Parts of a wheel - The good bits.

January 4, 2012

Hello there, speedfreaks!  Today we are going to more or less go in depth about wheels... talking about what makes a wheel fast.  There are four components to look at: hubs, spokes, nipples and rims.  I'll cover Hubs and rims here and spokes and nips next time. 
Depending on the terrain, a wheel is fast under any given circumstances in which it performs the best.  A wheel that responds coming out of a corner is fast.  A wheel that is lightweight will take less effort to spin up to speed and feel like it defies gravity going uphill is fast.  A disc wheel on the back of your bike can transform your bike into a freight train that there’s no slowing down once you get over 28 mph.  A deep carbon wheel set will react to every pedal stroke, etc… There are all around wheel sets that can cover any kind of situation well - without getting too far into highly specialized wheels that sit in a corner more than they're on a bike.

But at the center of every wheel is a hub.  A hub that rolls fast is the best hub, and high quality bearings and extremely tight manufacturing tolerances will ensure that your hub will roll fast for a long time. There are many options to select a hub that has high quality construction and bearings. 

Sealed bearing hubs from DT Swiss like the 240s - 314 grams/ pr, or  180 @ 290 grams a pair which use ceramic bearings and a lightweight freehub body have a unique star ratchet system which reduces drag over conventional pawl engagement designs. They set the standard for low weight high performance hubs with an incredibly simple design that is highly effective. Perfektion : Leave it to the Swiss...or the USA -  White industries T11 road hubs - 344 grams/ pr, and their new CX-11 11 speed cyclocross specific disc hub - 504 grams/ pr. 

are renowned for their quality craftsmanship and show finish– these hubs use high quality bearings, tight machine tolerances and a titanium freehub body that has the strength of steel with the light weight of aluminum.The spacing on the flanges is nice and wide at the front.   A large flange on the drive side has helped keep the tensions more even at the back and help prevent wind up.  The smaller flange on the non-drive side saves weight. Super sweet laser engraving- made in 'Merica! Titanium is a good choice for all riders because it is light as aluminum and strong as steel. So it keeps the weight down while preventing this .... 

Chris King hubs are amazing as well and have the renowned durability and quality that their name has come to be recognized with, providing a unique engagement system that transfers your power quicker than you can say breakaway. The R45 - 325 grams/ pr. is a revision of the classic King hubs. They have decreased the pawl engagement from 72 points to 45 to lower drag and reduce weight. What you can see in the cut away photo is King's patented Ring Drive system that offers faster engagement than a hub with pawls and is actually quieter. Chris King is the only manufacturer here that makes their own bearings and balls within the races. They make and use angular contact bearing which have a very high static load capacity - similar to a high quality loose ball bearing hub like Dura Ace. Super light aluminum axles and freehub body keep the weight anorexic. - Made in the U.S.A

  Of course, there is the old Japanese standby: Shimano.  These guys set the standard in design with their Dura Ace hubs, using a Titanium freehub body loose ball bearings, their bearing surfaces are precision machined to give the smoothest and most durable rotation assembly available.This is particularly important while a wheel is rotating on its axis where low grade sealed bearing can shift, increasing drag and slowing you down.

This is the big four favorites for wheel builders, but their are a myriad of excellent manufacturers out there that may fit your needs, budget, and aesthetic. Here are a few...Royce Ultralight/ Venus 432 grams/ pr., Alchemy Elf - 258 grams/ pr., KT - 328 grams/ pr , Hope Pro 2 Evo Disc hubs - 470 grams/ pr.. 

Choosing the right rim is precedent because you want something that is the best for the type of road feel and slippery wind cheating shape. On flat terrain where aerodynamics comes into play such as in a break away or time trial, a deeper section rim with a reduced spoke count or bladed spokes is best. A deeper section rim effectively reduces the spoke length needed to build a wheel, creating a stiffer stronger wheel. A stiff wheel is needed when a rider applies a great deal of lateral force to the bike when sprinting and climbing. Stiffness of a wheel reduces the lateral flex, thereby increasing the power transfer from the pedals to perpetuate forward motion. So rather than flexing side to side, a stiff wheel will allow a rider to get the maximum amount of power to the ground to go faster.

Let the terrain dictate the kind of wheel that will be the fastest for you. If comfort helps you go faster over rough roads, shallower rims are best. If pure speed is what you after than a deeper section rim with less spokes will improve the aerodynamics of your bike. Aero spokes will make it even faster. If you are a bigger rider, this may not apply and using more, thicker gauge spokes in a wheel will make you faster because there will be less chance that you will break a spoke and not be able to finish a ride or race. Rims we like to use have the best balance of modern technology and offer deep profiles for enhance aerodynamics and wider tire beds for stiffness and improved tire performance. What I'm talking about is wider is better, fo sho. Check out Bontrager's take on the world of tubeless compatibility with their Race Lite series.

Hed's Belgium C2 Scandium rims - 23 mm wide, and their new Belgium + , 25mm wide, are very strong and light even for the burliest of the burlesque. Welded seam and machined brake track. Disc specific rims have no machined sidewalls and look blacked out. If you've never ridden these, we have a set of Demo wheels for you to test.  For a complete custom wheel set starting at $700, these come in for less chowder than Hed's stock Ardennes wheelset and are guaranteed to blow your hair back.

H-Plus Son - Not urban slang for using a capital H - but a stout semi aero answer to Hed's 23 mm rim. With a welded seam and anodized or burnished aluminum finish options this rims make a statement and match pace with their performance.