Next to your frame, your wheels are the next most important component for your bike. Regardless of the type of riding you are doing. Be it racing and training, touring or just general recreational riding.
So it’s important to pick the right wheels. A good blend of price, weight and durability is what you’re looking for. You’re going to have to give up something in one area to gain in the next.
Lets look at some of the things to look for depending on the type of riding you will primarily be doing.
General recreational riding.
You’re looking for some general-purpose recreational riding. So probably price is an important factor in your choices. Conventional box section rims are what you want to be looking for. They are the strongest and most durable. They are pretty light and provide the greatest comfort.
Touring
If touring wheelsets are what you’re looking for. You also will want a conventional box section rim. They provide the best blend of strength and weight. You want a durable wheel without adding to much weight. Although you will start adding to the cost to get the optimal blend of strength and weight.
If you will be doing some off road or rough road riding in your travels you will want to consider wider rims. This will accommodate wider tires for maximum comfort, especially if you’ll be riding a fully laden bike.
Racing
Racing wheels are highly specialized wheels and will be the most expensive wheels. These wheels are designed for maximum strength and the lightest weights possible.
You’ll want to consider some of the carbon fiber or composite wheelsets on the market today. The technology is changing almost on a daily basis with composites. These types of wheels offer the greatest combinations of strength without sacrificing weight. Of course this all comes at a cost, if you can handle the price of these wheels they will catapult you to the next level of racing.
Box or Aero Section Rims
These are the two basic designs for rims.
Box-section rims are square or rectangular in shape. They are light, accelerate quickly and have the most comfortable ride.
Aero rims are triangular in shape. Aero-shaped rims are stronger, create less wind drag, and are stiffer, which means also a less comfortable ride.
Clinchers, tubular or tubeless
The majority of rims today accommodate tires called “clinchers,” which contain tubes inside. These tires are held on the rim with a mechanical fit. The tire beads “clinch” the rim.
There’s another type wheelset with rims made for tires called “tubular” also known as a “sew-up”. Tubular tires are common in professional road racing because they have a true round profile, which provides a smoother ride than standard tires, which is favored by racers who spend entire days in the saddle. This round profile is due to the tubular’s casing being sewn together at the bottom. There’s a tube inside just like inside standard tires, but it’s sewn inside. Besides the smoother ride, tubular wheels and tires are usually lighter than standard models, because of the fact that tubular rims are simple box sections.
Tubular rims aren’t common on most road bikes because of the hassles involved in fixing flats and the fact that to mount the tires, you must glue them on the rims.
The newest road tire type is tubeless. They eliminate pinch flats, save some weight and significantly improve ride quality. These, too, require a special rim, so only wheelsets with tubeless-compatible rims will accept tubeless tires. This is because with tubeless tires the tire and rim fit together with an airtight bead lock. And, there are no holes inside the rim, and a special Presta valve that’s installed in the rim.
As you can see there are a lot of considerations when choosing your next wheelset. Everything mentioned above must be taken into careful consideration. Whether your looking for wheels for racing, touring or just weekend riding.
Remember to just do your best to balance price, weight and durability within your riding style needs.
Happy spinning.
