It is a lie to say that large flanges are harsher than small flanges, or that wheels with a three cross spoke construction give a harder ride than those with a four cross spoke construction. No matter what kind of spoke or hub that is use, the wheel is going to flex.

The wheel is not going to stay perfectly round no matter how tight it is. It has been shown that regardless of construction, the outside of the wheel is going to change at the point of contact, which is approximately at the 5 o’clock and 7 o’clock positions.

The rim will spread out under the load it bears and become more of an oval than a circle. The rim diameter begins to reduce in the 5 o’clock position, with a peak in the 6 o’clock position, and by the 7 o’clock position has a diameter equal to zero. Because it has never been fully explained by science who the spoked wheel actually holds up a rider, it is impossible for the claims made by wheel makers to be corroborated.

Eventually, through the flattening effect which allows movement of the nipple and spoke, the wheel will be loosened, which will reduce the ratio of power to output. Because the spoke and nipple need the freedom to move under the load, when wheel makers attempted to glue the nipples onto the spokes to reduce the effect, they found that the result was fatigue failure in the spokes. For wheels that are built to the highest standards without the use of machinery, you want All Pro-Lite Wheels.

The nipples are, like in previous times, soaked in oil before they are used; therefore, when you receive your wheels you will find that the nipples have oil on them. The makers of Prolite wheels and hubs have been hand-building wheels for over sixty years; they know full well that it is not necessary to remake something that is working so well.

The workers at Prolite are those who know that it is experience that makes the difference, that what you learn in a text book can never give you the same knowledge that you get from doing the actual work.

In the beginning, a rigid flange was used to connect rotating equipment. Unfortunately, this method did not take motion, excursion, or misalignment of equipment into account when performing the action. It was common to experience failure of flanges and shafts. However, as flanges were created to be thinner, they became more flexible. From this the coupling designs progressed and multiplied into the various forms that are seen today; all of which are based on the precept of allowing for misalignments.

A hub is a form of coupling that has the ability to transmit power. The name of this power, which is formed at speed, is mechanical torque. All flexible couplings lose some amount minimal amount of power; some, however, lose less power than others.

When the coupling accommodates the shaft misalignment, then you have to consider the inevitable coupling misalignment. Shaft angular alignment and offset misalignment (also known as shaft parallel misalignment) are adjusted for in the coupling by the angle of the flex elements.

Normally an elastomeric coupling is used to compensate for the axial and angular shifts in alignment. Because a hub is not going to be used to transmit extreme forces, it can be made out of something other than elastomeric materials yet still be able to accommodate and minimize the flexing forces within the construction of the wheel and maintain the necessary equal power source to drive output. In other words, your effort will give you a lot of forward momentum.

To ensure wheel set stability, the hubs are made with only the best Japanese EZO bearings, which will not only outlast any other bearings you can purchase, but also ensure durability and lower rolling resistance. Because the rear hub has four bearings it will be stable at all times, no matter the size of the rider it has to bear. The front hub, which uses only two bearings, is one of the lightest front hubs that is on the market in spite of its size.

Pro-Lite hubs are designed to maintain the stability and structure of the wheel while providing the maximum ratio of power to output. The Pro-Lite hub is coupled with the Pro-Lite spoke, which is made from Swedish stainless steel, which combines to give you everything you will need as a rider.

Pro-lite spokes have been thoroughly tested in the bicycle market against other established, well known brand names. The Pro-lite spokes have proven to be 30% stronger than the so-called strongest spokes on the market, which allows for greater strength and far greater output in the wheels. The Pro-lite wheel spoke fitments to the hub flange are inline as opposed to the traditional across the line of stress, which is an improvement on the method which helps in the increase of the strength of the wheel. To further add to the strength of the wheel, the spokes pull on the flange in a direct tangent.

Firstly remove all the accessories from your bars and bike, take off any saddle bags and lights that you might have on your bike and release the brake cables. To do this squeese the calipers into the rim of your wheel and then life the brake cable out of the retaining clip. By squeesing the caliper you are releasing the tension from the cable and this makes the whole thing a lot easier.

Great, now that this is done lay a towel or sheet onto the ground and turn the bike upside down so that the saddle and bars are resting on the ground (now do you see why you have to put something down so you don’t scuff your saddle or bars). As you get more into your bike maintenance it might be worth shelling out for a proper stand as this makes everything so much easier and there is less risk of damage to your bike.

Using the quick release leavers on the wheels, take the wheels out of the frame, a top tip when taking the rear wheel out (and this can be used when transporting your bike without its wheels on) is to use a bungee rope – attaching one end to under the saddle and the other to the chain. Doing this stops the chain from rubbing on your rear stays and scratching your frame.

Start by cleaning your rear mech and the rear part of the frame, a damp cloth with do just fine for this. Next spray WD40 onto all the moving components to lube everything up and keep it running smoothly.

If you are doing a light maintenance routine then running the chain through a cloth will surface, however I have been known to take the chain completely off and letting it soak in a tub of paraffin overnight to remove all built up dirt.

Next clean the pedals so there is no trapped dirt, clean the seat tube, down tube and top tube. Free any trapped dirt on your front mech and again spray with WD40 to lube and keep it running smooth.

Next take out your bike brush and start cleaning the cassette on the rear wheel with care and attention. Mountain bike wheels, unlike road wheels tend to pick up more stones and crap that can get caught in the cassette due to the nature of mountain bike riding. Work the brush between the cogs and use soapy water to clean off oil and muck.

Put the wheels back into the frame and give them a spin to make sure that they are running true and aren’t rubbing on your brake pads.

Here’s another top tip – to check that your spokes are all nice and tight, slowly spin the wheel and let your fingers run over the spokes, they should be taught – if one feels loose then you will need to tighten it.

While we are looking at your cycling wheels then it might be a good idea to check the condition of your tyres. Just like on your car, poor tyres can result in poor stopping performance and poor grip.

Finally check your break pads; you should have at least 3/4 of breaking surface left. Anything under 1/2 and you might want to start thinking about ordering some new breaks and anything under 1/4 and I would be interested to know just how you are stopping on downhill runs.

If you use your mountain bike to commute to work and back (or just have lights on your bike anyway) check that they are bright and visible and all the settings are working. Really you should do this anytime that you ride in the dark.

So there it is guys, our first cycling how to guide. No doubt we will be editing this over time to improve the advice given.

First off I hate to have to say this but Zipp don’t make cheap wheels, they don’t cater for all budgest. Zipp produce wheels that are specific for top riders and so the wheels don’t come cheap. Just how expensive are Zipp wheels? Well try an average price of £600 per wheel. That’s without tubes/tubs and tyres. See I told you they didn’t come cheap. Considering that you can buy a complete wheel set for under £500 it shows how expensive they are.

All about Zipp
Zipp Cycle parts are the producers of bike wheels, cycling handlebars, cranks and bike accessories are a manufacturing company located in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA and are part of the increasing SRAM group. Zipp Speed Weaponry serves a select group of elite companies and athletes, globally located and committed to bicycle and wheelchair competition.

Zipp fits the buyers demands for the highest performance, superlative quality components through innovative design and manufacturing utilising the best material and technology available. Zipp is built on mutual respect, delivery on promise and fastidious attention to manufacturing details.

If you are looking for ways to lower your time trial personal best, then before you buy a new frame you should think about a wheel upgrade; more specifically you should look to buy a disc wheel.

Buying a disc wheel is one of the most awesome ways that you can knock minutes off your time and improve your aerodynamic performance. Sadly like most thing bike related, disc wheels are pretty expensive but they make a massive difference.

One of the best things about disc wheels is that the faster you ride the more aerodynamic drag you save. Without getting all geeky, disc wheels work by cutting out the wind turbulence and drag so it makes cycling easier, allowing you to go faster. Let’s quickly do some geeky calculations to prove my point – a standard eighteen spoke wheel has 154 grams of drag where as a disc only has 97 grams of drag – over a ten mile time trial this is quite a substantial saving (or shaving) of time.

I should put in a little note here saying that discs while amazing are a little health and safety when it comes to windy days. If you are a light rider you might want to stick with spokes on days when the wind is strong. I have personally had a couple of hairy moments.

What About The Extra Weight?

Ok you if you have ever held a disc wheel you will know that they are a little bit heavier than a normal, run of the mill wheel. However it’s this extra weight that helps you to go faster. Sounds crazy right? Well to prove my point here is possibly the best story I have ever heard (outside of the pub).

Chris Boardman actually rode a disc wheel for winning the national hill climb championship – let me say that again; Boardman rode a disc on a hill climb and won! Chris Boardman was a man who knew aerodynamics was the be all and end all of cycling.

Best of Disc Wheels

I have tested in my time two different brands of disc wheels (all in open time trials).

Campagnolo Disc Wheels
I once rode a Campagnolo Ghibli Ultra Tubular disc wheel and honestly I don’t think disc wheels get much better. They look pretty stylish, they are light and they feel sound.

Zipp Disc Wheels
I have to start by saying that I didn’t buy the Zipp 900 Rear Clincher Disc Wheel with Saris PowerTap because frankly I’m not a pro or made of money but the performance was truly amazing. You guys have to believe that this is the best disc wheel that you can buy. Forget the weight of it or how it feels on the road or how fast it is – the noise that this wheel makes is truly stunning. Even through an aero helmet you can hear the hum; it’s a noise that makes you want to go faster just to hear the noise louder.