Wheel System
Wheels are one of the key performance parts of a bicycle and are second only to the frame and forks when it comes to controlling overall riding dynamics. Use wheels that are too light and they will fatigue prematurely and will be prone to buckling with regular use. Use wheels that are too heavy and they will slow you down unnecessarily, use too much energy to get moving and be slow to stop.
Among the hundreds of parts that make up the modern bicycle, the wheels are unique: they are the only components that touch the frame and the road at the same time. That means that every aspect of the road surface, both good and bad, is transmitted to the frame and the rider through the wheels. The same is true in reverse. Every rider command, intentional or otherwise, ultimately meets the road surface through the wheels. In other words, success, failure, performance and experience depend directly on the design and quality of your wheels.
Bicycle wheels are made up of three main components; the rim, the spokes and the hub. The wheels attach to the dropouts on the rear of the frame and the fork by means of axle nuts or quick release skewers. Some downhill mountain bike front wheels have through axle systems that attach to the suspension forks dropout.
The central part of the bicycle wheel is the hub. It allows the wheel to turn and move forward. Manufacturers use different bearing systems of varying quality and this reflects in how smoothly the wheels will roll. Generally, sealed bearings are the best option for cyclists as they are easy to look after, roll well and economical to replace when they wear out. High quality ceramic bearings are considered to be the fastest and smoothest and companies like Zipp offer this as an upgrade option with their wheels… but be warned… there are a lot of cheap quality ceramic bearings that cost very little and perform even less! DT Swiss hubs are considered amongst the best in the industry in terms of overall value for money and performance; they are light weight, silky smooth and last for ages.
The rim is the outer part of the wheel; it is what the tyre and tube fit onto. Rims are manufactured from, steel, alloy, carbon or a combination of these. Steel rims are generally found in kids bikes and low quality supermarket bikes; they are quite heavy and inconsistent in their roundness. Alloy rims are the economical option though high performance wheels with alloy rims can be anything but cheap. Quality alloy rims are sometimes treated to increase strength and durability and box section and double wall designs dramatically increase the strength of the rim and the wheel as a whole. Rims have holes in them where the spoke nipples fasten. Some rims are reinforced at the hole by means of an eyelet aiding in reducing stress fractures and rim fatigue. Carbon rims are lighter, stronger and more shock absorbent and make your bike look absolutely awesome; they are also the most expensive. BMX bikes, Mountain Bikes and Hybrid Bikes generally use alloy rims while road bikes use both alloy and carbon rims.
The spokes are the link between the hub and the rim and turn the three individual components into one; a wheel. Spokes come in different lengths and shapes and are generally made from stainless steel or alloy. There are many different spoke configurations that can be used when lacing a wheel. Altering the configuration can change the way the wheel handles and responds; it can increase rider comfort, improve stiffness and strength, or reduce weight. Spoking patterns also have an effect on the overall look and visual appeal of the finished wheel. Some spokes are available if different colours enabling the customer to customize and personalize their new wheels or freshen up and old set making them look new again.
Designing and building a quality custom wheelset is considered by most bike mechanics to be the hardest thing to learn. While you can follow the textbooks and become proficient at building a wheel, wheel building is truly considered an art built on years of experience and talent. With the number of after market wheel sets now available to us, the need to build wheels for customers is becoming less and less every year and the art of the wheel builder is slowly dying.
Bicycle wheels are like mag wheels on cars; choose the right wheel set option and it will enhance and compliment your bike making it look way more expensive than it is, choose the wrong wheel set and it will look dull and ordinary.
