tomato coupe

A footnote for that pressure calculator states the minimum pressure for 25C hookless tires is 70 psi. That's doesn't give you much range, given the ETRTO maximum pressure for hookless tires is 72.5 psi.

Sy Reene

In this instance, Giant is playing the same marketing game that Zipp does. They created a calculator that works down from the max weight that the wheels can handle and puts the ETRTO max (eg. 73psi) there as the correct PSI.

Dave Mayer

You are on to something. If you reduce the size of the hooks to zero, you'll save a lot of weight at the most critical part of a bike: rotating weight. The elimination of the hooks also makes the rims a lot more robust, and less susceptible to impact damage. Of course, pinch flats would also be eliminated, as the rim profile would be rounded and smooth.

If you were to sew the bottom of the tires together to make a sausage, and with a few grams of high strength glue the tire to this much improved rim, safety would also be improved substantially. Then, in the event of a sudden blowout, the tire would stay put, glued flat on the rim, and not get jammed up in the frame or the brakes. It would be much easier to roll away from a flat.

Of course, with the elimination of the hooks and with a glued-on tire, the rim would now be insulated from tire inflation pressure, so that you could pump up the tire until it exploded. With no pinch flat problems, you could also run the tire at very low pressures. So you could run this system at very wide pressure inflation range.

Perfect solution: lighter stronger, safer.

phrantic09

I bought Zipp 303S two years ago for $900 new. How is that not passing cost on?

PeteHski

Is there an equivalent hooked version to compare pricing?

PeteHski

Nobody wants to deal with the impracticality of tubulars, especially without a service car following behind. That’s why they are very close to being history. Even when they were popular in racing, many riders preferred to train on clinchers for easier roadside repair. Now that there is no performance advantage (I realise you are still in denial) there is no need to compromise on practicality.

mstateglfr 

They are $1000-1200 new right now, based on a 30sec search.
What is the cost of hooked 303S wheels right now?...or what has Zipp claimed the cost would be of they existed?

Without that actual info or even the claimed cost, it's sorta impossible to say savings were passed on.

When Zipp rolled the 303s out a few years ago, it was a total redesign in shape, features, and cost. It basically isn't comparable as they don't have a hooked version of the current wheel. Also, msrp was $1300. You got em for $900, but let's not pretend like you bought em at full msrp price.
https://bikerumor.com/new-zipp-303-s...ess-expensive/

seypat

The safety foam in the picture with this article, is that for a specific type of rim/tire combo? Or is it required for all rim/tire combos at that level of racing?

PeteHski

The foam inserts are optional for extra flat protection - they can run flat for quite some time, which is useful for racers in some situations. Some teams use foam inserts, some don't.

choddo

I think it’s a matter of choice. It’s supposed to keep you rolling if you get a flat, less time
lost on the group sorting a replacement bike or wheel.

elcruxio

Would be interesting to know how much of an effect (if any) foam inserts have on rolling resistance. While they shouldn't directly interact with the tire, they do remove some of the air volume inside the tire.

The response of my manitou suspension fork can be adjusted by adding or removing air volume. With the same air pressure, different air volumes give widely different responses. It wouldn't be nearly as obvious with tires, but I suppose some difference could be possible.

PeteHski

I think the increase in rolling resistance is minimal, which is why they often race with them. I have never tried them myself, but I might this year. It's been a few years since I had a flat, but I would quite like the safety of a run flat tyre. Obviously backfired in this crash, but I've never had a tubeless tyre pop off the rim, even with a flat.

Edit: When pressurised these foam inserts pack down into almost zero volume against the rim bed

seypat

As it relates to the thread subject, hopefully they don't weigh close to 50 grams.

phrantic09

Maybe not MSRP, but they can regularly found at that price.

As a point of comparison, a set 44mm Light-Bicycle wheels with DT350 and a hooked bead with pillar spokes and brass spoke nipples runs $1335 with freight.

LB makes nice wheels, but the Zipps come with LBS support and a lifetime warranty.

PeteHski

Given that hookless rims are genuinely cheaper to produce, it at least allows the manufacturer to price more competitively if necessary.

Zipp wheels are competitively priced, but for me the pressure tolerances are too marginal to consider them at any price.

Yan 

Light Bicycle has a North American facility in British Columbia staffed by local employees. Their support is as good as any out there.

Manufacturing savings are not passed to the consumer. Nothing in the bicycle industry is priced based on production costs. A $15k bike does not cost 2x as much to produce as a $7.5k bike. Pricing is set by the marketing department based on retail considerations.

Any manager who brings up the naive idea of "passing on savings" would be immediately fired by the higher ups. Companies always charge the most inflated price they can get away with. In capitalism, any company that doesn't play the same game to maximize income will eventually be outcompeted by richer competitors and go extinct.

surak

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...ner#conclusion

terrymorse 

Impractical? Absolutely yes.

No performance advantage? Well, I'm pretty sure there's still a weight advantage to tubular rim + tire. That could be worthwhile for a hill climb event. For any other type of riding, forget about it.

Any company that charges an inflated price for their product will be undercut by their competitors and go extinct.

Competition kills profits.

PeteHski

It depends how competitive the market is. If something costs less to make, then there is more margin to play with. Of course they wouldn’t pass on production savings if they didn’t have to, but there appears to be plenty of competition. It certainly isn’t a monopoly.

Dave Mayer

Vittoria Air-Liner Road Test | Bicycle Rolling Resistance

Again, the Vittoria testing.

Note the rolling resistance curves presented show that you lose fewer watts by inflating your tires to 100psi than at all the other lower pressures tested. So if hookless were to be counted as a performance road solution, then the system should have the ability to handle these pressures, plus a healthy safety margin.

And inserting a pool noodle into a tire as a backup in the event of a sudden blowout? I think we all have to step back and calmly face the facts as how truly dumb this really is.

This reminds me of the interview with the obviously exasperated head of Vittoria, who was complaining that pro teams that Vittoria did not sponsor were actually riding on his tubular tires - relabeled. Clincher and tubeless options are fine during the marketing campaign, and the team bikes show-and-tell events, but for the actual pro-level riding, you want to be on tubulars.

No pool noodles required.

DaveSSS 

A pair of BTLOS WARL44 wheels cost $767, if you catch one of their free freight offers. They're 20-30 grams lighter than Zipp 303s and require no rim tape. That's what replaced my 303s wheels. I use 50-55 psi in mine, so pressure safety margin is quite ample.

https://btlos.com/all-road/ar-clinch...arbon-wheelset

Yan 

Not if they and their competitors are in a cartel.

That aside, Farsports, Winspace, and Light Bicycle are exactly what you're referring to. The Winspace Hyper 50 wheel is universally acclaimed and these Chinese brands have exploded onto the scene in the last few years. Western brands are coasting on momentum and reputation at this point. That's not going to last forever.

And ironically the Chinese brands are still providing hooked. So much for hookless cheaper.

I hear what you're saying, but the reality is that most manufacturers have jumped to hookless and all their wheels are as expensive as ever. They've collectively adopted this cost saving measure for themselves, and consumers are left in exactly the same position as before, except now with an arguably inferior product.

If it was the case that brands are selling both hooked and hookless versions of their wheels, and consumers have the option of saving money by choosing the hookless version, THAT would make sense. But that's not the case, is it? For example if you go to the Hunt website, their high end wheel is $3,000 and it's hookless. Where's the money that I'm supposedly "saving"? Why can't I get a hooked version if I'm willing to pay more? Consumers have been conned, no matter how much the brands try to fluff and spin that hookless is "better".

Yeah, it's better. Better for themselves. Not better for us.

tomato coupe

Only fools argue that "higher pressures are always faster" or "lower pressure are always faster."

Koyote

As has already been pointed out, you've got this precisely backwards.

If you think that the new bike industry is a cartel, then either you don't understand the definition of that word or you don't understand reality.

tomato coupe

It could be both ...