Fastwheel focus
From tubeless to tyres, here’s how to maximise your bikewheel performance
“Tubeless tyres are better when it comes to puncture resistance and avoiding pinch punctures. This is when the inner tube is ‘pinched’ between tyre and rim”
01 Tubeless or clincher?
● A key question when it comes to wheel is, tubeless or clincher? Clincher tyres, with their simple inner tubes, are the system we grew up with, and they’re still one of the best and fastest options around.
Our senior tech editor, Warren, vouches for the tubeless system, however, especially if you run tyres over 28mm wide. Tubeless are better when it comes to puncture resistance and avoiding pinch punctures. This is when the inner tube is ‘pinched’ between tyre and rim (when you hit a pothole at speed, for instance). A wellmaintained tubeless set-up will seal small punctures from thorns and flints, as well giving you greater control over tyre pressures as you can run tubeless tyres at lower pressures. The downside is the learning curve of fitting them and the expense if your bike’s rolling stock isn’t compatible.
We’d recommend sticking with clinchers on 25mm-wide tyres, but when going bigger to 28mm and even wider gravel-like volumes, we’d opt for tubeless.
02 Expanding sizes
● You’ll often see numbers such as 700 x 25mm. This refers to the size of the tyre. 700 tyres mount on to 700c rims, which is the most common size for road bikes (some gravel bikes may have 650b wheels). The second number refers to the width of the tyre in millimetres once it’s inflated (though the width of the rim that a tyre is mounted on also affects the inflated size, so this is more of a guide). If you’re looking at buying road-bike tyres larger than 25mm, you’ll need to check that your frame and fork both have adequate clearance.
Until recently, most road bikes only had clearance for 25mm tyres so, unless you’ve got a relatively new bike, it’s sadly not a given you’ll be able to upgrade to a 28mm tyre or larger. If your road bike is relatively new – and especially if it has disc brakes – then you’ll likely be able to fit a 28mm tyre or larger.
03 Central to the action
● The hub is the central part of your wheel to which the rim and spokes are attached. It’s encased within a shell. Upfront, the axle in the hub’s centre allows the wheel to spin freely. A set of bearings at the end of its tube-like design rotate in sync with the rotation of the wheels to cut friction. Outback, the ball bearings are complemented with a cassette or sprockets. This drives the back wheel and, unless on a track or fixed-gear bike, lets you freewheel, too.
The two most common ball-bearing systems are cartridge and ceramic. Cartridge is a sealed system, enclosed within a tube to last longer. At the top end, you have ceramic bearings that reduce friction and so require less effort to keep spinning. Popular hub brands include Hope and DT Swiss.
04 Don’t forget your tyres…
● Wheels may be one of the first things to upgrade on a bike, but don’t neglect your tyres. Put simply, better tyres result in a better ride. You wouldn’t fit budget rubber on a Ferrari, so don’t skimp on your bike tyres.
The good news is that compared to other bike parts, they don’t cost the earth. A search on the internet shows that good-quality tyres don’t cost more than £70 per tyre. That may not be cheap but, as a component that has a significant impact on how your bike rides, it’s a relatively affordable upgrade.
05 …or your inner tubes
● Riding a bike is all about overcoming resistance. This comes in the form of aerodynamics plus overcoming friction in the system. Then there’s gravity, where weight comes into the equation. And you’ve also got rolling resistance, which can be cut by using good tyres at the right pressure. Yet, even if you run the fastest-rolling tyres, if you use them with cheap, heavy inner tubes you’ll negate the qualities of the tyres you’ve just invested in.
Inner tubes come in many forms from cheap, thick butyl tubes that won’t puncture
06 Seeking aero gains
● Although there are cheaper ways to boost your aerodynamic profile, such as form-fitting clothing or a slick helmet, deeper-section aero wheels offer some of the greatest speed gains you can find. The difference between basic training wheels and deep-section rims can be as much as four minutes over a 40km ride. In short, aero wheels are essential if you’re serious about bike speed. The downsides are that they’re slightly heavier than shallower carbon wheels and even the best aero wheels are pushed around a bit on windy days. That said, manufacturers have recently been placing greater emphasis on the comfort and compliance of their wheels, something that’s also helped by your choice of tyres. easily but also won’t roll that well, through to gossamer-thin latex tubes that reduce rolling resistance to a minimum but can be fragile.
We’d recommend looking for a good, premium ‘race’ inner tube and avoiding bargain-basement butyl tubes (unless it’s for a commuter bike where puncture protection is more important than speed), while experience has taught us to be wary of expensive ultra-light tubes on rough British roads.
07 The importance of PSI
● Why does PSI (pound-force per square inch) matter? Let’s start with comfort as your tyre is the sole contact point with the ground, so inflation apathy results in a needlessly uncomfortable ride. Your ideal pressure for the terrain and weather can also make you more efficient, with studies showing up to 70-watt gains depending on speed and ride duration. And then there’s the biggie – avoiding snakebite flats (pinch flats), caused by the tyre bottoming out on the rim due to under-inflation. Broadly, and taking into account factors such as bodyweight and rim width, road-tyre PSI ranges from around 85 to 120psi (for gravel you’re looking at between 40 and 80psi). According to Pirelli, on a dry ride on tarmac, those of you using 700x23c tyres on a 17mm rim who weigh 66-73kg should hit 102psi. That rises to 115psi if you’re over 89kg.
“We’d recommend looking for a good, premium ‘race’ inner tube and avoiding bargainbasement butyl tubes”