Some people claim that there has been little innovation in bicycles in recent years. But anyone who compares a bike from today with one from ten years ago will see major differences. Electronic shifting has become mainstream, almost everything about bikes and clothing has become aerodynamic, and disc brakes have made their way to road bikes. But the biggest changes are found in wheels and tires.
Photo: Tailwind wheels, the in-house brand of Wheel-Tec.
There’s a lot to say about wheels and tires, which is why we’re launching a five-part series on this topic. To ensure the most up-to-date knowledge and hands-on experience, we reached out to Dutch high-end wheel builder Wheel-Tec.
Over the coming months, each episode will dive deeper into one of the five trends listed below. We’ll also welcome Wheel-Tec to a special podcast.
Whether you’re on a road bike, MTB, or gravel bike, tire widths are steadily increasing. On road bikes, 28 mm and 30 mm tires have replaced 25 mm as the standard. On gravel bikes, more riders are switching to tires wider than 40 mm. And on MTBs, 2.35-inch tires are increasingly becoming the norm, even in the Netherlands. Where does it stop? And what are the pros and cons? We’ll address these questions in part 1.
Not too long ago, internal rim widths for road bikes were just 15 or 16 mm. Today, 21 mm is the minimum, and MTB rims can be as wide as 30 mm. It’s clear that wider tires fit much better on wider rims. But is there a limit? And what about weight and aerodynamics?
Photo: Wheel-Tec features a well-equipped store/showroom in Alkmaar.
Tubular tires have been gone for a while, but even the classic butyl inner tubes seem to be on their way out. On one hand, tubeless setups are hugely popular across all bike types, even among professionals. On the other hand, there are tubeless skeptics who are experimenting with ultra-light TPU inner tubes. Which one will prevail, or will both continue to exist?
For years, there was hardly any innovation in spokes. But when Tom Pidcock won Olympic gold in MTB on ultra-light Dyneema Berd spokes, that changed. Berd spokes are particularly interesting for MTB and gravel wheels. We’ll conduct our own tests to explore their impact and possibilities.
Photo: Building a wheel with Berd spokes is a specialized craft.
Many rims now on the market no longer have a ‘hook’ at the edge, featuring the so-called hookless design. Hookless has been the standard in the automotive and motorcycle industries for years and is now fully accepted in MTB and gravel rims. However, there’s still some controversy when it comes to road rims. Opinions are divided, with both supporters and detractors. We’ll delve into the topic of hookless. Is it here to stay, or is the controversy justified, making hookless rims worth avoiding?
Do you have a topic you’d like us to discuss? Or do you already have a question for the podcast about wheels and tires? Feel free to email us or leave a comment.
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