Many bikes come as standard with a wheelset that is perfectly safe, durable, and suitable for the bike and rider. However, it’s the best way to upgrade your bike for an instant boost in performance, speed, stiffness and ride quality.
Your wheels are the largest rotating components on your bike. Therefore they offer the greatest performance gains for the money spent.
Weight – Each wheel has a hub with 2 sets of bearings, a Freehub on the rear with another 2 sets of bearings, 10 – 30+ spokes and nipples of various properties, a rim, tube or sealant and a tyre.
Very easily, the weight on a wheel can be reduced. This will help acceleration and general riding efficiency.
Performance – With better materials comes radial compliance and lateral stiffness. Put simply, the wheel can tolerate load better and will flex less from side to side. Aluminium, carbon and combinations thereof will affect performance and price. Braking surfaces are always improving – meaning an upgraded wheel will ride better, brake better, feel better and be faster.
Aerodynamics – Rim profile, spoke count and wheel design can significantly affect a wheel. Low to deep profile depending on rider goals, rim width allows wider tyres (subject to frame clearance) improving aerodynamics, ride quality and handling, fewer spokes reduce weight, bladed spokes improve airflow.
Look – new hoops can change your bike style! Black or silver spokes and rims or custom decals to match a colour scheme. Classic wheels for a classic frame, or the very latest trends and technology.
It is also worth considering an expertly built custom wheelset. These will last years (with minimal service cost) and offer total serviceability of the hub, spokes and even rim replacements over time.
Remember, whatever you end up spending money on, you can take with you, transfer between bikes as you change. Keep the old wheels as spares, for a turbo trainer or just to sell on the bike in due course.
Speak to us at Revolution Cycle Sport, we can advise you initially, source most major brands, and are a Hunt Wheel Stockist. Fitting will be included in the price. We also do wheels builds – upgrade using an old hub onto new rims, or start fresh and choose exactly what you want. Colours, materials, and design.