How to Choose Bike Wheels

How to Choose Bike Wheels

Bike wheels are simple right? There’s two of them, they’re round, they go in circles and let you go places, not much to talk about there. The world of bike wheels can get complicated quickly though. There are a whole bunch of technical terms, different standards, high-tech materials, and technical jargon that make the simple process of picking new wheels for your bike a potentially tricky task.To get more news about mountain rims, you can visit zpebicycle.com official website.

Amid all that noise, there are a few fundamental terms and features that have the biggest impacts on how your wheels perform, how much they weigh, and how long they last. So if you’re looking for a new pair of wheels, for any bike, from your road whip to a downhill sled, we’ve put together this guide on how to choose bike wheels, rims, hubs, and spokes to help you decipher all the chatter. So dig in, figure out what features really matter the most to you, and then go have fun riding those new wheels, confident that you found a set that’s perfect for you.
All types of bike riders are interested in making their bikes as light as possible, without sacrificing durability. But wheels are an especially important place to save weight. That’s because they act as a rotating mass, so their inertia affects the bike’s ride quality even more. There’s an old saying that “an ounce off the wheels is worth a pound off the frame.” And in practice, that holds true. Lighter wheels help your bike accelerate more easily, they make it quicker, and more playful. It’s impossible not to feel the difference a lighter wheelset makes.

But weight is just one part of a triangle of attributes that you’re looking for. It must be balanced with durability, and stiffness. Generally, lighter wheels are less durable than heavier ones, unless you pay a premium for carbon wheels. And lighter wheels are often more flexible, so more aggressive riders will feel them flexing in hard corners, which is disconcerting. So, while weight shouldn’t be your first priority when shopping for new wheels, it’s an important factor to think about.

One of the biggest controversies in modern mountain biking has to do with hub spacing. Hub spacing is simply the width of the hub of the wheel, as it fits into the frame or fork. Folks argue about the merits of different spacings, but the good news is, it doesn’t really matter if you’re just buying new wheels for a bike you already own. You just need to make sure you’re buying wheels with the same spacing that your frame and fork have. Make sure to check both, manufacturers will list frame spacing on their websites, and fork manufacturers will, too. If you bought your bike used, don’t assume the fork has the same spacing listed on the bike when it was new, it may have an aftermarket fork with different spacing, so it’s always good to double check.

In general, wider spaced frames and forks allow for stiffer wheels. The wider the spoke flanges are, the greater the bracing angle between spokes is, and the stronger and stiffer the wheels are. Here’s a chart of common axle spacings.