Proof, Not Hype: How We Test Rims at Wheelworks

At Wheelworks, we’ve always believed in going beyond the marketing hype. Riders deserve real answers about how their wheels perform — so instead of relying on manufacturer claims, we built our own rim impact fixture jig.

This jig is designed to simulate a real-world root strike, the kind of hit you’ve probably felt on the trail. By dropping 100 joules of energy through a 20mm anvil angled at 5° onto a rim fitted with a 2.4” tyre at exactly 20psi, we can consistently replicate the forces that rims face in actual riding conditions.

Why does this matter? Because rims don’t fail in the tidy ways spec sheets suggest. They fail in four main ways:

Bead fold over: bending the bead area, affecting tubeless sealing and tyre fit.

Flat spots: dents that make a wheel bounce up and down on the trail.

Spoke hole cracking: long-term stress fractures around the spoke holes.

Taco: the full sideways buckle from a bad landing.

Our jig lets us study both the visible damage — dents, cracks, folds — and the hidden consequences, like how much spoke tension drops after an impact. That gives us a deeper understanding of how rims behave in the real world, and it gives you confidence that our recommendations are grounded in proof, not guesswork.

This is what sets Wheelworks apart: independence, rigorous testing, and a commitment to building wheels that improve your riding experience.

Curious which wheels are right for you? Get in touch with us - we’d love to talk about how the right wheelset can make your riding faster, smoother, and more fun.