Rim
Rim
“You want bombproof strength and a good quality alloy that’s resistant to brake pads and braking,” says Sharp. “In winter you pick up a lot more dirt and debris and it just acts like a sandpaper.”
Mavic’s Open Pro rim is considered the benchmark for winter wheels but both Strada and Look Mum No Hands predominantly build using H Plus Son Archetype rims.
“A lot of people want to use a Mavic Open Pro for their winter training wheel but the Mavic alloy is actually quite soft compared to other rims on the market,” says Sharp.
The Archetype rim uses a tougher alloy, he says, and is wider than traditional rims at 23mm. “It’s the current trend and is much more comfortable than a traditional rim, which is also what you want if you’re doing a lot of winter miles” says Sharp.
A wider rim spreads the volume of the tyre so it can be run at a lower pressure, increasing the contact patch and improving grip without affecting performance.
“The standard tyre width used to be 23mm but a lot of people are now running 25s and 28s and a lot of frames are now coming with a little more clearance to take tyres like that,” says Massey, who adds that the best rims are slash-welded, not seam-joined.
“A really narrow, traditional rim will make the tyre look like a bubble, whereas a wider rim gives you a bit more contact on the road, especially through corners.”