How to Choose Bike PU wheels?

you have ridden your bike long enough, your wheels reach a point where they need to be replaced. Replacement mileage might vary from a few thousand miles to 20,000 miles or more, depending on your road or trail conditions, your weight, how much overall weight your bike is carrying, how aggressively you ride and, most importantly, how much braking you do.

When to replace your PU wheels: Some rims have a replacement indicator, a hole or groove that slowly disappears as the rim wears down. If your rim doesn’t have a wear indicator, you can check the rim surface for a slight concave depression or other signs of excessive wear.

Rims and spokes are also subject to metal fatigue eventually, so you should ask the bike shop to assess your PU wheels’ health if you’ve been riding on them for several years.

Consider upgrading your polyurethane wheels to give yourself a performance boost. A wheel upgrade can help you ride faster, climb more efficiently or tackle downhill terrain more aggressively.

You might even consider custom wheel building. While this can be your most expensive option, it allows you to choose each component of the wheel individually. It also lets you precisely match yourPU foam wheels to your riding needs.

Bike PU Wheel Compatibility

Whether you’re replacing your current PU wheel because of rim wear or an encounter with a giant pothole, be sure your new PU foam wheel is compatible with your current bike setup in several areas.

To start, know that wheels are front- and rear-specific and you must match road tires to road wheels and mountain bike tires to mountain bike PU wheels.

PU Foam Tire Type

If you are using tubeless tires , you will need tubeless-compatible PU wheels (and tire sealant). Many mountain bikers use PU tubeless tires and a growing number of road riders are trying them. You can run tubeless tires at lower tire pressures for a smoother ride and better traction without pinch flats.

UST (universal system tubeless) designated PU wheels make it easier to mount tubeless tires.

Tubular PU foam tire, used by some elite riders, are another less-common tire option that must be glued to a rim specifically designed for use with tubular tires.