomes a strengthening rib; it's part of what makes our rims durable," Lineberger said. The rim wall thickness at the hook is 3.5 millimeters, while Lineberger said most carbon rim walls are closer to 2.5 mm thick. Atomik also adds an insert of a proprietary material to increase impact strength, and uses high-strength Toray 800 carbon fiber in high-impact areas.

For riders looking to save a little weight, Atomik will deliver a hookless all-mountain rim later this fall. The hookless version has an internal width that is 1 mm wider than the Mod-Hook version. Atomik also plans to introduce a cross-country rim later this year and is working on a carbon fat bike rim.

Lineberger co-founded Atomik about two years ago with Wayne Lee. Lee and Lineberger are each life-long bikers but neither has been involved previously in the bike industry. Lineberger has a background in advertising and marketing, while Lee is an entrepreneur who has been involved in several industries, including retailing. 

Atomik products, which are made in Taiwan, are being sold dealer direct in the U.S. The brand also has two distributors signed up in Australia and is talking to distributors in England and Israel. U.K.-based pro mountain biker Rowan Sorrell has been using the wheels in competition.

Atomik rims are available separately for $375 retail. Complete wheel sets start at $1,350 with Hope Pro II EVO hubs. Lineberger said Atomik was shooting for a price point lower than the super high-end products from Enve and the like, which start at around $2,600 retail, while offering better designs, quality and customer service than some of the more generic Asia-made carbon rims on the market.

The rim and wheels are available in 650b and 29er versions.

Since its launch, Atomik has displayed at some regional mountain bike events and Lee has hit the road in a van, visiting bike shops across the Southeast. The company has several sets of demo wheels that it will sometimes leave with retailers for a few weeks to give a good test. Lineberger said in most cases, the retailers end up ordering a few sets of wheels after testing the demos. 

Atomik also offers two carbon mountain bike handlebars, one with a 15mm rise and one a flat bar that is offset to allow small adjustments in height. Both models retail for $145. 

More information: Atomikcarbon.com