Lightweight MTB Wheels

admin | Tuesday, January 4th, 2011 | No Comments »

Mountain biking is a time honored and active sport that involves making the best use of a bike’s mass. Since it involves climbing steep inclines, maneuvering around objects on short notice, and various similar activities, the weight of a bike is one of the key factors in its handling. Realizing this, wheel manufacturers have developed extremely lightweight MTB wheels that can significantly reduce the weight of a mountain bike.

Advantages of Lightweight MTB Wheels

Light wheels are advantageous for all the reasons one might suspect. The following are a few situations in which lighter wheels might come in handy.

Jumps

If you’re the sort of mountain biker who likes to “get air” a lighter bike can allow you to go higher and farther. This only stands to reason. The less weight you have to get off the ground, the better air you can potentially get. Things like the frame also factor in to the weight of a bike, but light wheels are a good place to start.
That said, there are some important safety precautions regarding wheels and jumping or other high energy MTB activities, and they are discussed below.

Uphill Riding

There are also obvious advantages to using lightweight MTB wheels when doing uphill riding. Lightweight wheels help a rider to get that speed advantage even though gravity is against them. Since there is some extra weight lost by using the light wheels, the biker can put the bike into higher gear and get more power as he or she ascends.

Fast Maneuvering

Either on level terrain or going downhill, lightweight MTB wheels can help with fast maneuvering. A lighter bike responds more quickly. A lighter touch to the handlebars is sufficient to make the bike turn, and in situations where fast turning is required, even an extra tenth of a second can make a difference.

Cautionary Considerations

You need to exercise caution when you move on the basis of weight reduction in your MTB buying and outfitting strategies. The one thing that you can (even unwittingly) sacrifice in your quest to shave as many grams as possible off the weight of a bike is durability and safety. The following are a few considerations to keep in mind so that you don’t make this mistake:

Weight Ratio

You need to have an appropriate weight ratio between you and your mountain bike. Lighter wheels often have at least some reduction in strength and impact resistance as a tradeoff. If you’re heavy than is appropriate in comparison to the lightness of your wheels and bike in general, you can end up bending the wheels and possibly having an accident. Consult your bicycle dealer about the weight ratio limitations on any lightweight MTB wheels you but.

Impact Resistance

Similarly, lightweight MTB wheels may have slightly less impact resistance. So if you’re doing things like jumps or rough downhill riding, this can increase accident risk. The last thing you want is for a wheel to give out when you’re in the middle of a high speed, high impact situation. Again, consult your dealer or the manufacturer concerning the impact performance capabilities of any wheel you buy, and take this information seriously.

Tire and Rim Fit

It’s possible to put a tire of inappropriate width on a lightweight wheel rim. This is again a dangerous situation, because the tire can peel off at high speed or in the event of an impact. So know what the right tire size is for the rim you have purchased.

Lightweight MTB wheels are fine if used properly. But make sure you know what you’re doing when using them. Get all the relevant information necessary to prevent accidents and insure an enjoyable mountain biking experience.