Have you just bought a new set of wheels for your road bike or mountain bike? Are you thinking about buying them in the coming months? Remember that once mounted on your bike, all types of wheels require a break-in period. Let's take a look at what this involves and why it's important not to forget it.
Buying wheels for racing bikes or mountain bikes: the goals are to increase performance and reliability
When a cyclist chooses a pair of wheels, he or she usually tries to buy what he or she considers to be the best wheels for road bikes or mountain bikes.
This practice is obviously appropriate for those who want to practice road cycling or mountain biking at a high level, but also for cyclists who plan long, safe rides on weekends. It's natural to assume you'd want to avoid breakdowns or malfunctions during one of your (perhaps few) leisurely moments each week.
It can therefore be said that the search for top performance and the need for reliable equipment are what should push you towards the purchase of high-end products, such as Ursus wheels.
But is buying top-of-the-line cycling wheels enough to achieve long-lasting performance? Read the next section: we'll explain why that's absolutely not the case.
Want long-lasting performance from your wheels? Break them in!
Buying high-quality wheels doesn't guarantee long-lasting performance, as every mechanical product is subject to component wear and tear . Care and maintenance of your wheels is therefore essential. Why? You can understand with a simple explanation.
Let's say you're thinking about buying new wheels for your bike: you'll surely know that purchasing a quality product requires a certain financial investment. This investment should theoretically be rewarded by a subsequent improvement in your riding experience.
However, if you don't allow the proper break-in period for your carbon wheels once you've purchased them, you risk running into a series of limitations that will make your efforts less effective. To perform at their best, the various components from which the wheels are built require a normal amount of time to adjust. Therefore, break-in becomes a crucial step to getting 100% of your investment.
Read on to learn how to properly break in your new wheels.
Breaking in road bike and mountain bike wheels: a quick guide
1) BEARINGS
The running-in phase serves primarily to allow the various wheel components to settle in. This is the case, for example, with the bearings , which ensure the smooth operation of the two hubs.
During the wheel's production phase, the bearings and their rubber covers are greased to minimize hub friction during pedaling. However, it's normal to feel a little stiff on the first few pedal strokes. This happens because the grease on the bearings isn't yet evenly distributed.
Don't worry, a running-in period of about 40-100 km is enough to restore maximum smoothness to your new wheels.
2) SPOKE TENSIONING
Normally, running-in also ensures that the spoke tension remains constant over the kilometres and therefore the wheel continues to be perfectly centred.
If you've purchased or are thinking of purchasing a pair of Ursus wheels, it's important to know that you don't have to worry about any loss of spoke tension. This is because Ursus performs a tension adjustment process on all its products: the wheel is run through a special machine while a 4-bar piston applies a series of constant stresses to both sides of the rim. The tension is then checked again: if it is found to be modified or lower than the optimal tension (indicated by Ursus in the product user manuals), the wheel is re-tensioned and checked once again. This step allows your wheel to adjust, avoiding unpleasant drops in stiffness once it's put on the road .
3) BRAKING TEST
Ursus always recommends performing a series of braking tests under various conditions before using a new pair of wheels. New brake pads should be stressed to verify their initial performance, especially on the braking surfaces of carbon wheels. This step helps ensure you're not caught off guard when descending or approaching any imminent danger.
We remind you that optimal brake pad performance is essential both for your safety and for the protection of your carbon rims.
Conclusion
Breaking in road bike and mountain bike wheels: why it's important and how to do it.
In this article, we've tried to explain why Ursus recommends this essential break-in phase, and we've also looked at the most important components involved. We can conclude by saying that a normal break-in phase can last between 500 and 1,000 km, but that in any case, you should never stop paying attention to the care of your bike.
Proper maintenance, as you've surely understood by now, ensures long-lasting performance and reliability.
