- Of course we all (hip hop music)
ride on wheels, but how much do you
really know about those wheels?
Well, in this video we're gonna take a wheelie
and then look at what is beneath you,
break down the individual components,
and give you all the vital stats.
So, let's take a look at those wheels,
and you've got different sizes.
You've got 24 inch.
You've got 26 inch.
You've got 27 and a half, and then the big ones,
the 29 inch wheels, and that comes down to
the rim diameter.
So, you've got your rim here.
Then, you've got your spokes.
You can get these bladed.
You can get them straight.
All sorts, we're gonna get into that in a little bit,
and then, of course, you've got the centre part
which is this hub right here.
You've got bearings inside of there,
and then this thing right here,
well that's you're free hub.
Okay, so first things first, let's take a look
at what actual axle widths the hubs come in.
Taking the front wheel, you've got standard QR,
and then this one here is a little bit bigger.
You can actually see that it's a 15 mil diameter.
You can also get that in a 20 mil,
and then you've got the boost option,
which is 110 millimetres in width,
15 or 20 depending on your fork.
Let's pick up that rear wheel, though.
There's slightly more options here,
and it is a little bit more complicated.
So, you've got, you can already see
that that is actually a lot wider,
just to get that cassette onto the wheel itself,
and then you can get these in quick release,
which is normally 135, you then get it in 142,
and also 148, which that boos option, too,
but for those big downhill bikes,
you actually find they've got a wider hub space,
and just to give it a little bit more strength and rigidity.
You'll get into 150 mil, and also even 156 mil
for some of those newer bikes.
So, it's quite an option, and if you're thinking
about getting new wheels, then this is
a main consideration you should be thinking about,
because you don't want to get that in the wrong size.
Okay, so what I want to actually talk about now
is the freehub, and this little thing is
what really drives the wheel forward,
but in this case, first of all, what I want to talk about
is the different sizes that you get it.
You can get it in a SRAM XD driver body, which is this,
or you actually get it in a Shimano freehub,
which has got slightly longer splines,
all the way along the freehub body,
but what's really interesting about this thing
is the pawls, and that's these little things right here
which are actually on springs, and they'll
spring back and forth, and when they're connected
to the ratchet system of the hub,
that is what allows you to accelerate.
The biggest decision that you've got to make
is about that rim, and this comes down to the material.
You can either go for a carbon one,
or an aluminium one.
If you go for alloy one, then it's gonna be a lot cheaper.
You're gonna save a lot of money
if you do need to replace a rim at any point.
Also, one big thing that a lot of people
don't actually realise is when you dent that rim,
it can quite often save you from a puncture,
but the carbon rim, and this is something
that I'm quite new to.
I've not really ridden one all the much,
but it does really improve the ride of the bike,
and makes it a lot more stiffer.
So, you're really pushing the bike into those turns.
You've got extra grip.
The pressure is really going through the tyres.
It's not moving, and it's a lot easier to maintain, too.
It's not gonna out of true so easily,
but the big thing about rim choice
is make sure that if you are buying new wheels
that you get them tubeless ready.
This has got to be one of the best upgrades to your bike.
Sticking with rims, what I want to talk about
is this internal rim width right here.
What you're going to find is if
you've got a wider one, then it's just
gonna change that tyre profile.
You've got a larger volume.
So, it's gonna dampen some of those small bumps,
especially when you're going through rock gardens,
and then in turns you're gonna have a lot more grip.
Personally for me, I like to have a bit of a wider rim,
especially when I'm riding in duro,
and wider the rim, you're gonna have
a bigger tyre profile, which can lead to punctures.
So, just experiment.
Do some research, and find out what really suits
your riding style.
Okay, so we've talked about that rim choice.
We've broken down the hub and told you
each part that's in there.
There's one thing left to talk about,
and that's the spokes, these guys that
connect everything together and ensure
that you've got a super strong wheel.
What I want to talk about, though,
is a traditional J-bend versus this style here,
which is a straight pull, and you can see the spoke
goes right in through the hub flange,
and all the way to the nipple.
So, if you do break one of these, it is dead easy
to replace, but there are some trade offs, too.
You can actually find that these can
sometimes seize into the hub or into the nipple,
and the can be really hard to actually tension back up.
With blade spokes and the straight pull,
they're a little bit easier to sort of adjust
and sort out, but the J-bend is sort of
the traditional, the easier one to do,
but it does have it's weaknesses.
You might have found that you've snapped a spoke
right up there, and that is what this straight pull
really eliminates, and if I was you,
if you're gonna get custom built wheels,
and you can find a hub that suits the straight pull spoke,
then go for it.
Okay, so there is the wheel hopefully explained.
There's only one point that I've missed,
and I probably think that's the nipples.
I'm sure you gonna pick up,
and ask some question about that.
Well, you know, they go for brass
or alloy ones right here, and then the cool thing is
you can actually colour coordinate these
to your hubs, or any other anodized parts on the bike.
Hopefully I've explained it all.
If you've got any questions, then please
leave it in the comments down below,
and we'll do our very best to answer them.
If you want to watch some videos from GMBN,
then make sure that you click right on that globe,
cause you'll never miss another one,
and then click up there to find out
is upgrading your wheels worth it,
click down there for how to fit and choose new wheels,
and then there's only two things left to do.
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