Spoke wheels with Bartubeless system are safer because they have all the advantages of spoke wheels (flexibility, adaptability to mixed grounds, and elasticity) combined with the advantages of tubeless tyres (lightness, ease of repair, contact uniformity to the ground and tyre quality).
The wheels are a mystery
Their safety has been improved; however, wheels always remain a mystery because tyres are the only part of the bike that touches the ground and that is exposed to higher wear:
- Rubbing
- Friction
- UV rays
- Intense cold and heat
- Passing of time
For this reason, the Bartubeless system makes it possible to enjoy all the positive aspects of both spoke wheels and tubeless tyres.
The advantages
- in case of puncture the tyre does not deflate completely abruptly
- there is no friction between inner tube and tyre, and therefore there is less deterioration
- there are no problems of tearing of the inflation valve which is what happens in wheels with inner tube
- there is better distribution of the internal pressure of the tyre
- there is lesser gyroscopic effect and therefore lower perceived weight during changes of direction
- it is easy to repair in case of punctured tyre
- Bartubeless system is easy to repair
Less sudden deflation
Most of the times, punctures are caused by sharp objects sticking into the tyre. In these cases, a tubeless wheel makes a difference compared to a wheel with inner tube.
Tubeless wheel with Bartubeless system
On a tubeless wheel the object that punctures the tyre also acts as a cap; therefore, the air contained in the wheel can remain pressurised for a long time. This is synonymous with safety because it avoids sudden deflation and consequently problems of road holding.
Wheel with inner tube
Here the situation is different since the nail punctures the tyre and the inner tube under pressure. At this point the air starts to come out of the inner tube and passes through the seat of the nipples that do not have a hermetic seal. In this case, from the moment of the puncture to the moment of the deflation even little time could pass, and you will find yourself having a deflated wheel in the middle of a corner.
Easy to repair
This aspect applies to all motorcyclists, both to those who take the classic day trip out of town and especially to those who take trips to places where there are not nearby or reachable assistance services. In both cases, there is a big waste of time and logistical problems which can be solved by adopting the Bartubeless system that allows you to install a tubeless tyre on a spoke wheel.
Repair of a tubeless wheel with Bartubeless system
Repairing a wheel with Bartubeless system and a tubeless tyre in case of puncture, will only take you a few minutes. You just need a simple repair kit with rubber lace; you do not even have to disassemble anything. All you have to do is to remove the nail, insert the lace, reinflate the tyre and you are ready to go.
Repair of a wheel with inner tube
Repairing a hole on a wheel with inner tube requires the removal of the wheel from the bike, the removal of the tyre from the rim, the replacement of the inner tube with a new one and the reassembly of everything. Removing a wheel requires a kickstand and removing a tyre from the rim requires special tools and skills. To put it briefly, if you puncture your wheel, you need to call the tow truck.
What is the gyroscopic effect?
The gyroscopic effect is a physical phenomenon that occurs in rotating bodies due to the law of intensity conservation and direction of angular momentum. This arises when the axis, around which a body is rotating, is urged to change its orientation by a force that operates on any of the planes that contain the axis of rotation.
This is the technical definition, to be more practical and to apply what we just said about the gyroscopic effect to the bike, we would have to say that the more the wheel weighs and the faster it rotates, the greater the force required to tilt it with respect to its axis will be.
This means that the aspects that influence this force are essentially two: the speed of rotation and the weight of the wheel itself. The further the weight is away from the rotation axis, the greater the resistance to motion is. To make an example: a heavier hub is not able to significantly affect the negative gyroscopic effect of the rotating wheel as a heavier covering would be able to do.
What Bartubeless improves is the most external weight of the wheel, the one that is located in the furthest part from the centre of rotation and that is the most critical due to its physical effect. By removing the difference in weight of the inner tube and of the polymer that seals the channel of the nipples, the weight of the wheel is reduced just enough to get a more responsive and fluid drive.
Better balance
Another aspect to consider, besides the gyroscopic effect, is the better balance of the wheel. With Bartubeless system you also have better weight uniformity and distribution that result in better balance.
If we think about the gyroscopic effect, this means that even at high rotations the wheel is stable, giving a smoother and safer driving sensation.
With Bartubeless system, these typical aspects of alloy wheels are added to the incredible and interesting characteristics of spoke wheels.
Why is pressure better distributed with the Bartubeless system?
In a spoke wheel the inner tube is an element situated between the tyre and the rim to maintain the air pressure at the optimal operating value. The adhesion of the inner tube to the tyre as a result of pressure is not optimal, especially when the wheel is in motion.
The transfer of pressure from the inner tube to the tyre also depends on its elasticity, which may be compromised by irregularities of its thickness.
With the Bartubeless system, since it does not have the inner tube, we can enjoy the natural effect of the pressure that is distributed equally in all directions.
This means that there is the same pressure on the entire tyre and therefore the print that the tyre leaves on the ground will always be optimal.
This results in better performance, tread optimisation, better tread wear and consumption optimisation.
How much weight do you eliminate with the Bartubeless system?
The Bartubeless system removes the inner tube from the wheel and applies a special lighter polymer to seal its channel.
This difference in weight, which apparently seems small, actually becomes big if we consider the masses in motion. In fact, when the wheels rotate, they put the masses in motion and the faster they rotate, the more this weight increases. If we put together lower weight, better pressure distribution, better balance, and better print on the ground (which is determined by the pressure distributed better) at the same speed we will have a huge benefit.
No friction
A tubeless wheel with Bartubeless system allows to eliminate all the internal friction that cause an increase of the internal temperature. This aspect causes a series of problems including:
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Premature wear
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Deterioration of the internal surfaces of the inner tube and the tyre causing the weakening of the inner tube and resulting in breakage, puncture
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Aspect which is even more evident in case of mixed use on-off road
Moreover, this aspect affects consumption.
No valve breakage
Tubeless wheels with Bartubeless system, among the many advantages also have the one that eliminates the potential problem of the breakage of the inflation valve. This is a problem that concerns both replacement operations and safety.
Why does this happen?
This happens due to an internal displacement of the inner tube that having as a fixed point on the rim the inflation valve, at the end cuts or rips causing a sudden air leak from the tyre. The displacement is caused by several factors including:
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Uneven pressure
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Friction and wear between inner tube and tyre
These events occur more when the use is carried out in off-road or on bumpy roads. The spoke rim is very elastic, and this is good, but internally it causes stress to the internal parts of the wheel.
In tubeless wheels with Bartubeless system the inner tube is removed as it is the cause of a series of effects that provoke the breakage of the inflation valve.