Everybody is talking about wider rims for both road and mountain bike. What does
it really mean for you, the rider? There are a few wide rim profiles on the market
but they are either heavy, or too light and flexy. Bill Shook used his mathematical
abilities to design our revolutionary wide rims, attaining the goal of being light, stiff, strong, aerodynamic and wide, all in one rim. To start, wide rims mean riding lighter, smaller performance tires with cushiony, high air volume and firm surface grip. Larger width tires offer more air volume but they are heavy with a sluggish ride quality. The desired combined wheel and tire qualities are achieved by stretching out the smaller tire casing on a wide rim and effectively making the tire bigger. Also, smaller tires on wide rims reduce tire roll on the rims. With a narrow rim and a wide tire, the rim floats from side to side on the tire. Using a wider rim with a smaller tire minimizes float for improved handling, confidence and control. The rim is lower weight at the extreme outer edge of the wheel decreasing rolling resistance and boosting speed. Our wider, lighter rims translate into crisp accelerations, firm ground control, faster rolling on the flats and decisive handling for the extra edge needed by competitive athletes.