How to choose wheels for a bicycle

In the design of the modern bike wheels play an important role. It is on their type that the bike rolls and its capabilities in certain conditions, the maximum speed and braking efficiency, as well as many other features depend.

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Top manufacturers
Options for choosing wheels for a bike
Choose the diameter of the wheels of the bike

choose a wheel for a bicycle

Which wheels to choose? Top manufacturers

Budget bikes and mid-range models are often equipped with inexpensive wheels, the functionality of which leaves much to be desired. And the first thing that comes to mind is to replace them with a better and more functional counterpart. As a rule, the choice is made from products of well-known manufacturers, whose name is widely known:

Continental
Dunlop
Presta
Schrader

Each of the above brands has a large number of different models designed for operation in certain conditions. When choosing, one should pay attention not only to the characteristics and catalog descriptions, but also to the reviews of specific users, taking into account both positive and negative sides.

Options for selecting wheels for a bike. What to pay special attention to?

When choosing an alternative to the wheels mounted on your bike, it is necessary to take into account the following features:

Rim profile design

an important parameter that directly affects the reliability of the wheel and its resistance to mechanical loads.

The oldest and least perfect is the single-wall rim design. Such wheels can be found in old Soviet bicycles produced by MMVZ, as well as in modern cheap Chinese bikes. They are suitable, perhaps, for the power of driving around the city without any sharp and dynamic loads.
It is considered more advanced double-wall construction, it can be found in most modern models of bicycles. Good strength and ability to withstand mechanical stress, coupled with a low price - these are its main advantages.
Three-wall construction of the profile is characteristic only for the MTB of the upper price range. The functional features of such rims are maximum, however, the price is far from budget;

Number of needles

The parameter directly affecting the reliability of the wheel, the ability to operate it in extreme conditions, as well as how much weight the rider can withstand the bike. The greater their number, the bike is suitable for more stringent operating conditions. For example, mountain bikes are almost always equipped with wheels for 32 spokes, road bikes - for 28. The material from which the spokes are made also plays an important role. Preference should be given to steel or titanium spokes, they provide maximum reliability and rigidity of the whole structure, allowing the manufacturer to reduce the total number of spokes without compromising reliability and functionality.

The method of attachment of the spokes to the rim

Direct attachment of the spokes to the aluminum rim. This method has a significant drawback - cracks occur rather quickly at the point of attachment of the spokes, which can lead to knitting of the spokes.

Fastening with the help of caps - special steel inserts in the rim, to which the needle is attached. This design significantly increases the overall strength, as well as increases the wheel price, and therefore it is quite rare on budget bikes.

The design and parameters of used tires

As in the case of automobile tires, bicycle tires are divided into many conventional classes, differing in the softness of used rubber, profile height, type and tread pattern. Pay attention to the parameters of the tire. They are denoted by two digits through the dash or fraction sign, the first of which denotes the width, the second - the landing diameter.

Choose the diameter of the wheels of the bike

wheel diameter

The diameter of the wheel used is directly dependent on the type of bike and its suitability to certain operating conditions.

Small wheels, with a diameter of 13-15 inches, are mounted on children's bicycles and their teenage counterparts;
Wheels with a diameter of 20-22 inches are widely used in "slow" city bikes, suggesting a slow movement around the city;
Mountain MTB and cross-country bicycles are almost always equipped with wheels with a diameter of 24-28 inches and a powerful, pronounced mud tread;
Wheels of maximum radius (about 30-32 inches), equipped with a narrow and tough tread mounted on road bikes and models for triathlon. Their mission is to develop maximum speed in extremely short periods of time.