What are they called and what are they used for ?

StreetWarrior

Anyone knows about what I would describe as bicycle wheel rims ? When you place them, they hide the spokes. They can be plastic or aluminum. What are they used for anyway ?
Thanks 4 your input. :shock:

nicklouse

that makes no sense at all.

Mr_Cellophane

Do you mean like the rear wheel on this bike ?

nicklouse

but then the OP would have posted in the road section?

Andy

Ban

StreetWarrior

Its exactly that. Whats their use ? :shock:

Mr_Cellophane

No if he doesn't know what they are or what they are used for, why would he know they were for track bikes and not MTBs ?

Briggo

nicklouse wrote:

but then the OP would have posted in the road section?

No idea but thats clearly what he's on about.

silveringsurfer

It' so the manufacturers can use massive logos, charge you twice the price and get a free advert out of it - All you get is the same old wheel and a bit of plastic.

jpstar

Isn't it for aerodynamic purposes or something? less resistance because there are no spokes?

Northwind

Disc Drive!

P-Jay

They used to have them on MTB's and BMX's back-in-the-day too. I don't know the use, probably aero.

StreetWarrior

Thanks for the info people, here's what I found on the net now that called disc wheels :shock:

Feature Products
http://www.tootoo.com/s-ps/hed-stinger- ... 07702.html

HED Stinger Rear Carbon Disc Wheel
Product Description

The Hed disc is where it all began, and in 2009 the new HED Stinger Carbon Disc is poised to pick up where the Standard disc left off. What makes a wheel better? Lighter, stiffer, stronger, faster... any of these are an improvement. With HED's new construction technology, the HED Stinger Carbon Disc is all of these. Pure speed it will never get old. The Stinger rim substrate makes the disc even lighter and stiffer. Stinger tire to rim interface is more aero than the Jet version, so the HED Stinger Carbon Disc is even faster.
SPECIFICATIONS:
* C2 platform rims for decreased rolling resistance
* Sonic hubs
* Tordial bulge disc sides
* Rim Width: 23mm
* Weight: 1040g
* Ideal Wind Angle: 5+
* Optimum Wind Angle: 15

nicklouse

so nothing to do with MTB and even less (as i thought as i moved this out of the street section).

Rich9

Not very good in a cross wind I'd imagine. Whipped up and straight under the nearest bus :shock:

Where are my stabilisers?

I used to want a yellow muddy fox with a disc wheel when I was a yoof

delcol

were do you place your lolly stick to make motobike noises then... :?

allthegearnoidea

Where are my stabilisers? wrote:

I used to want a yellow muddy fox with a disc wheel when I was a yoof

there were two brothers at school, yaer above and two years above me, they both had the muddyfox's with the disc covers on! could hear them coming from miles off lol! used to be very jelous of them!!

dad now has covers like that on his wheelchair wheels! lol!

stu8975

Where are my stabilisers? wrote:

I used to want a yellow muddy fox with a disc wheel when I was a yoof

You mean, one of these bad boys - my 1st mountain bike - Muddy Fox Courier comp w/full padset (handlebar pad/shoulder pad with pouch. Lasted me nearly a month.Wheels discs were used in the early days of MTB (Tioga disc drive) for aerodynamics, back when downhill racing was simply racing down an occasionally bumpy mountain side. Useless if there was a side wind (unless you were jumping and trying to do a Nac-Nac or get the back end out), but early versions just made an racket.

captainfly

I know on a wheel chair they are called spoke guards, as your hand is on the rim and fingers could get caught and if you are in a team wheelchair sport lkje basketball there is a safety aspect again. For MTB who knows.

DickBarton

They are used on Time Trial bikes as a means of improving aerodynamics on the bike...making it easier to get up to speed and keep the speed.

They were used on MTBs a good few years back - Tioga did it, but this wasn't just a plastic cover over the spokes - this was the the spokes - made a very strong wheel but apparently a real faff to adjust and didn't really have the same aerodynamic advantages as it did have on the road...

They soon lost their appeal on MTBs, but every now and again a cheaper MTB comes along with them on - it's a great eye catcher and a lot of kids bikes use them to be big and bright and appeal to them...

Where are my stabilisers?

Yes, that's the one - Muddy Fox courier It must have been about 1988 when I wanted one of those! Don't know how expensive they were, but unfortunately my parents couldn't afford it. So, my first MTB was a Peugeot Flame instead - It was yellow, but no disc!

stu8975

Think it cost mother £250-£300..think it was 1989...mainly remember her not being impressed after i farked it a month later...back to bmx for a few years after that.

Chaz.Harding

To the OP...

The 'disc' wheels you speak of are only used (there are VERY rare exceptions) on road bikes. And even so, they can only be used on the track (fixed gear bikes) as there's no wind, and on time-trial bikes.

They're not made for MTB's (AFAIK) and would give you little / no advantage over conventional wheels...

Plus, they are horrifically expensive!!!

colintrav

P-Jay wrote:

They used to have them on MTB's and BMX's back-in-the-day too. I don't know the use, probably aero.

I remember them as well ,,