e-rider
Banned member
- Location
- South West
its the feel of them on uneven ground - the rims are slightly wider at 23mm and with 25mm tyres they sit a lot flatter and squarer on the rim, so ride very nice indeed. they say they ride very close to a tubular tyre in feel, but having never rode a tubular tyre i cant really compare
Velocity say:
The idea behind a 23mm wide rim is that when paired with a 23c tyre, the internal width of the rim clinches the beads just right so that the tyre profile is very similar to that of a tubular rim. All ‘techno-jargon’ a side, it’s pretty much a “Clinchular” set-up. You get all the benifits of a tubular ( super smooth ride with low rolling resistance) with the convenience of a clincher.
The theory behind 23mm wide rims rather than 21mm wide rims is that they support 23c tyres better. Traditionally the advice was that if you had a rim as wide as this, 23c would be the minium tyre size to run on it. However, the market is moving towards wider rims. Measuring the external diameter of a rim is in some respects unhelpful, as the tyre is hooked on internally. Traditionally road rims were 13mm or 13.5mm internal. That allows from 18-28c comfortably. Internal measures of rims in relation to external measures vary depending on the profile of the rim and thickness of the sidewall. My best guess is that this runs a 16mm internal which is virtually touring width. However, this must not be mistaken for a touring rim. It is a road weight and road strength.
Running this rim with a 23c tyre is perhaps a little slim and unlikely to feel exactly like a tubular. However running this rim with a 25c tyre will make for a fast but particularly comfortable wheelset. The mid section profile of the rim also retains reasonable stiffness.
I used to ride tubs all the time many years ago - I never noticed any difference to good quality clinchers. There is talk all over the cycle industry about how some stuff feels different to other things blah blah blah. In reality, non of these cycling 'journalists' can actually notice any difference, they just spew the marketing bullshit back up, which in turn everyone down the club repeats on the Sunday morning club run or mid-week TT.
- I know that all cartridge hubs are a bit noisy but Hope Pro are more than just a bit and for that reason alone I would never consider them for myself, and I know how good they are. For some people noisy hubs is a "No No" for others the noise doesn't matter.
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