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Rims are an integral part of the wheel of a bike, along with tires, hubs, spokes and nipples. The materials used in the production of bike rims have evolved over time. Steel was primarily used in the past, but aluminum has proven to be better due to its lower weight and improved braking performance with rim brakes.

In professional cycling, such as in triathlons or time trials, carbon fiber is now commonly used to manufacture bike rims. Carbon is much lighter than aluminum or steel and offers excellent strength-to-weight ratio, although working with carbon is quite expensive.

Often, carbon rims are also optimized aerodynamically. This is especially true for high-profile rims (often referred to as aero or V-rims), though this effect is noticeable mainly at high speeds (40 km/h and above). Nevertheless, high-profile rims are known for their particularly good stiffness-to-weight ratio.

Rims are also distinguished by the type of braking system used. Rims intended for use with rim brakes have a braking surface. Disc brake rims, on the other hand, can forego this surface and can be built lighter or more robustly, as the disc brake rotor is mounted on the hub.

Additionally, bike rims vary based on the type of tire. There are rims for wire tires, tubular tires, or tubeless tires.