Rim fibre architecture of a composite wheel

A rim portion of a composite wheel of a vehicle, the rim portion comprising a shaped annulus formed about a central axis of rotation of the composite wheel and having a circumferential axis extending circumferentially about the central axis and around the rim portion, said rim portion comprising a main body and a drop center recess, said rim portion having a fibre layup pattern comprising a stacked laminate formed from alternating layers of:

• a hoop tow layer comprising elongate fibre tow in which fibres of the elongate fibre tow are substantially aligned with the circumferential axis of the rim portion, the hoop tow layer being formed from at least one annularly wound elongate fibre tow;
• and
• a bias ply layer comprising at least one fibre ply in which fibres of the at least one fibre ply are substantially orientated at an angle of +Θ or −Θ to the circumferential axis of the rim portion, wherein Θ is from 26° to 40°;
• wherein the drop center recess comprises an annular section that is radially extending relative to the central axis, the annular section having reduced or less tow than the main body, the fibre layup pattern in the annular section of the drop center recess including at least one reinforcement layer comprising a fibre ply having fibres orientated from 80 to 100 degrees to the circumferential axis of the rim portion.