Wheels are one of the first components that a cyclist usually changes when improving his mountain bike. It is a frequent investment that is usually made between 1 and 2 years after buying the bicycle, when the time has passed enough to have a budget again with which to improve bike and our evolution as a cyclist invites us to want to improve our performance.
If you are at that point and you are thinking of buying some wheels for your mountain bike, put a series of concepts that you should know before deciding for one or the other.
>> See mountain bike wheels
The distribution of pesos
One of the main reasons to change wheels is the weight. In cycling in general, and in the Mountain Bike in particular, there is an obsession to have the lightest components as possible.
Certainly the wheels are of capital importance when lightening the weight of a bicycle, but we must know that not all the elements of a wheel equally influence the distribution of the weight. It is a matter of physics.
>> The key to lighten the weight of your bicycle is on the wheels
We all know that to move a certain body we have to apply an energy or work necessary to move it. This is kinetic energy.
Thus, the whole of our bicycle will affect the kinetic energy of translation (work necessary to move an object through the space), and the wheels will also have to add the kinetic rotation energy (work associated with a rotational movement with an angular velocity ), which can cause the weight of the wheels to affect the double that of the rest of our bicycle components.
But this last statement is very relative, since depending on where we win the weight to our wheels it will be noticed more or less, and the closer to the Rotation Center we are less affecting the kinetic rotation energy. So the weight of a through axis or a bushing influences much less than that of the wheel ring or cover.
>> Suspension and wheels: two key elements when buying a Mountain Bike
This is important to take it into account, since sometimes we make the mistake of spending a few more euros in some wheels that have a lighter bushing thinking that with them we will shoot lighter. However, if the ring weighs more, the real effect will not be so advantageous.
What material is better?
In the market you can find wheels of different materials and even a combination of these. For example, some wheels have an aluminum structure (radios and ring) and the carbon braking track. The characteristics that a material or another provides to the wheels are the following:
Steel
Yes, although it seems that everything is dominated by aluminum and carbon, steel wheels are still being manufactured. They are very heavy wheels that are generally used for low bicycle ranges. So if what you are looking for is to improve your bike, you should not consider your purchase.
Aluminum
It is currently the most used material for the manufacture of wheels of Mountain Bike, although little by little this trend is changing because both professionals and high -end bicycles for fans already mount carbon wheels.
The main advantages of aluminum are in the price (cheaper than carbon wheels) and weight (lighter than carbon wheels).
Carbon
The benefits of carbon are already being implemented in almost all components of cycling, but on the wheels of Mountain Bike is costing more largely due to the sensation of fragility it causes. We tend to think that they are more fragile than aluminum.
The main advantages of carbon wheels for mountain cycling are notable. The weight, without a doubt, is the first thing that catches our attention, and that we can talk about half a kilogram of difference between those of aluminum and carbon (with everything that implies, as we saw before).
On the other hand, they offer greater rigidity and acceleration capacity, providing a softer shot.
But there is a big point against and it is the price, since good quality carbon wheels can start in about € 1,000, while their aluminum homonyms will walk in half of the price, about € 500.
>> Do I buy an aluminum bike or a carbon bike?
How to protect carbon wheels
With the arrival of carbon to the wheels of Mountainbike and the growing trend to the use of tubess type covers, we are the first fear of all: what happens is the cover the cover or I have a puncture that does not close the tubeless liquid? Do I hit a tire in a rock and the garbage wheel?
In my personal experience, carbon wheels are harder than they seem and do not break to the minimum tire as many fans fear. Even so, and for us to stay calm, many brands have put the batteries and have begun to market a component called
mousse.
He
mousse It is a cylindrical foam (usually low density polymers) that is placed inside the roof to avoid a tire in case of pressure losses.
It is used together with the tubeless fluid. Against it is the price, and it is that depending on the brand around € 40-50 per unit. There are also many people who complain that at the time their superficial layer is rooted, he can absorb all the tubeless fluid, so the status of the state must be controlled periodically.
>> The advantages of wearing tubess wheels in Mountain Bike
Wheel of tire
Currently the market trend is to wear increasingly wide tires, which gives us more stability, comfort and, thanks to them, we can roll with lower pressures. However, they have the disadvantage that a wider tire is a greater weight.
If what you are looking for is to lighten your bicycle to the fullest and discard a wider tire for this reason, you must take into account that you will sacrifice a more comfortable roller and greater traction.
Types of radios
An element that often goes unnoticed and we do not take into account in our purchase decision are the wheel radios.
The radios are responsible for supporting all tension between the hoop of the wheel and the bushing. Depending on the material and treatment they carry, certain driving advantages can offer us.
How many radios should a good wheel of Mountaun Bike have? It is normally recommended that they have 28 radios, but this number is not a fixed rule. There may be wheels with a smaller number of radios, but more resistant due to receiving more tension. You can also find wheels with a larger number of radios so that they absorb less tension each, but possibly are of worse quality.
Depending on their geometry, radios can be round or flat. In principle this should not affect performance, it is simply a matter of aesthetics or aerodynamics.
Depending on the bushing system, radios can be acodate or direct (also known as
Straight Pull). Acoded radios are cheaper and end up making an angle to anchor on the bushing. This angle is the one that suffers most of the tension. The direct radios enter straight on the bushing and are more reliable to distribute the tension throughout the radius and not at a specific point.
Types of bushings
The bushing is the centerpiece of the tire, where the wheel axis is connected to the bicycle. It has more importance than it seems, because when buying some bike bikes many cyclist do not know what kind of bushings and axles they need. The main types of bushings are as follows:
QR
This system was the one that was chosen in most bicycles, with a width of 100 millimeters on the front tire, 135 millimeters for the rear and a rapid closure of 5 millimeters.
Pin axis
With the appearance of the interns axes, the same bushing widths were maintained on the strikers and passed to 142 mm in the rear, winning stiffly with this new type of closure.
System Boost
The system
Boost It is a new bushing standard that began to be implemented as of 2017 (15 x 110 millimimeters for the front wheel and 12 x 148 millimeters for the rear wheel).
This change of wide has allowed gaining rigidity in the wheels by varying the angle of attack of the radios and getting a greater wheel step, which implies the possibility of mounting wider covers.
In addition, for bicycle manufacturers the implementation of the Boost system makes it easier to design flater rear pods that better absorb vibrations.
You have to take into account how the bicycle frame we have, because the wheels that use the system
Boost They cannot be mounted in boxes prepared for 100 and 142 mm.
For enduro and descent, 20 x 110 mm and 12 x 150 mm are reached.
Conclusions
If what matters most is to improve your mountain bike, you want to notice a great advance in performance and you have a certain saved presupport, some carbon wheels with boost system compatible with your picture are the best option.
If your budget is more adjusted, but you still want to improve the bicycle, between 400 and 500 euros you can find aluminum wheels that increase the performance with respect to which your bike brings standard.
>> See mountain bike wheels
