Most consumers are often dominated by their aesthetic preferences when choosing bicycles, paying attention to fashion trends, focusing on weight parameters, or simply making a selection based on their budget. However, they overlook the key factors that determine the dynamic characteristics of a bicycle - whether the frame geometry, manufacturing process, and size perfectly match the rider's body shape.
What followed was disappointment: when we found that the performance of our beloved car was far from what we had expected. In some cases, the vehicle is sluggish in response - there is no obvious acceleration when standing and rocking, and when going downhill and cornering, one has to use all their strength to barely enter the corner, not to mention continuously changing the Angle to pass through an S-shaped curve.
The decisive influence of the wheelset
The other extreme is when facing an overly sensitive "neurotic" vehicle. Due to insufficient stability, it is difficult to maintain a straight line, which requires extremely high vehicle control skills. Even the slightest input from the handlebars can trigger exaggerated feedback.
Of course, what we are discussing are two extreme cases, in which there are a large number of gray areas for finding the model that best suits one's own riding style. At first, riders often attribute it to the adaptation period issue, but as time goes by, they will gradually realize that perhaps this vehicle was not an ideal choice in the first place. So a new round of car purchase plans was thus launched.
The decisive influence of the carbon wheelset
However, riders who have just entered the field are likely to fail to realize that the wheelset plays a crucial role in shaping the cycling experience. In fact, we also often come across cases where people purchase exaggerated high-frame wheelsets purely for visual effects. They completely ignore the impact of these wheelsets on handling and do not consider whether their own technical levels match.
Except for high-end models, the manufacturing of brand-name wheelsets is often only at the "adequate" level. In some cases, their performance is seriously mismatched with the quality of the matching frame. These basic wheel sets are usually aluminum alloy rims with a frame height of 30-40mm, close to a low-frame design and without any aerodynamic considerations. They are usually not rigid enough and weigh far more than the average level. In most cases, these wheelsets are the main culprits causing the sluggish response of mid-to-low-end models. Coupled with the soothing geometric design commonly used in this class of vehicles, this feature is further magnified.
At this point, if lightweight carbon wheelsets are installed, the improvement in the bicycle's response speed will be immediate, whether it is when changing lanes during steering or when the acceleration rhythm changes.
When it comes to high-end wheelsets, carbon wheelsets have become the top choice for upgrades. However, consumers seldom consider its wind resistance characteristics and often purchase it merely because of its cool appearance. If carbon wheelsets below 45mm is chosen, its handling characteristics are usually not much different from those of medium-frame high-aluminum wheels. However, the main benefit of upgrading to a high-quality wheelset (apart from weight reduction) lies in stronger lateral rigidity, which can provide more precise steering control and help us smoothly pass through the predetermined tracks without frequent corrections.
The more advanced option is the high-frame pneumatic carbon wheelsets. This type of carbon wheelsets require the rider to have considerable control skills - not only due to the influence of crosswinging (although modern designs have significantly improved crosswinging stability), but also because the increased mass at the outer edge of the wheel leads to greater inertia, forcing the rider to predict the corner earlier and enter it decisively.
Change the wheelsets or the entire bicycle?
From this, it can be seen that the wheelset provides us with an excellent way to adjust the riding experience of the vehicle. Therefore, by preparing multiple sets of wheelsets with different characteristics, they can be flexibly combined and used according to the route of the day.
But in some cases, the root cause of the problem lies in the frame itself - for instance, choosing a size that is too large or too small, or the type of the entire vehicle simply does not meet the requirements. The use of pneumatic combat vehicles in mountainous areas is of limited significance (although it can be slightly improved through ultra-light wheel sets), and similarly, the use of climbing frames in plain areas is not a wise choice.
More importantly, if you pursue long-distance comfortable riding and choose the aggressive racing bikes of race geometry, it would be better to opt for an endurance frame - it can offer a more relaxed riding posture, stable and intuitive handling, as well as better comfort. In such cases, although changing the carbon wheelsets can to some extent adjust the bicycle's character, the most honest approach might be to admit that the wrong model was chosen and instead select a product that truly meets the usage requirements.
