Today's article summarizes the "misconceptions" about road wheelsets, some of which have been true in the past but have become less true over time, and others that are intentionally or unintentionally spread by manufacturers that represent one aspect of a benefit rather than an overall benefit. The following opinions do not refer to specific brands.

1. Carbon spoke wheels are better than steel spoke wheels across the board?

Incorrect. The only advantage that carbon spokes can confirm over steel spokes is lightness. Many people think that carbon spokes have direct power and accelerate faster than steel spoke wheelsets, giving them an advantage when climbing and sprinting. However, the reality is that the acceleration feedback of a good steel spoke wheelset is not inferior to that of a good carbon spoke wheelset, and the performance difference between a good carbon spoke wheelset and a steel spoke wheelset is only 1 second. If you ride at lower power, the difference in performance through the spokes is almost negligible, and in theory the aerodynamic performance of steel spokes is even better. So you just have to choose the wheelset that suits you, regardless of whether they have steel or carbon spokes.

2. The one-piece structure of the wheelset is more advanced?

That's not entirely true. One-piece designs have the obvious advantage of being lightweight, but at the expense of very poor (or no) repairability. Monocoque wheelsets are always touted by manufacturers as superior to traditional spoke construction, primarily because of the excellent lateral stiffness and directness of the wheelset due to the excellent construction. But the question is whether too much stiffness benefits the driver. Just like the rigidity of the frame, if it exceeds a certain level, it becomes a burden for the rider. The feedback from a wheelset with a one-piece construction is very immediate, and you can say that you can feel the difference after just a few pedals. But is too much direct feedback faster? Not really. A well-designed wheelset with a one-piece construction would perhaps allow you to maintain moderate power without excessive fatigue, which is the kind of power one needs to climb long hills, and with the lightweight advantage that the one-piece construction brings , it could be a good climbing bike. But overall, traditional spoke construction is more flexible and allows for a more well-rounded and better designed wheelset.

3. Are straight spokes (hubs) better than curved spokes (hubs)? 

Wrong, the idea that straight spokes are better than bent spokes probably comes from the fact that in the early days only branded wheels used straight spokes, while in-house production still used bent spokes. However, today many custom wheelsets use straight spokes, and some good brand wheels use curved spokes, such as B. the Zipp 454 NSW. Honestly, there is no difference in performance between straight and bent spokes, and even the 454 NSW has an “unpredictable” feedback that you feel more and more the longer you ride it. The disadvantage of the bent spokes is the fatigue of the J-head section, the advantage is that you can get a larger flange distance.

4. The lighter the wheelset, the better?

That's not entirely true, lighter wheelsets are good, but you have to take the requirements into account. If it's flat then aero must be more important, if it's climbing then feedback must be more important. If the wheelset is only considered light, then it can be really light, slack rims are light, fewer spokes are light, hubs that are essentially skeletonized with no regard for durability are light, and the combination of these factors is a disaster . The premise of lightweight must therefore be not to sacrifice aerodynamics, feedback and durability.

5. Unstable high-frame wheel sets? 

A few years ago this statement was still true, but in recent years the aerodynamic concept of wheelsets has been completely revolutionized and high-frame wheelsets have become increasingly stable. This is partly because the rims have become wider and blunter and partly because the rim shape has been optimized. Typical of the former is the Roval Rapide CLX, which increased the external width of the front wheel to 35 mm and caused many questions and even ridicule when it was introduced. But within a few years, questioning the flash - understanding the flash - became the flash, and more and more brands introduced ultra-wide front wheel designs. After using the Bontrager Aeolus RSL 62, we know that optimizing the rim shape also improves stability, because with a frame height of 62 mm and an external width of 30.9 mm, the frame height is not reduced and the external width is not excessively increased.The Aeolus RSL 62 feels very stable and can be used even on windy days, making a high frame wheelset suitable for all weather conditions. This is a high frame wheelset that gives you aerodynamic advantages in all weather conditions.

6. Narrower tires are more aerodynamic?

If we only look at frontal wind, it is true that narrower tires are more aerodynamic, but in the real world we mostly face crosswinds and the combination of wider tires and wider rims is not only more aerodynamic but also more stable. In addition, wide tires have lower rolling resistance because the deformation at contact with the ground is rounded, which reduces the tire's deformation loss. Not to mention that wider tires can improve comfort with lower tire pressure, so the width of common road bike tires has evolved from 19mm, 21mm, 23mm to 25mm and even moved to 28mm.

7. Tubeless tires are more difficult to install than open tires?

Partially true, the first difficulty with tubeless tires is the initial assembly, which requires the tubeless tire to be inflated and inserted into the tire seat (lip hook), often with the aid of an air pump or reservoir pump, since a sufficiently large amount of air is required to inflate the tire to jack up. But there are also many tubeless tires that fit very well. We tested the S-Works Turbo 2BR T2/T5, the Pirelli P ZERO RACE 4S, the Sevin One and the Pro One, as well as the Goodyear EAGLE F1, which for the first time can be mounted with a normal vertical pump. This is easier than an open tire with a tube, because the tube needs to be carefully adjusted when used (especially with ultra-thin TPU tubes), especially when using a pry bar, and using a tube can cause the Tire is mounted incorrectly. Tubeless tires don't have these problems, just simple and rough assembly, so tubeless tires are sometimes better assembled.