Category Archives for Bike Rims
26 Inch Mountain Bike Rims: Best Choices for the Money
Whether you are a seasoned expert or new to the hobby, mountain biking is a fun, physically active hobby that has been increasingly growing in popularity in recent years. There is good reason for this—it is a fun and fast-paced activity that you can enjoy with friends and family or other mountain bikers. Mountain bikers can ride in a more calm and leisurely fashion or can make an extreme sport out of it. This is a versatile activity that can be fun for people of different skill levels and age groups.
Many people, especially those who are more serious about their mountain biking, will construct their mountain bikes from different, high-end, performance parts, rather than buying a complete, pre-built bike. There are many reasons to do this, even if you are new to the activity. When you choose the various components of your bike, you can research each part to ensure that you are getting a quality product that will provide you with the comfort or performance you are looking for.
One aspect of mountain bikes that people often don't pay enough attention to is the rims or wheels you choose for your bike. Most people confuse wheels with tires, but wheels are the physical frame the tire is slid around. It might not seem like something you should need to pay much attention to, but the type of wheel you choose will actually make a huge impact on the performance and comfort of the ride of your bike.
What follows is a brief rundown of something you will need to consider when choosing the best mountain biking wheels for you, followed by short reviews of three different high-quality wheel and rim options.
Things to Consider When Choosing Mountain Bike Wheels
Firstly, you will want to determine what size mountain bike wheels you will want. When it comes to bike wheels, size really matters and will make a huge difference in how the bike rides, as well as how it performs.
For mountain bikes, there are three basic wheel sizes: 26”, 27.5”, and 29”. We recommend 26” wheels as this seems to be the best blend of stability and performance when it comes to sizes. You will want to check to make sure what size wheel your bike is compatible with, but many standard mountain bike frames are designed for 26” wheels.
You will also want to consider the width of the wheels. While it might seem like this is just an aesthetic preference, it also does affect performance. For reasons of both style and performance, the recent trend with wheels is to have a wider rim. In the past, the standard width was 19 mm, now it ranges from 21 to even over 30 mm.
As you increase the width of the rim, you increase the footprint size and air volume of the tire. This leads to enhanced stability, as well as better traction. The downside is that tires with wider rim widths tend to weigh more, which can negatively affect speed.
The weight of the rim is another factor that you will want to take into consideration. If you are doing a lot of uphill riding, you may prefer a lighter, more agile wheel. Lightweight wheels make it easier to climb steep inclines and can also add to improved handling as well. Many people report that lighter, thinner wheels also lead to improved braking ability.
Of course, the durability and cost of the wheels is also an important factor. It helps to choose wheels and rims that are well reviewed as durable and sturdy. It can also be helpful to set a budget in advance so as to help narrow down and eliminate options that you will need to research.
WheelMaster 16” Steel Bicycle Wheel
WheelMaster is a trusted and reputable maker of a variety of different kinds of bike wheels, from those designed for road bikes to those that are made for performance mountain biking. Their steel bolt on 26” wheel is an excellent choice and is a good blend of quality and affordability, available for less than $40 a wheel.
The wheel is made of high-grade steel with a black finish and features spokes made from 14 g chrome. The hub is 5/16 axle and is a bolt-on style.
Vuelta XRP Pro 26” Mountain Bike Wheel Set
Vuelta is a high-end, popular maker of a wide range of top-of-the-line mountain bike equipment and related accessories. Their XRP Pro 26” wheel set is an excellent value at less than $150 for a pair of super high-quality mountain bike wheels and rims.
The wheels are boxed alloy with pinned alloy wheels and also feature bladed aero spokes. The wheels also feature a super smooth sealed cartridge bearing hub and the wheels work incredibly well with both disc or rim brakes and come with a limited warranty from the manufacturer.
Sta-Tru Black Shimano Deore M590 8-9-10 Speed Cassette 26” Wheel
Sta-Tru is another trusted maker of a range of different bike wheels, including their Shimano Deore 26” wheels. These are high-end performance wheels that are available for less than $100 a wheel.
The wheels are perfect for expert riders and feature durable STW DW double wall 32h rims, as well as a Cassette 8-9-10 loose bearing hub. The wheel also has UCP spokes and features a bolt-on axle for easy installation.
Whether you choose one of the high-quality wheels and rims we briefly review here or use this as a starting point, it is important that you choose a high-quality, sturdy, and durable wheel that fits your bike and will provide a safe, stable, and comfortable ride. For this reason, we recommend 26” wheels for most mountain bikes as this is a good blend of performance and stability. You can easily find high-performance wheels from a wide range of different manufacturers, some of which are especially suited to certain types of terrain or activities to perfectly meet your individual needs.
Bike Rims: How to Choose the Best
Those rims (or bicycle tires) on your bike wheel are much more important than you might think. They are needed to create a steady and smooth ride. They are required to keep the bicycle at an even level while handling the pressures and shocks you come across on a trail. Rims on both the front wheel and the rear wheel can also help with managing the drag that might be produced as you’re riding.
Whether you own a mountain bike, a street bike or a road bike, rims are indeed a true necessity and whether we are talking about a wide rim, slim design or the tire size, tires make the difference. But, over time, your will start to experience fatigue. You may notice a groove or hole on your bike rim that disappears as it wears out. Some dents and depressions around the rims also show the wear on these parts.
You will have to get those bike rims replaced regularly. There are many pointers worth using when choosing such rims. You must check carefully on what you can get out of these rims as they come in many forms for an assortment of demands.
Which Section Is Right?
There are three types of bike rim to choose from. These are divided into sections with each option being suitable for specific types of rides:
- A shallow section rim offers a slim design. This is typically made with a lighter carbon fiber material. Such lighter rims are better for mountain climbing bicycles.
- A mid-section rim is a little thicker on the outside. This is light enough to handle more climbing activities but still thick to handle flat roads. It does not feel as much of an impact from winds felt as it travels quickly.
- The deep-section rim features a body where the outside parts are about an inch thick or more. This is used to cut through windy conditions and keeps the drag on the bike from being too strong. These are better for flat surfaces and are especially perfect for race use.
Do You Need a Tube?
The tube on your rim is important as it supports a strong tire. However, some bike rims are made with tubeless designs.
A typical tube-based design fits around an inflatable tube that supports the tire. The rim will come with a slight groove on the outside parts to help support a tube and keep it in place.
A tubeless option uses added pinching features all around the outside. These help to create a better fit for a tubeless tire variant. This is a little heavier in weight but it also offers a crisp look while supporting tires that are not likely to struggle with air loss, what with there being no tubes involved.
What Is It Made Of?
Steel has been used as a key material for bike rims. Aluminum has become more popular in recent time, though. Aluminum rims are popular for handling more physical pressures. They are often made from recycled materials too, thus making them popular on the green scene. Aluminum rims also handle the intense heat of a ride better than others. This, in turn, creates a comfortable feeling for your ride.
Carbon fiber has especially become appealing in recent times. It is even stronger than aluminum and still lighter in weight. It can work in many shapes and sizes and will still remain strong no matter how it is used. It can run hot when going downhill, though.
Do They Have To Be Wide?
You can go for wider bike rims if you prefer. Wider rims aren’t going to bear with more stress from wind than other slimmer rims. If anything, wider rims offer a little more forgiveness over your ride. They let you ride a little smoother and without too much stress being added to the tires. Wider rims will also entail less rolling resistance. This allows you to have more control over the bike while going on various slopes.
Wider rims are better if you have rougher surfaces to go on. These are great if you plan on turning often or need to turn rather fast. These allow for a little more balance while not being too rough on the road. Of course, slimmer rims can be used on smoother spots but they won’t be as forgiving as wider ones.
Aluminum or Carbon Brakes?
Your rim will support either an aluminum or carbon braking system. The system is designed based on the materials used for the grip that secures the rim. An aluminum system offers a smoother stop and can work wonders in all weather and road conditions. A carbon system can stop a tire faster but works better in dry conditions. Check carefully on your riding demands to see which option is right for you.
Of course, such brakes can cause your rim to wear out over time. The added fatigue that is generated will be consistent among both aluminum and carbon brakes.
How Are the Spokes Connected?
The spokes that link to you rims are more than just nice-looking metal wires. They also support your rim and offer enough of a balance. The spokes must be placed as evenly as possible.
You can find plenty of round spokes but flat spokes are becoming more popular. These are slimmer in their design and create less of a drag on your rims. Still, they are more fragile than round ones.
You have to look at how intense your rides are versus how fast you go when riding. Flat spokes are best for your rims when you’re trying to go faster and aren’t likely to be on rough surfaces.
Be prepared to look carefully at the bike rims you want to get. Bike rims are varied and come in all kinds of styles. Check carefully on how you plan on using your bike based on planned surfaces and speeds among other points so you’ll have rims that fit in perfectly. Don’t forget to see how the spokes are linked. The excitement of riding a bike can be a thrill in its own right but you have to look carefully to see that your rims are designed to fit your particular needs when riding.