Wheels

Arguably the most important component of your bicycle is its wheels. The choice is extremely wide and there is a set of wheels and a set of tyres and tubes to satisfy every taste. Buying lighter wheels is also the easiest way to reduce the weight of your bicycle but care should be taken that there is a good balance between weight and strength.

Mountain bike wheels are available as a set or as separate front and back wheels. Some of the best known names are Compagnolo, Mavic, Fulcrum and Shimano, but there are a host of other good brands available. Not only traditional spoked wheels are available; ceramic front wheels and disc rear wheels are becoming popular with those serious about their MTB wheels.

You could have your wheels custom built, or buy components and combine them to your taste. Hubs are available in a large range; the top of the range hubs could set you back over £400. Wheels are available in a variety of materials, including carbon; some of these cost up to £600 per wheel but are extremely light weight and durable and the ultimate wheels for racing.

Some road bike wheels are designed to operate without tubes, others with tubes. There are also hybrid wheels available that can operate on a road bike or on off road terrain. Some MTB wheels have discs; others are non-disc. For a different look, you could opt for coloured tyres; some brands have white, green, blue or red tyres available.