Rim types - What should you pay attention to?

Clincher

Clincher - also called Tire/Tube - is, as the name suggests, a rim designed for you to drive with Tire and tube. You can therefore freely choose which Clincher tire you want to ride with as well as tube; both with varying wear resistance, puncture protection, design, brands, etc. This is the most common setup on a road bike, while on MTB and Gravel you see an increasing tendency to opt out of Tire/Tube and instead opt for Tubeless.

Tubeless

Tubeless is the new "black". Put another way: More and more people are choosing to ride tubeless - regardless of whether it's country road, MTB or Gravel. Tubeless has been the "norm" on MTB rims for a few years, while for Gravel it has increased in step with the rapid entry of Gravel cycling. The qualities of tubeless are now so widely used and known that there is an increasing tendency for it to now also be used on road wheels.

What is tubeless anyway?

Tubeless is a type of rim where you do not have a tube inside the tire. On the other hand, you drive with a special tubeless sealant - tubeless liquid - inside the tire, which aims to patch the small holes that result in punctures when you drive with a tube. The liquid is thrown around the rim when you drive and patches the hole almost immediately, which means that normal small punctures are patched within 0.5-1 sec, which means that you only experience minimal tire pressure and can therefore drive on without having to stop up and change the tube as when you drive Tire/Tube. Tubeless fluid must be continuously changed - depending on the Tubeless sealant manufacturer and type, it has different durability. The most commonly used tubeless fluids typically last 2-4 months before the fluid needs to be changed, which is done quite simply through the valve. You just have to unscrew the valve head and fill in the amount of liquid specified by the manufacturer and then you are back on the road.

You must be aware that fitting Tubeless tires can be tricky and requires a little more patience and technique. If you are not sure how to do it yourself, your local bike mechanic can typically fit a tubeless tire within 10-15 minutes.

For the actual installation of the tubeless, you simply need the following:

• Tubeless tape (included when you buy DKBIKE wheels)
• Tubeless valves
• Tubeless tires

At DKBIKE, our standard rims are both Clincher - i.e. for tires/Tube - as well as Tubeless ready. In other words, this means that you have the opportunity to try out the same wheelset and find the setup that suits you. You are therefore free to choose when you buy your DKBIKE wheels - you have both options.

Tubular

Tubular - also called closed rings - is a type of rim that is typically only used by some professional riders on road and cross. You don't ride with a hose, but instead the special tubular tire is glued to the rim. This gives an advantage in that you can drive with lower tire pressure and that the tire is almost impossible to drive off the rim in case of punctures. The disadvantage is that if you puncture, it can be quite difficult to move on - unless you have a change zone or a sports director's car right behind you. For the same reason, there are practically no exercisers who ride Tubular.