Patent ID: 7334846

Claim:
A bicycle wheel rim onto which a tubeless tire can be mounted, comprising: a base portion having a proximal surface engageable with a spoke member and an opposing distal surface engageable with a surface of a tire bead of the tubeless tire, wherein the distal surface has a trough, and, in cross sectional profile, a flat bead seat immediately adjacent and contiguous with the trough to an intersection point with a respective sidewall surface such that the tire bead rests on the flat bead seat when mounted; and an integral sidewall extending from an intersection of the proximal surface and the distal surface, wherein a most distal point of the sidewall extends no further than 0.200 inches above the flat bead seat of the distal surface of the rim, wherein the bead seat is horizontally disposed with respect to an axial direction of the rim so that when the tire is mounted, the tire bead is pressed between the flat bead seat and the sidewall to provide a ball and socket fit.