Wheels wanna get wider. Frames wanna get narrower. Compatibility an issue. Who blinks first and changes for the other?
Gerard mentioned a few months ago that the frame makers and wheel makers finally had a talk about it.
wheels can’t get any wider than hed already makes them, unless they start shipping brake calipers with them.
I pick option three.
When is a frame maker going to work with a wheel maker and sell a frame with wheels specifically designed for that bike?
In the rear we allways ask which disc, one of the shaped or falt. For a cut uot that closely follows flat or lens shaped seems best, but how wide?
In the front look at treks set up. There just isn’t going to be much adjustability for integrated brakes, so knowing the wheel width helps the maker of the fork a lot. Same with the fork legs, closer together is better for frontal aero but supposedly bad for certain wheels.
I’d love to see a bike sold with almost zero options. Frame fork, wheels, HB, crank, I can even see using an insert in the rear dropout that you pick for a certain size tire. It would be nice to have vertical drops instead of the horizontal. Actually I’m surprised that hasn’t happened yet, make the rear dropout 2-3 mm to wide, but vertical and have snap in shims that set the actual chainstay length.
Styrrell
I recognize that, and it will be a issue. I can see it going the way of the Trek SC, the top model is integrated, the lower, not as much. With wheels you would still be able to choose, but the wheels it came with would be “fastest”.
At the top end bikes are becoming like F1 cars, not as lot of options. Of course Cat Cheetahs are like what I propose and in spite of huge success in Kona they have’nt taken over the industry, so who knows.
Styrrell