Jugi wrote:Calnago wrote:
But I’d still like to know the advantages of hookless, regardless. Just cuz.
Anyone?
When hookless arrived for MTB, the most marketed feature was increased impact strength at the rim's edge. So lower risk of damaging a rim when running lower tire pressures. Tire's snake bite risk doesn't go away with hookless but tires are a lot easier to replace than rims.
So, simplified structure (carbon is not good for fishing hooks or any other hook) yields higher strength, lower weight and cheaper manufacturing process. Tire retention doesn't matter, as the whole idea is to use wider tires with lower pressures.
In my opinion hookless rims are not suited for road cycling, but because of this "gravel" thing people with moustache seem to be into, there seems to be a need for "a road cycling wheelset" with wide hookless rims.
It probably went like this at company XYZ:
Production guy: I'm having a devil of a time forming a hook on these carbon rims, getting a lot of rejects.
Company noob: Why are there rim hooks anyway?
Production guy: it would be nice if we didn't have to form the hook.
Marketing guy: Hey, you're onto something there. I can spin this so we can say it's lighter and stronger, you know, for bashing off rocks and such. Well call it "hookless." People will think they're better than hooked rims. It's a "win-win" situation. We'll sell a lot of product.
Quality guy: I hope nobody puts high pressure tires on these rims. The tire could come off.
Company lawyer: We'll put a maximum pressure rating on them. That should absolve us of any liability.
Company noob: Oh, that's why rims have hooks.
Marketing guy: Promote that guy!
The rest is history...