Not too long ago on the UAE Tour, Lotto Dstny rider Thomas De Gendt hit the deck. However in contrast to many run-of-the-mill crashes in professional biking, De Gendt’s crash ignited a firestorm of media consideration because of the trigger. Nicely, because of the potential trigger as nobody can say for sure what prompted the crash, however we do know that De Gendt was driving hookless rims and tubeless tires with a tire insert.
In the course of the crash, the tire practically got here off the rim fully leaving the Vittoria tire liner flapping within the breeze. Since then there have been many questioning the compatibility of sure tires and hookless rims, together with the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés whose president, Adam Hansen, has voiced the CPA’s concern over hookless rims within the Peloton.
As a refresher, hookless rims remove the small hook on the rim which up to now has served to lock the tire bead in place. Hookless rims as a substitute depend on the form of tubeless tire beads to carry the tire in place with friction in opposition to a straight aspect wall. The benefit is supposedly a lighter rim with a lowered likelihood of pinch flats and impression harm to the rim whereas permitting the tire to fill out a extra rounded profile and run decrease pressures for higher grip.
From a producing standpoint, hookless rims appear to be simpler and less expensive to fabricate, which hypothetically ends in a extra reasonably priced product.
Nonetheless, hookless rims have particular necessities for tire sort, dimension, and strain – with most hookless rims required to run under 72.5 PSI.
UCI Weighs In
For those who’ve been following the drama, you knew this half was coming: the UCI is now investigating. Releasing a brief assertion at the moment, it’s clear that the UCI intends to rapidly resolve whether or not hookless rims have a spot within the professional peloton.
In mild of a collection of current incidents involving using hookless rims and tubeless tyres (a mixture generally known as hookless) in skilled highway biking, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has determined to check the state of affairs as a matter of urgency with a view to taking a fast determination within the curiosity of rider security.
These measures can be communicated as quickly as doable.
The UCI shall proceed to work carefully with the stakeholders of biking and tools producers to make sure that acceptable measures are taken each within the quick and long run. This evaluation and the choices that can observe are a part of the UCI’s coverage to advertise rider security, one in every of its main issues.
-UCI
