As every rider knows, the options to upgrade your bike are endless. Every single component can get something new and flashy every year and deciding what to upgrade on your bike can be almost overwhelming. So where do you get those most bang for your buck? Wheels…and I am going to explain why…
Why wheels are the biggest upgrade you can buy
Let’s jump right into it.
Better Wheels Reduce Rolling Weight
Rolling weight is the heaviest weight on your bike. While it may be tempting to go after the craziest derailleur or lightweight saddle, the only weight that your legs have to physically move is the weight of your wheels and tires. In the car racing world, we would call this unsprung weight and every ounce you saved on your wheel/tire combo was literally like adding horsepower.
It is the same with road and mountain biking except you are the motor. When you go to a lighter set of wheels, it can feel like you have added power on the bike. Cheaper wheels are generally heavier and that is just robbing you of power whether you are on the trail, gravel or tarmac. That is why the weight savings on a quality wheelset will be felt much more than swapping out any other part on your bike.
For example, these Alexrims Boondocks 7D wheels that came on my Cervelo Aspero weigh in at 1,956 grams. The Bontrager Aeolus wheels that are replacing them? 1,575. That is a full 381 grams of weight savings which is almost a pound of rolling weight.
Increase Hub Engagement for Better Control
Any time you stop, coast or have to clutch the cranks, you have to wait for the drive to engage. Higher end wheelsets have more points of engagement in the hub that reduces the angle and time it takes for the power from your legs to move the chain. This becomes increasingly important in technical riding situations where you need to make quick, short movements to get over obstacles.
Again…much like the weight of your wheels, any time spent using power that isn’t moving your bike forward is wasted. The quicker movement of the hub also aides in bike control as you aren’t wasting any time to get the bike moving. Hub engagement for me has always been one of those things that you didn’t realize how much you need it until you have it. Then you can never go back to slow engaging hubs ever again.
Alexrims doesn’t spec out their drive mechanism on their website with some simple counting…it appears to be a 36 tooth engagement. The Bontrager’s by comparison are 108 point.
The Build Quality is MUCH Better
Your wheels and tires are your only connection to the ground below you. They are the first components to take the hit and they can ruin your day if something goes wrong. Whether you are getting a hand built set of wheels from a wheel builder or a higher end set from someone like Bontranger, Industry Nine, Enve and others…you are getting a much better built set of wheels with higher end components.
What does this equal for you out on the trail? You get increased durability and reliability of the build on arguably the most important component you have.
You Get More Options on Components and Setup
When you go to a custom built wheel or a high end prebuilt set, you get A TON of options to tailor the build to the kind of riding you do the most. Do you need a wide rim to account for bigger tires? You have those options. Lighter weight spokes to keep the weight down on your XC bike? Done.
The options when it comes to higher end wheelsets are pretty much limitless so you can get the exact features and performance that you require. That optimizes the performance to your exact needs…even if that need is just that you need the wheels to match the color of your bike.
Wheels are Transferable to Other Bikes
Keep the wheels that came with your bike and put them back on when you sell the bike later. A high end wheelset can last you through multiple bikes (assuming they don’t keep on tweaking the standards). Oddly enough, selling your upgraded wheels with a complete bike does not add a linear amount of value so you are better off keeping your original set and letting those go during the bike sale. That leaves your upgraded set ready for the next bike.
Far too often (especially with newer riders) I see mountain bikers go after that shiny new rear derailleur. The reality is that while I love high end components, there is not nearly as much of a dollar to performance increase on shifting as there is on wheels, tires and suspension components. Upgrading the wheels on your bike will give you the most realized performance increase out of just about anything you can do to any bike.