an outcome on the road, so matching the right wheels for your riding style is important, as is having a reliable set that still offers sound levels of performance.
So before you go shelling out for a shiny new set of hoops, give this buyer's guide a read for everything you need to know about road bike wheels.
Anatomy of a wheel
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A bicycle wheel consists of four main components, all of which have an influence on weight, performance, and durability. Upgrading (or downgrading) these components can affect the ride quality, your effort output (speed) and braking performance so it's worth knowing a little about each, and how that relates to improved performance on the road.
Rim: The wheel's rim sits on the outside of the wheel and has two main functions; to hold the tyre and provide a braking surface (for rim-brake bikes, not disc-equipped bikes). The rim width will affect the tyre width which could have a significant impact on rider comfort, and the material of braking surface will impact braking performance.
Hub: The hub sits at the centre and provides the axis of rotation. Within each hub, front and back, is the axle which attaches the wheel to the bike. On the rear wheel the hub features splines which a cassette attaches to. The bike's chain wraps around the sprockets of the cassette, and in association with the crankset and shifters, forms the bikes drivetrain which propels it forward. As well as propelling the bike forward, all road bike wheels (excluding fixed-wheel bikes) will use a rear hub with a 'freehub' mechanism which allows the bike to coast.
Spokes: Material that connects the hub and rim. The number of spokes will vary between front and rear wheels, the rear often featuring more spokes to improve strength and stiffness. More spokes typically means a stronger wheel but that comes with a weight penalty. Spokes are made from varying materials and come in different shapes to either optimise strength or improve aerodynamics, sometimes both. Most commonly spokes are made with steel wire, but can vary greatly in shape and diameter.
Nipples: Spokes attach to the wheel via a special nut called a 'nipple'. Nipples are important for adjusting spoke tension which will 'true' a wheel, making it straight when spun