Despite being on some really old single-wall wheels, and hauling way more weight than I should be, I’ve ordered up a pair of double-wall wheels.
Since I set up my current wheels over 1500 km ago, they have never been out of true, and the rim brake surface is still in excellent shape. They have been more reliable than single-wall wheels are supposed to be, from what I hear.
My question is: will I notice any difference while riding after the upgrade?
Context: These are going on my 26" wheel 90s MTB that I use for everything from grocery hauls to very long (150km) rides over mostly paved ways, but also gravel and some offroad (nothing crazy, because I fear injury. LOL).
I’m upgrading more for peace of mind, but an improvement to performance is also welcome.
I doubt it, it mostly gives stability to the wheels, and you’ll only notice that if something fails (like you taco a wheel or something). The biggest difference should be more confidence doing drops and whatnot, but the actual ride should feel the same.
Double wall rims can be made to be lower weight than single wall rims, and reducing rotating weight makes more of a difference than reducing weight elsewhere on the bike. Depending on how much lighter the new rims are, the bike might accelerate quicker. If the difference isn’t really noticeable, higher quality tires paired with the new wheels should help get that upgraded feeling.
Got them installed. I should have weighed them before they were mounted, but they don’t feel any different from before. They did buy me peace of mind, though, and I feel way more comfortable with heavier loads knowing that I’m not on 30-year-old single-walled wheels. LOL