Remember the disc brake saga a few years ago? Thankfully that is behind us…sort of. But now, ta-da! We may very well have a never-ending debate on whether or not hookless rims are safe. On Friday, the gang in Switzerland put out a statement about the usage of the wheels.
“In light of a series of recent incidents involving the use of hookless rims and tubeless tires (a combination commonly referred to as hookless) in professional road cycling, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has decided to study the situation as a matter of urgency with a view to taking a rapid decision in the interest of rider safety.
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The most notable incident they refer to is Thomas De Gendt’s crash during Stage 5 of the UAE Tour.
De Gendt had a weird crash at high speed, where his tire had become dislodged from the rim. Additionally, the tire insert had become entangled with his fork. The Belgian was unsure what caused the crash and posted on social media about it.
“A special thank you to the Soudal–Quick-Step team for the help after my crash. They gave me a new wheel, fixed my bike and did the concussion protocol. Our car was behind the break and unable to help at that moment,” he posted. “And if someone has the images. I would like to know what I hit with my front wheel.”
Following the crash, riders union president Adam Hansen of the CPA, weighed in on the potential danger of them. Hansen said the CPA is very much against them.
“This crash is why the CPA are 100 percent against hookless rims.“Tires should not come off a rim. The maximum psi these hookless tires can have put in them is 73, and if you hit something for sure it goes above the maximum 73 psi rating on impact. That is why tires are coming off,” he said. “We have heard from some teams that they have put tires on before, they left them out in the sun and their tires just pop off.”
The brands involved in the crash were quick to respond, in an attempt to distance themselves from the wheel and tire failure.
The tire maker, Vittoria, blamed the rock he hit, not the rubber. “In the aftermath of Thomas De Gendt’s crash during the UAE Tour last week, there has been some discussion about the hookless system. It is crucial to clarify that the rim’s failure resulted from an impact with an object, in this case, a rock, and is unrelated to the hookless rim design,” the statement from read.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…