The terminology of bicycle wheels is believed to be unknown to many novice riders. The bicycle wheel system is mainly composed of hubs, rims, spokes, and tires. The wheel system directly affects the comfort and smoothness of riding. Like bicycle frames, there are many different materials for wheels, and the riding experience of wheels with different materials is also different. The following is a brief introduction to their characteristics and specific functions.

1.Hub
The hub can be said to be the heart of the entire wheel system, and the hub is also divided into a ball hub and a bearing hub. The performance of the hub largely determines the performance of the wheelset and determines whether the wheelset runs smoothly. Therefore, the hub indirectly affects the overall performance of the bicycle.
Hubs not only affect performance, but also the strength of the entire wheelset. Different levels of bicycles have different requirements for hub strength. For example, XC-level hubs do not have such a high demand for hardness. For DH and FR-level mountain bikes, the hubs must have a certain strength.
Because it affects the riding safety factor, when choosing a bicycle wheelset, you must position the hub or wheelset according to your actual needs to ensure a better riding experience for yourself.

2.Rim
The rigidity and material of the rim will affect the strength of the entire rim. Wheel rims of different materials naturally have different strengths and hardness. There are aluminum alloy rims and carbon fiber rims.
The strength of the rim is often related to the thickness of the rim. For road bikes, the thickness of the rim is often not that thick. Because road bikes pursue speed, naturally they also pursue lightweight. Too thick rims will only bring unnecessary weight to road bikes.
Because different bicycle sizes require rims with different wheel diameters, there are currently more 26, 27.5, and 29-inch rims on the market. Like a 27.5 size frame, you need to match a 27.5-wheel diameter wheelset, not a 26-inch or 29-inch wheel. At present, the more popular bicycles on the market are the 27.5-size wheel diameter bicycles, which are better than 26 and not as large as 29.

3.Spoke
Spokes are also an important part of the wheel system. In fact, no matter which part of the bicycle, whether big or small, is extremely important and indispensable. But for spokes, many riders may ignore them.
Regardless of the material or weight of the spokes, many people may feel that the impact on the entire bicycle is not very big, and even for the entire wheel system, it is not so important. The riders who think this way are wrong. The quality of the spokes can even affect the performance and weight of the entire wheelset.
The entire wheel system generally has more than 60 spokes. Even with good hubs and rims, without good spokes, the performance of the entire wheelset will be difficult to exert. A single spoke might not be heavy, but sixty-odd spokes could be heavier than a hub. So no matter which aspect, it should not be underestimated, they are all equally important.