New wheels (303 or GRC1400) - but hookless

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Kingston
Posts: 248
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:58 pm
Location: Denmark

by Kingston

I'm new to riding gravel, and just recently got my Ridley Kanzo Fast.

I want to swap the wheels, as the bike was delivered with road wheels that fit my winter road bike perfectly.

So, I've set my eyes on either the 303 Firecrest or Dtswiss Grc1400, both wide internal diameter and hookless.

I have running tubeless the last 3 year on my road bikes, but never had hookless rims.

I assume (might be wrong) that the hookless setup is a tighter fit, and therefor harder to mount the tire than hooked rim.

So, my main question is if this is a correct assumption?
My concern is to have a flat, that a dynaplug cannot fix, and I need to insert a tube, but the tire has such tight fit that is impossible.

Second question is if any one has any commrnts to the wheels I am concidering.

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Cosmo
Posts: 99
Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2007 5:05 pm
Location: Netherlands

by Cosmo

Hookless isn't "tighter"-hookless is a specific rim bed shape specification. The benefit to hookless is if the rim and tire are both made to a specfication then the system meets a specfication for how well both work together; this means easier on/off and security while riding. If everyone plays along standards are a wonderful thing. :idea:

There are lots of varibles which make a tire/rim combo "tight"-outside of the above you're rolling the dice on what you might end up with so in that sense hookless is a better choice. For a flat not being able to seal scenerio as long as you can get one bead off then you can get a tube in-test your combo after mounting and you know. In 6 odd years of riding tubeless road and gravel (and a long time of MTB tubeless before) I've only needed a tube once and was in the "why didn't we think to carry plugs?" days. Since then an occasionaly plug when riding thin race tires on rocky dirt roads, I don't carry a tube anymore. For rough stuff gravel I run foam inserts for a "rideable" out if needed, thankfully never had to.

For the two wheels mentioned I have hookless 303FCs. They ride very well overall, have held up to various silliness road/gravel/CX in the very wet Netherlands, many tires mounted without fanfare and have a lifetime garantee against the rim breaking from an impact.
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