When choosing a pair of our carbon fibre cycle wings it is important to check the size of the wings against the tyres you will be using with the wings.
Since tyre widths and profiles vary significantly it is not possible for us to simply say that a certain cycle wing will be right for a 13" or 15" wheel. We do state on certain wings that they would be suitable for a typical 13" or 15" set-up but we ask customers to check by following this guide before ordering if you are at all unsure.
Can’t you just work it out from the tyre number?
Whilst it is possible to work out the overall diameter from the tyre’s number (195/50R15 etc.) experience tells us that the best way is to measure the overall diameter and width of your tyre at your normal running pressure and work from there.
Tyre Diameters
How to measure your tyre’s diameter:
If your car is on ground (i.e. there is weight on the wheels) measure from side to side, not top to bottom.
Use two pieces of angle (or similar) and hold them against opposite points of the tyre parallel to eachother. If someone else is around ask them to measure the distance between those two points. If no-one is around you can get away without the angles and using the tape ‘by eye’ to measure the two furthest points.
You should typically find that you have a measurement somewhere between 500-700mm. This is the tyre diameter we ask you to use when checking the suitability of our different wing sizes.
Wing clearances
Certain wings in our cycle wing range (our track wings) are designed to fit very close to your tyres (in the region of 20-30mm clearance from the tyre to the inner surface of the wing. For these wings accurate measurements are important.
Other wings such as the Traditional Style are not designed to be fitted so close to the tyre and often have clearances in the 50mm+ region though the fitting and choice of wing is totally down to you.
Listed with all our cycle wings is a ‘Diameter’ measurement. This is the diameter of the cylinder that the inner surface of the wing would wrap with no clearance.
Calculating the clearance for your tyres
Wings don’t have to be installed such that their radius exactly matches that of the wheel though obviously if they can be it will look neater and make for a better fit. The following calculation assumes that they are installed with their theoretical centre around the hub of your wheel.
Clearance = (Wing Diameter (as stated on their product page) - Tyre Diameter) / 2
I.e. the clearance will be the difference between the two diameters divided by two.
This clearance is to the inside of the cycle wing, not the flange around the edge which shouldn’t interfere with the tyre providing the cycle wing is wide enough to accommodate your tyre’s section (read on).
Remember that your mounting bracket needs to go inside this clearance so never plan on fitting wings with a clearance of less than 15-20mm unless you are willing to lift the wing slightly to increase the clearance for the bracket.
Tyre Widths
How to measure your tyre’s width:
Your tyre's actual width is likely to be very close to its quoted width (the first part of your tyre’s number) but it’s best to measure it just to be sure.
Use a tape measure and stand directly above your tyre. Take a measurement from the furthest most opposite points across the width of your tyre. You should have a measurement in the 175-240mm region.
Width clearances
Whilst it is common for kit-cars to be fitted with cycle wings that are wider than ideal for their tyres, it is very bad practice to have wings that are too narrow. Find the overall width measurement shown on each cycle wing’s page and ensure that the wing is wider than your tyres. If it isn’t, you need to look at a different wing.
Can’t find the right wing?
If you can’t find a wing suitable for your tyres then please get in touch. We do all our own product design, tooling and manufacture and can therefore add to our range to meet your needs.