| The first bicycle wheels were from a horse drawn | | | | and aerodynamics and a very beautiful looking bicycle |
| cart, made of wood with a metal band round the | | | | rim. As with most things if money is no problem you |
| bicycle rim, very hard and very uncomfortable to ride. | | | | can go for the best, this would be an all carbon rim, |
| Then a man called Dunlop (Scottish) invented the | | | | strong and very light, but there are a few problems |
| pneumatic tire, this along with Macadam (another Scot) | | | | with these rims, first they don’t brake so well in |
| inventing the tar road surface made cycling a lot more | | | | wet conditions and you must use special brake blocks |
| comfortable. | | | | for carbon and they can be expensive, also the rim |
| The bicycle rim, like the bicycle frame hasn’t | | | | has to be perfectly round and not have any bulges in |
| changed much in design, its still round and always will | | | | the rim wall as this will make braking quite erratic, |
| be. From the first wooden rims the next were made | | | | carbon is a difficult material to work with and must be |
| of steel, then alloy and now if you can afford it, carbon. | | | | well looked after. |
| Of all bicycle parts the bicycle rim can make a big | | | | Types Of Rim To Consider |
| difference to how your bike handles. First the weight | | | | There are also two types of rim to consider and this |
| of your rim affects your sprinting and climbing as the | | | | depends on which kind of tire you want to use, first |
| weight will low you down, for a long, flat effort the | | | | there are tubular tires these are glued on to the bicycle |
| weight isn’t so important as when you get the | | | | rim, cost more and are difficult to repair after a |
| wheels rolling the weight can help to keep them going. | | | | puncture, but for racing they feel and ride wonderfully. |
| The shape of the rim can be important also, a flat rim | | | | Clincher tires have improved a lot recently and are |
| is best for climbing as aerodynamics are not so | | | | nearly as good as tubulars for performance and are |
| important on a hill, a deep section, aero, rim will help you | | | | easily repairable and more reasonably priced. Most |
| cut through the air, but in a cross wind could cause you | | | | manufacturers make all styles in both systems. |
| handling problems. | | | | So which should I buy? Not an easy answer, as there |
| Bicycle Rims Materials | | | | is so much to choose from, years ago you went to |
| The different materials used for rims are very | | | | your local bike shop, picked out which hubs, spokes |
| important also, steel is heavy and if damaged can be | | | | and rims you wanted and he would build your wheels, |
| difficult to pull back into shape, but because its so | | | | but now most rim makers also manufacture there |
| strong it is quite difficult to bend in the first place and | | | | own wheel sets, Mavic, Shimano and Campagnolo are |
| steel is cheaper than all the other materials. Alloy is | | | | probably the best known, check out there web-sites |
| probably the most popular rim, it can be made in any | | | | for all there new goodies, there are other brands and if |
| shape and profile, flat or aero, but not too deep as it | | | | you go to your local cycle shop or look in the bike |
| would then weigh too much, most deep section rims | | | | magazines you’ll find them. There is a lot to |
| are of a alloy braking section nearest the tire which is | | | | choose form, but they are all round. |
| then mounted to a carbon deep section for lightness | | | | |