Wide rims are the trend. This is nothing new in itself, as the advantages - tyre volume, puncture protection, flex behaviour - clearly outweigh the only disadvantage - a slight increase in weight. The trend towards wide rims, which actually comes from enduro bikes, has now also arrived in the cross-country sector. Rim widths of 30 millimetres are no longer a rarity. Manufacturers have come up with a few tricks to ensure that the weight and sporty acceleration do not suffer too much. On the one hand, more and more manufacturers are focussing on system wheels instead of modular systems. This allows the components to be perfectly matched to each other, which saves weight. Carbon rims provide additional stiffness, save even more weight and thus favour propulsion. Specialized's new Roval Control SL XC wheelset shows what is possible in this combination: 29 inches, 29 millimetre rim width and, according to the manufacturer, weighs just 1240 grams! In view of this, the price of 1800 euros is quite reasonable. The only problem with all the innovation: you will still be looking in vain for light and affordable.
Adrian Kaether
Editor
