Wheels need to turn to make a bike roll, and at The Cycle Show in Birmingham next month, it is wheels and tyres that are set to dominate the headlines.
The annual cycle trading event at the NEC Arena in the city takes place from September 22 to 24, with the world’s leading bike manufacturers promoting their latest products.
To the customer, it is bike pornography, and if you’re after something that will impress your club mates and satisfy your own happiness, then the wheels and tyres market is where you will be heading.
There is a plethora of products that should take your fancy, but here we run down our favourites.
Pirelli P Zero Velo tyre range (see at stand G81)
If it’s your racing tyres that you need to upgrade, look no further than the P Zero Velo. Designed by a team with years of world-class racing expertise behind them, this is a tyre that is sure to set a new standard in clincher performance.
The tyre’s best feature is the Pirelli SmartNET Silica, which enjoys superior grip in both dry and wet conditions, while also promising unparalleled puncture resistance and mileage. It is a tyre that offers you assurance and performance when it most matters.
>>> Pirelli PZero Velo tyres: our first ride impressions and key details
For the time triallists, you’ll be blown away by the P Zero Velo TT. Designed for lightening quick speeds, this is a tyre that reduces rolling resistance and aero drag, but maintains the fast speed that you have pushed through the pedals. Also boasting the SmartNET Silica, the outstanding grip is assured.
Autumn and winter riders are, sadly, just around the corner. Gritted roads, icey conditions and rain make punctures even more likely, but with the P Zero Velo 4S, you have even more protection than ever before. Its unique tread design is developed to shed water for your path, giving you ultimate confidence. It really is the perfect tyre for harsh conditions.
Deisgned for disc brakes (making it suitable for both road and cross bikes), the offset profile makes for a stronger wheel, while the AL7075 body and lightweight aluminum axle mean that the wheel is as light as it can be, toping the scales at a mere 1,536g.
Bob Elliot have been working with Alex Rims for the last 18 months to bring an up-to-date, suitable wheelset to the UK market, and they insist that it was “important to us that the wheelet be high performing while at an affordable cost.
They added: “With an SRP of £319.99 the CXD4 has a tubeless compatible deep section rim and a serviceable sealed bearing disc hub, all while still coming in at only 1536g. The CXD4 is compatible with a number of different axle options and offers great performance to any cyclist looking to upgrade their wheels.”
Halo Devaura Race 6D wheels (see at stand G135)
Wider, deeper, and faster. The Devaura Race 6D wheels offer the rider increased aerodynamic efficiency, whatever the weather conditions.
Featuring a 30mm deep aero section rim with a 19mm internal and 24mm external, the width profile permits you to run your choice of 25C and 28c traditional or tubeless tyres.
Handbuilt with lightweight double butted spokes, the sealed bearing RS 6Drive hub features six individual sprung reserved pawls mounted into the bug shell that simultaneously engage onto the 30-point freehub driver for positive torque transmission.
From just £160, it won’t break the bank, but it could be the difference between winning and losing.
PowerTap DT Swiss R460 Alloy wheelset (see at stand H4)
Another wheelset you simply have to go and see is this brilliant design. Via PowerTap’s partnership with DT Swiss, they laced the G3 power meter into a jack-of-all-alloy-rims for an easily customizable wheelsey.
A 23mm rim width means that wider tyres can be accommodated, and the DT Swiss R460 is tubeless ready. There is a reduced spoke count of 24h (front) and 28h (rear), with all components accumulating a total weight of 1,800g.
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