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<\/a><\/p>\nWheels have such a significant effect on your bikes overall performance becuase there’s no time when you’re riding that you aren’t taking advantage of one of the wheels performance aspects. If you’re climbing, light wheels will make that easier. Descending? Lateral stiffness keeps your bike tracking how you’d expect. Rolling along a rock-strewn fireroad to your favorite trail section? Good bearings and tough rims will keep you rolling.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, wheels are an expensive upgrade. If you’re going to make the leap, you want to make sure your wheels are tailored to your particular riding style, so you can reap the maximum benefit. The following questions will help you narrow down your search so you can make a more informed decision.<\/p>\n
What kind of riding do you do?<\/h4>\n
This is the primary starting point. It’s best to think about the kind of riding you want to do, rather than just what you’re doing right now, as you’re building the bike for that purpose.\u00a0If you’re a cross country rider, it’s likely that the climb is the most important part of your ride, and where you really want the bike to shine. A light, fast-rolling wheelset will make the biggest difference here. You can expect to shave off grams of rotating weight by running narrower rims (and tires), lower spoke counts, and using lighter materials (like carbon fiber for the rims). Your hub needs to spin efficiently on good bearings, and have a freehub mechanism that engages quickly for bursts of power to get you over obstacles on the climb.<\/p>\n A trail or enduro rider has different requirements of their wheels. The more important the descent is to your ride, the more lateral stiffness and wheel strength matters. While you still need to pedal up long or steep hills, you can sacrifice some weight savings for better control when descending. Wider rims, higher spoke counts, and more rim material are all beneficial to helping your bike track how you’d expect through rough terrain, making your bike more responsive and faster.<\/p>\n A downhill, freeride, or gravity-oriented rider is the most likely to damage their wheels by\u00a0smashing through places that are hard to walk through, much less pilot a bike over. When upgrading wheels for this aspect of the sport, look for wide, triangular-profiled rims offering the best strength and ground contact, and opt for higher spoke counts if possible, as these will be stiffer and stronger overall.<\/p>\n The elephant in the room with any wheel discussion is the use of carbon fiber in rim production. Carbon is a polarizing issue.\u00a0While it\u00a0is an ideal material for rim production, being simultaneously stronger, stiffer and lighter than most aluminum rims, it is considerably more expensive, and not particularly environmentally friendly. Still, the ability to have a wheel strong enough for gravity-riding hits at a weight acceptable to cross country rider is tempting to many riders.<\/p>\n The two major drivetrain manufacturers (SRAM and Shimano) use different mechanisms for securing the cassette to the rear wheel. Make sure that if you run a SRAM drivetrain, you purchase a wheelset that is compatible with the XD driver system. If your ideal wheelset isn’t compatible, you will need to head to your local LTP Sports dealer to grab a SunRace cassette.<\/p>\n The answer to this question will tell you what width of rim will be ideal for you. A wider rim tends to be laterally stiffer and increases the footprint of the tire you choose, making for better traction. A narrower rim will be lighter. If the terrain you ride is rough, and you want to push your bike to its limits, a wider rim (around 30mm internal width) will support you in that endeavor.<\/p>\n Believe it or not, your riding style and weight have a bearing on the wheels you choose. A heavier rider puts more force on their wheels in any given terrain. A light and laterally flexy wheelset under a heavy rider will adversely affect the bikes handling, to the point that the weight loss just isn’t worth it. If you like to throw your bike around a lot as you ride, investing in a stronger and laterally stiffer wheelset will ensure that your wheels stand up better.\u00a0Another factor to consider\u00a0as a larger rider is that you’re likely going to be putting out more torque than your smaller counterparts. Consider the wear that this can put on your components\u00a0and invest in a wheel with a tough\u00a0engagement system on the\u00a0rear hub, preferably using SRAM’s XD driver, which is less prone to failing under repeated high-torque loads. If you are stuck using a cassette, SunRace produce their wide-range cassettes with three-ring carriers for their lowest 6 rings, virtually eliminating the risk of damaging a freehub body from the torque on the rings.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you’re thinking about purchasing new wheels, drop by your local Live to Play Sports dealer<\/a>, where they can give you further advice, tailored specifically to your bike. In the mean time, consider these product suggestions:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWhat’s your material of choice?<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat kind of drivetrain do you have?<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat kind of terrain do you ride?<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nHow rough are you on the bike?<\/h4>\n
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\nCross-Country:<\/h4>\n
<\/a>RISE 60 (B1) CARBON TUBELESS 27.5 XC \/ RACE WHEELS<\/a>
\nPerformance XC \/ Trail \/ Marathon wheelset
\n\u2022 B1 series features updated hubs and redesigned rims for improved performance and durability
\n\u2022 Unidirectional carbon tuned rim \/ Hookless rim design
\n\u2022 26 mm outer width \/ 21 mm inner
\n\u2022 Double time ratchet mechanism features a 4 pawl design with offsetting engagement
\n\u2022 24 hole Rear \/ 24 hole Front
\n\u2022 1390 g \/ set
\nMSRP: $2864.98 (pair)<\/p>\n<\/div>\nAll Mountain:<\/h4>\n
<\/a>TRSR 27.5 CARBON WHEELS<\/a>
\n27 mm Hookless bead compression molded carbon rims are stronger and provide crisper steering response than alloy
\n\u2022 6 degree freehub engagement
\n\u2022 Carbon torsion tube in hub center
\n\u2022 28 Hole
\n\u2022 1 Year no questions asked warranty on bearings
\n\u2022 1690 g (Front + Rear)
\nMSRP: $2319.98 (pair)<\/p>\n<\/div>\nEnduro:<\/h4>\n
<\/a>SPANK OOZY TRAIL 345 27.5 WHEELS<\/a>
\nEnduro \/ All-Mountain \/ Trail wheelset for aggressive riding
\n\u2022 30.5 mm inner rim width \/ 22 mm rim profile \/ Dynamal alloy
\n\u2022 Oohbah reverse well profile for added rigidity and strength
\n\u2022 Oversized 32 hole hub with convertible end caps
\n\u2022 Sandvick triple butted straight pull 2.2\/1.7\/2.0 spokes
\n\u2022 10\/11 Speed Alloy freehub and internal axle (XD freehub sold separately)
\n\u2022 1920 g \/ pr
\nMSRP: $999.99 (pair)<\/p>\n<\/div>\nFreeride\/DH:<\/h4>\n
<\/a>SPANK SPOON 32 DH \/ FR \/ AM 27.5 WHEELS<\/a>
\n\u2022 32 mm inner rim width \/ 24 mm rim profile \/ Super-6 alloy
\n\u2022 6-Bolt IS disc brake interface
\n\u2022 32 hole hub with convertible end caps
\n\u2022 10 Speed steel freehub and internal axle (XD freehub sold separately)
\n\u2022 2350 g \/ pr
\nMSRP: $749.99 (pair)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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