Disadvantages of hookless rims

Although hookless rims seem to have only advantages, they also have disadvantages.

1. basically, they are for tubeless tires only
2. may not be compatible with narrower tires
3. lower pressure compared to clincher rims
4. hookless compatible tires are required

First of all, the basics are all tubeless-only; it is rare to find a manufacturer like Mavic that says “hookless but clincher is OK,” and most manufacturers basically say “do not run with a tube in except in an emergency such as a flat tire.

Also, because of the increased inner width of the rim, the compatible tire size will be larger. In many cases, 28C or larger tires are recommended for hookless rim wheels.

Finally, compatible tires and air pressure.

Since hookless rims are constructed differently from conventional rims, both the rim side and the tire side must be manufactured exactly to the new ETRTO standard.

For example, for Panaracer’s Agilest TLR, the manufacturer has published detailed specifications for the rim side and compatible tire sizes.

Hookless rims are less safe if they do not conform to ETRTO because of the lack of hooks, so check to make sure they conform properly.

Also, with hookless rims, the maximum air pressure specified by the wheel side is lower than that of clinchers. However, this may not be a major issue, since it is often rather low if you consider using tubeless tires.