It is clear that the lighter a bicycle the better will be the performances of the cyclist. For lightening the whole of the bicycle, the constituent elements thereof must be lightened without making the whole fragile.
Thus, the frame, the handlebars, the wheels may be successively lightened.
Lightening of the wheels of a bicycle offers considerable advantages for the user not only because of a lower weight to be driven, or a lower inertia of the wheel which also allows better acceleration, but also for maintaining the balance of the cyclist: the ligher the wheel, the better the balance.
For lightening the rim, the use of carbon fibers associated with resins may be contemplated, but may have two drawbacks: when they break, they cause the sudden and practically complete destruction of the rim, which may result in the cyclist falling; finally, carbon fibers wear away rapidly through the friction of the brake blocks.