The present invention provides a bicycle rim assembly adapted to be coupled to a hub to create a bicycle wheel. The rim assembly includes a rim and a cover coupled to the rim. The rim defines a central plane and comprises an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall cooperating with the inner wall to define a cavity. The rim further includes annular projections spaced laterally relative to the central plane and extending substantially radially outwardly from the outer annular wall. The cover includes sidewalls disposed on lateral sides of the rim adjacent the projections, each sidewall including a lateral inner portion having a lateral thickness. The cover further includes an annular ring portion interconnecting the sidewalls, the annular ring portion including a radial thickness less than the lateral thickness of the lateral inner portion of the sidewalls. Preferably, the rim comprises a metallic material and the cover comprises a non-metallic material. For example, the rim can comprise aluminum or an epoxy matrix composite, and the cover can comprises a polymeric material, such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. In addition, a radial thickness of the entire cover is preferably substantially less than a radial thickness of the entire rim. In one embodiment, the projections include a laterally inwardly facing surface, a laterally outwardly facing surface, and a radially outwardly facing surface. In this embodiment, the cover engages at least a portion of each of the laterally inwardly facing surface, the laterally outwardly facing surface, and the radially outwardly facing surface. Preferably, each annular projection has a smoothly radiused radially outwardly facing surface, and each laterally outwardly facing surface that lies in a radial plane substantially parallel to the central plane.

A bicycle wheel rim includes a rim having a hollow inner part and an outer part which is integrally formed with the inner part. An opening is defined in radial direction of the outer part. A connection unit is formed in the outer part and includes two seats located at an inner bottom of the opening, and two sidewalls extending from the two seats. Two engaging portions are respectively formed on the two seats and located apart from each other. Each sidewall has an outside, an inside and a top face which is connected between the outside and the inside. The inside is a flat inside without any lip or flange. The sidewalls have better strength and protect the sidewalls of the tire from being deformed.

An air maintenance tire assembly is provided in which an elongate groove is located within a first sidewall of a tire. The groove forms an elongate channel within the first sidewall and an elongate groove access passage extends from the elongate channel to an access opening located at an outward surface of the first sidewall. An air pumping tube inserts through the groove access passage and is positioned within the groove channel. A cover strip attaches to the first sidewall to enclose the access opening of the groove access passage. The cover strip is positioned along the first sidewall at a higher distance from the bead region of the first sidewall than the groove channel to avoid contact with a wheel rim flange when the tire is mounted to a wheel rim.

A bicycle rim has rim a pair of rim flanges that defines a tire channel. A rim strip extends across the tire channel. The rim strip includes a pair of flange bumpers configured to cover the rim flanges. The flange bumpers each define a flange channel in which one of the rim flanges is received. A pair of safety humps define corresponding tire seating sections where a tire is seated when inflated. The rim strip further includes a drop seal that seals with the beads of the tire to facilitate seating of the tire during inflation.

A bicycle rim has rim a pair of rim flanges that defines a tire channel. A rim strip extends across the tire channel. The rim strip includes a pair of flange bumpers configured to cover the rim flanges. The flange bumpers each define a flange channel in which one of the rim flanges is received. A pair of safety humps define corresponding tire seating sections where a tire is seated when inflated. The rim strip further includes a drop seal that seals with the beads of the tire to facilitate seating of the tire during inflation.

The invention relates to a tire having at least one carcass reinforcement (2) comprising reinforcers, surmounted radially on the outside by a crown reinforcement (3) comprising two axial ends S, itself radially on the inside of a tread (4), said crown reinforcement (3) being made up of at least one layer of reinforcement elements, said tread (4) being connected to two beads (5) by way of two sidewalls (6), said beads (5) being intended to come into contact with a rim flange having a rim flange top C, each bead having at least one circumferential reinforcement element (7) known as a bead wire, said carcass reinforcement (2) comprising an end (8) at each bead (5), the end (8) of the carcass reinforcement (2) being turned up once in an outward radial direction of the tire and about said bead wire, so as to form a turnup, then being folded in the radially outward direction so as to form a fold of the carcass ply (2), said fold forming a radially external end (12a) and three adjacent parts along an axial axis made up of a central part (10), of an axially internal lateral part (11), and of an axially external lateral part (0), the fold being executed in an outward axial direction with respect to the center of the tire, characterized in that a decoupling elastomer composition (14) having a secant modulus at 10% extension of greater than or equal to 10 MPa and preferably greater than or equal to 30 MPa and less than or equal to 60 MPa is present between the axially internal lateral part and the central part of said turnup, and at the radially external end (12a) of said turnup (12), said elastomer composition being present along a radial length comprised between the radially external end of the turnup and a radially internal point F with respect to the end of said turnup, said point being situated on the sidewall and at a distance from said radially external end by a length greater than 10 mm, and in that the radially external end (12a) of the turnup (12) is disposed between the rim flange top C and a point D, said points C and D being situated at the surface of the sidewall (6) and disposed on either side of a point E situated on the sidewall corresponding to the nominal section width, said point D being disposed at a maximum radial length equal to 85% of the length present between the axial end S of the crown reinforcement (3) and the rim flange top C.

A rim for a bicycle wheel includes a radially outer tire-engaging portion, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall spaced apart from the first sidewall. The first and second sidewalls may extend radially inward of the radially outer tire-engaging portion. The rim includes a radially inner portion having at least one asymmetric protrusion.

A rim for a bicycle wheel includes a radially outer tire-engaging portion, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall spaced apart from the first sidewall. The first and second sidewalls may extend radially inward of the radially outer tire-engaging portion. The rim includes a radially inner portion having at least one asymmetric protrusion.

A method for making a carbon fiber wheel rim includes: preparing an outer supporting piece; winding a carbon-fiber yarn around the outer supporting piece to form carbon fiber layers and to constitute an engaging seat preform; connecting an inner supporting piece to the engaging seat preform; connecting a reinforcement piece to the inner supporting piece; winding a carbon-fiber yarn around an assembly of the engaging seat preform, the inner supporting piece and the reinforcement piece to form carbon fiber layers; fixing the assembly with the carbon fiber layers to form an outer frame preform; and cutting the outer frame preform and the engaging seat preform to form a trench and removing the outer supporting piece therefrom.

A method for making a carbon fiber wheel rim includes: preparing an outer supporting piece; winding a carbon-fiber yarn around the outer supporting piece to form carbon fiber layers and to constitute an engaging seat preform; connecting an inner supporting piece to the engaging seat preform; connecting a reinforcement piece to the inner supporting piece; winding a carbon-fiber yarn around an assembly of the engaging seat preform, the inner supporting piece and the reinforcement piece to form carbon fiber layers; fixing the assembly with the carbon fiber layers to form an outer frame preform; and cutting the outer frame preform and the engaging seat preform to form a trench and removing the outer supporting piece therefrom.