We recently paid a visit to FFWD’s Dutch, erm, hubWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
Every wheel produced by FFWD is completely assembled by handWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
FFWD is one of the few wheel brands to put its graphics underneath a protective clearcoat, meaning they should look as good in a few years time as they do when freshly builtWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
FFWD specialises in carbon, but does also build a more affordable carbon-alloy hybrid road wheelWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
FFWD’s service department aims to get your freshly pampered wheels back to you within a weekWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
A wall full of service parts is at handWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
They get through a fair few spokes over in ZwolleWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
That’s a month’s production racked up and ready to go – the table tennis setup is for a fiercely competitive inter-department rivalryWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
FFWD also builds one-offs in the factory, this is a special-order PowerTap wheelset being assembledFFWD also builds specials in the factory – this is a special-order PowerTap wheelset being assembledWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
FFWD is proud of the sponsorships gained in its short historyWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
A few more laurels worth resting onWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
Every wheel-building work station is kept spotlessly cleanWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
FFWD’s DARC rim shape, it’s claimed, offers a stiffer shape than a standard airfoilWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
On this cutaway you can clearly see the substantial reinforcement built into the rim bedWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
A peek inside the FFWD DARC rim shows a noticeably clean and smooth internal construction tooWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
Another look at the DARC rimWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
When rims arrive at Zwolle, they’re checked and visually inspected before heading out to a test lab to be X-rayed and approvedWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
Master craftsman Roman Storcel has a clean, soundproofed room for his wheel-building development workWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
Storcel’s hydraulic press stresses the spokes on both sides before his final tweaking and hand-stressing the spokesWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
Storcel’s many years of experience makes watching him work a pretty impressive experienceWarren Rossiter / Immediate media
Storcel listens and makes fine adjustments in the blink of an eyeWarren Rossiter / Immediate media