# Wide Rims and Sidewall cuts



## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

So I was looking at the new ENVE G23s and they are pretty wide rims. They debuted at Dirty Kanza this year and a couple of riders with them had sidewall cuts from rocks (of course lots of riders probably get sidewall cuts there, I haven't yet knock on wood). I was thinking maybe the wider rims make the soft sidewalls of the gravel specific tires more vulnerable due to a less bulb shaped tire profile and one that is more round exposing the sidewalls more than a narrower rim would. I don't think there's any statistically significant data probably supporting the theory from the race but it did make me wonder. My Pacenti SL25s are narrower the the G23s being 20mm internal vs 23mm. Although the G23s have a wider rim lip which is supposed to make them more resistant to causing pinch flats which seems to make sense. Thoughts?


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

My thoughts are that I don't like extremes of any kind. A 23mm rim is fine if you're running a 35mm+ tire. A narrower tire with 23mm rims and I think you're asking for sidewall cuts as you're making the tire shaped like a bell.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

Yeah, that bulb effect is what I was thinking might cause issues. I did get a set of the G23s, and put Compass Bon Jon 35mm tires on them - they measure 37mm mounted and inflated to 50psi. They look like the sidewalls aren't exposed any more than other tires I have on other rims. 

On a side note, I was happy to see the wheels I received were a few grams under 1300 on my scale. The tires don't seem to have any more or less rolling resistance than GP 4000s tires with latex tubes based on two almost identical rides on a multi use trail out and back same speed - flat trail - same average power.


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