Buying Carbon wheels this spring?
If you liked this carbon wheel test, please consider supporting our product testing program by buying carbon wheels from us. You can see the carbon wheels that we carry at https://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/tires-wheels/. We offer only the best performing mountain bike products that we've found from our testing and have carbon MTB wheels as well as our Turner RFX and Turner Flux demo bikes available for individual or A/B testing style comparison demos at Duthie Hill Park in Issaquah, WA (http://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/demos)
Thank You!
Jeff
Research Objectives:
1. Assess whether noticeable performance differences exist between different brands of carbon fiber wheels.
2. Determine areas of relative strength and weakness for the brands of carbon fiber wheels being tested, if applicable.
3. Determine if there are any performance advantages of higher priced carbon wheels over lower priced carbon wheels.
4. Determine if there are any performance advantages of carbon fiber wheels over a typical alloy wheel.
Selection Criteria for Wheels Included in the Test:
The wheels selected for inclusion in the test all had rims with inner widths ranging from 29mm to 30mm. All wheelsets used either DT240 or DT 350 hubs to maintain relative equivalence in hub specs. Lower priced wheelsets used DT350 hubs to represent a typical configuration that a more cost-conscious buyer might choose. With the exception of the Stans Flow Mk3 wheelset, all wheels were built by the manufacturer with the expectation that the manufacturer might have the most experience building wheels with their rims.
Specific reasons for selecting each wheelset model is as follows:
Enve M70 HV: Enve wheels have long been considered the go-to high-end carbon wheel brand. For this test, the Enve M70 HV is the carbon wheel benchmark to which the other wheels were considered.
Knight Composites Enduro: Knight Composites have been on my short list of MTB carbon wheel companies to watch with founders having carbon fiber design, manufacturing and marketing experience from ENVE, Reynolds Composites, Felt and Cervelo. Knight has been building aero road bike wheels since 2014. The Knight Composites Enduro wheels were included to determine if any carbon wheels on the market can challenge the Enve wheels from an absolute performance standpoint regardless of price.
Nox Composites Farlow: Nox rims and wheels have been receiving consistently good reviews in the media going back to 2013. These positive reviews have been backed up by consistently good rider feedback on message boards (e.g., see http://forums.mtbr.com/wheels-tires/nox-composites-868602.html) about performance, durability and customer service. The Nox wheelset was selected to see whether a US-designed product at a moderate price point can equal or exceed the performance of higher end products.
Light Bicycle Bicycle WM650BC05 Heavy Duty: For many riders, $1000 is the limit of their budget for a carbon wheelset. With a cost about a quarter of the Enve M70 HV wheels, these Light Bicycle wheels offer one of the most affordable options for carbon wheels. They are included in the test to determine if there is any reason to pay more than $1000 for a carbon wheelset.
Note: I chose the ‘Heavy Duty’ version of this rim. The standard ‘All Mountain’ wheelset had a claimed weight of 1586 g which was far lighter than I would be willing to consider as a consumer for the intended usage of all-mountain riding (e.g., more than XC riding) given some online rider reports of Light Bicycle rim damage. The ‘Heavy Duty’ version’s claimed weight of 1696 g was more in line with what I expected a rim of this width and intended usage to weigh. However, the actual weight of this Light Bicycle wheelset was 1800 g which was the greatest difference between claimed and actual wheelset weights of any of the wheelsets tested.
Stans Flow Mk3: The new Flow Mk3 rims from Stans increases the inner rim width of their popular Flow rim to 29 mm with a claimed 30 gram decrease in weight from the previous Flow EX version of this rim. The Flow Mk3 was chosen as an alloy benchmark with a comparable width to the carbon wheels tested to evaluate the differences in performance between carbon and alloy rims.
Wheelsets Tested:
Enve M70 HV with DT240 hubs:
- Build Specs: DT Aerolite J-bend bladed spokes, 28 hole rim drilling
- Note: Enve uses DT Aerolite & Sapim CX-Ray spokes interchangeably.
- Rim Inner Width: 30 mm
- Claimed Weight: 1645 g
- Actual Weight (with tubeless tape & valves installed)
- Front: 830 g
- Rear: 880 g
- Total: 1710 g
- Retail Price: $2718
Knight Composites Mountain Enduro with DT240 hubs:
- Build Specs: Sapim CX-Ray straight-pull bladed spokes, 28 hole rim drilling
- Rim Inner Width: 30 mm
- Claimed Weight: 1513 g
- Actual Weight (with tubeless tape & valves installed)
- Front: 730 g
- Rear: 840 g
- Total: 1570 g
- Retail Price: $2199
Light Bicycle WM650BC05 Heavy Duty with DT350 hubs
- Build Specs: DT Competition 14/15 butted spokes, 32 hole rim drilling
- Rim Inner Width: 30 mm
- Claimed Weight: 1696 g
- Actual Weight (with tubeless tape & valves installed)
- Front: 840 g
- Rear: 960 g
- Total: 1800 g
- Retail Price: $825 ($719 + $106 shipping from China)
Nox Composites Farlow with DT350 hubs
- Build Specs: Sapim Race 14/15 butted spokes, 32 hole rim drilling (Nox suggested 32 spokes vs 28 spokes)
- Rim Inner Width: 29 mm
- Claimed Weight: 1701 g (1634 g with DT240 hubs & Sapim Race 14/15 butted spokes)
- Actual Weight (with tubeless tape & valves installed)
- Front: 810 g
- Rear: 910 g
- Total: 1720 g
- Retail Price: $1412 (Nox currently has a free shipping promo)
Stans Flow Mk3 with DT350 hubs
- Build Specs: DT Competition 14/15 butted spokes, 32 hole rim drilling
- Rim Inner Width: 29 mm
- Actual Weight (with tubeless tape & valves installed)
- Front: 890 g
- Rear: 1000 g
- Total: 1890 g
- Retail Price: $600 (Dirt Merchant Bikes’ price with Free Shipping)
Testing Methodology:
Location: Grand Ridge Trail in Issaquah, WA going southbound after the boardwalk. The climb/descent has a 200 foot vertical gain. Grade on the incline ranges from 6-16 percent. One-way distance is 0.75 miles (1.5 miles for the round trip).
Trail Conditions: Light rain with wet leaves. Some slippery corners with some wet roots & wet rocks. No deep mud. Good drainage on the trail. No problems with rear wheel traction overall, but front wheel traction was more important with a good number of higher-speed turns as the trail traverses across the fall line. The sweeping nature of these turns should also reward wheels that are laterally stiff and provide good feedback. The only limitations on speed in these turns are tire traction and rider skill as well as the extent to which steering feel/control of each wheelset enhances or detracts from these factors.
Product Testers: Product testers included myself and 3 other riders recruited from the Seattle area via a Facebook posting and the Dirt Merchant Bikes website. All test riders were competent climbers & descenders with some faster on the uphills and some faster on the downhills. The number of climbs completed during the course of the comparison test were well within the stamina limits of the recruited testers.
Test Bikes: Each of the test riders rode a Turner RFX (160mm of travel) for the duration of the comparison test. Each rider rode the same bike for all 3 wheel combinations tested. (Wheels/wheels were switched between bikes)
Wheel setup: Wheels were run tubeless with 30 psi. 30 psi was the lowest pressure that I was comfortable running with rider weights varying within an 80 lb range.
Testing Procedure: Each rider rode the 5 wheelsets up the course and then back down. Wheels/Wheels were changed after each uphill/downhill round trip.
Evaluation Methodology:
The wheel combinations were evaluated on the basis of three separate measures:
1. Timed Laps: Wheel testing lap times were recorded for:
a. Uphill lap split
b. Downhill lap split
c. Total Time (aggregating Uphill & Downhill lap times)
2. Quantitative Rating: Wheel combinations were rated on multiple quantitative factors on a 1-5 scale with 5 being the best score, 3 being an average score and 1 being far below expectations. The average quantitative rating was calculated as an average of the 5 individual rider scores on each attribute.
· 5 stars - Absolutely outstanding
· 4 stars
· 3 stars - Solid performance, meets expectations
· 2 stars
· 1 star - Misses expectations by a wide margin
3. Subjective Evaluation: Test riders added subjective comments to the Quantitative Ratings to provide deeper insight into the quant ratings.
4. 1st & 2nd most Preferred Wheels: Each test rider indicated which wheel would be their 1st and 2nd pick for front and for rear usage.
Notes on Interpretation of Results:
I suggest reviewing the subjective comments in conjunction with the quantitative data for a general understanding of each wheel’s strength/weaknesses. Please note the following caveats when interpreting the results from this comparison test.
• This is not intended to be a scientific test: Though this test includes quantitative data, the numerical data is intended only to help interpret rider feedback.
• Differences between wheels in the quantitative results are not statistically significant: With only small sample of four riders rating each wheel, differences in quantitative ratings should be interpreted as directional and not as statistically significant differences.
Part 1: Lap Times – Uphill, Downhill & Combined
Sample size: 3 riders (Interpret any lap time differences as only directional and not statistically significant.)
Note: Lap times were recorded only for 3 of 4 test riders due to unexpected data collection issues for the 4th test rider.
Notes on Interpretation of Lap Time Averages and Standard Deviations:
1. Differences between the average lap times recorded for the tested wheelsets are not statistically significant: With only one lap time for three riders with each wheelset, differences in lap times should be interpreted as directional and not as statistically significant differences.
2. Definition of Standard Deviation: The standard deviation is a measure of how spread out the numbers in a data set are. A smaller standard deviation means the data is more closely clustered around the average of the data set, while a larger standard deviation means the data is more spread out.
3. Interpretation of the Standard Deviation statistic for the lap times recorded for each wheelset: My interpretation of the standard deviation of the lap times recorded for each wheelset is that it is a measure of how forgiving a wheelset is of less-than-perfect riding. In this context, wheelsets that are more forgiving will have a lower standard deviation score. I’m defining forgiving as the ability to:
- Provide a sharp, but controllable steering response
- Be less affected by trail obstacle
- Communicate the amount of available traction
The reason why I think standard deviation measures how forgiving or performance enhancing a wheelset is because I believe a set of wheels that are “easier” to ride should result in less variance in lap times. This goes beyond measuring the absolute lateral stiffness or vertical compliance of a wheelset to gauging whether these factors and other performance characteristics might impact overall ease of handling as reflected in more consistent lap times.
4. This is my interpretation of the data, but feel free to post any thought you might have on my blog post on this topic at: http://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/special-events/2015/7/16/measuring-tire-cornering-predictability-with-data
Part II: Quantitative Performance Ratings:
Part III: Subjective Comments
Enve M70 HV:
Summary: Enve wheels have been the benchmark for high-end wheels and in many ways, they did not disappoint. Compared to some of the other wheels tested, the Enve M70 HV wheels provide faster Acceleration & clearly have higher lateral stiffness that yields fast steering response. This lateral stiffness, however, was also combined with a lack of vertical compliance. The Ride Quality of the Enves was judged to be worse than most of the other wheels tested. The impact of this becomes apparent on longer rides for which the harshness of the Enve wheels becomes noticeably less pleasant. The Enve’s stiff ride also results in a tendency to be knocked off line by trail obstacles which reduces Steering Control and its ability to Maintain Speed.
Strengths:
- Steering Feel was quick and responsive
- “Quick steering response”
- “Steering response is sharp”
- “Felt everything. Too much steering feel.”
- Quick to Accelerate: “Very fast accelerating”
Weaknesses:
- Steering Control hindered by lack of vertical compliance: “Good when smooth, but felt it got knock out of line easily”
- Ability to Maintain Speed hindered by lack of compliance over trail obstacles
- “Maintained speed well, but bouncing off of trail obstacles slowed down the wheel”
- “Would get knocked off line rather than rolling over obstacles”
- Ride Quality was harsh
- “Transmitted every little bump”
- “Punishingly rigid in feel”
- “Reduces vibration in technical terrain”
- Cost: $600 more expensive than the next most expensive wheel.
Knight Composites Enduro:
Summary: Rider feedback on the Knight wheels was highly positive with a perception that they offered the same high level of lateral stiffness as the Enve M70 HV wheels with better Ride Quality. For longer rides, Knight wheels might be the best choice out of the wheels tested for a highly responsive Steering Feel combined with good vertical compliance for long ride comfort. Acceleration on smoother surfaces was perhaps slightly slower than the Enve wheels due to the Knight’s greater vertical compliance.
Strengths:
- Steering Feel was quick and responsive
- “High degree of lateral stiffness provides immediate steering response”
- “Sharp steering response. Wheel was very responsive.”
- Steering Control enhanced by vertical compliance
- “High degree of vertical compliance reduces rebound off of trail obstacles and increases steering control”
- Good Acceleration
- “Quick to accelerate”
- “Resilience increases ability to accelerate over rough terrain”
- Good ability for Maintaining Speed
- “Compliance over trail obstacles helps maintain rolling speed.”
- Best Ride Quality of the carbon wheels
- “Ride quality was almost as good as that of the Stans Flows, but resilient in feel rather than soft.”
- “Feels firmly suspended like a sports car.”
- “Magic carpet ride”
Weaknesses:
- Cost: Though cheaper than the Enves, cost is still over $2,000
Light Bicycle WM650BC05 Heavy Duty:
Summary: Online rider feedback on the Light Bicycle rims and wheels has been positive. Going into the test, expectations were that these wheels would prove to be at least somewhat comparable to more expensive carbon wheels so it was quite surprising that the Light Bicycle wheels were not rated well in many of the performance measures even in comparison to the Stans Flow Mk3 wheels. The one strength that we found for the Light Bicycle wheels was that they might be slightly stiffer laterally than the Stans rim, but they were clearly among the least laterally stiff of the carbon wheels. The overall impression of the Light Bicycle wheels was that they lacked liveliness in both Ride Quality and Steering Feel.
Note: This rim was one of Light Bicycle’s older designs. Our testing should not be considered as an evaluation of Light Bicycle’s newer asymmetric rim designs. Wheels built with Light Bicycle’s newer asymmetric rim (https://us.lightbicycle.com/shop/27-5-am728/) cost over $1200, but with Industry Nine hubs. We had chosen the older, less expensive rim design to reach a sub-$1000 price point and to understand how a budget priced carbon wheel might compare in performance to more expensive options.
Strengths:
- Cost: Total cost including shipping from China was $800. (Light Bicycle is now shipping carbon wheels from their new US office, but wheels shipped from the US start around $1200 with Industry Nine hubs.)
Weaknesses:
- Lacked Steering Feel
- “Felt weak…like having low tire pressure.”
- “Felt similar to the Stans Flow in steering feel.”
- “Not much feel. Lacks stiffness.”
- Steering Control also hindered by lack of responsiveness
- “Felt wobbly and that slowed down cornering.”
- “Dead feeling”
- Acceleration seemed similar to the Stans Flow rims
- “Felt similar to the Stans Flow in acceleration”
- Lacked ability to Maintain Speed
- “Seemed to slow down on each hit on the trail”
- “Slight softness in rolling feel similar to the Stans Flow rim”
- “Seemed to roll slower than even the Stans wheels”
- Ride Quality was not lively
- “Not lively in feel.”
- “Felt similar to the Stans Flow in ride quality.”
Nox Composites Farlow:
Summary: Though the Nox Farlow rims were judged to be less stiff than the Enve or Knight rims, they were noted by 3 of 4 test riders as being a clear improvement over the Stans Flow Mk3 alloy wheelset. In the words of one of the testers, “This would be a carbon wheel that I would place as a baseline. It’s good, but you’ll feel the difference of lower quality carbon wheels below and differences in the higher quality wheels above. “ Our heaviest tester (at 240 lbs) did mention that he found the Nox rims (as well as the Light Bicycle rims) to be a “Little too weak feeling” whereas he noted that the Knight and Enve rims were notably stiffer laterally. This sentiment was not shared by the other testers so rider weight might be a factor to consider in wheel choice.
Strengths:
- Steering Feel was good
- “Lateral stiffness was between Knight & Stans wheels.”
- “Great steering capability”
- “Good steering response’
- Ride Quality was decent, but not to the level of the Knight wheels
- “Absorbed little bumps well”
- “Better ride quality than the Enves, but not as good as the Knights.”
- “Felt overly stiff. Did not reduce vibration in technical terrain.”
Weaknesses:
- Steering Control was midpack
- “Bouncing off of rocks reduces steering feel.”
- “Felt wobbly and that slowed down cornering.”
Stans Flow Mk3:
Summary: Going into the test, expectations for the Stans Flow Mk3 were perhaps lower than for its carbon competitors. Though the perception of many riders is that carbon fiber wheels are stiffer and higher performing all around compared to alloy wheels, the reality is that the Stans Flow Mk3 wheels did quite well in this comparison test especially given our retail price point of $600 for Stans Flow Mk3 wheels built with DT350 hubs (https://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/tires-wheels/stans-flow-mk3dt-350-wheelset). As might be expected, the Stans wheels provided good Ride Quality, but was also unexpectedly strong in Steering Control and ability to Maintain Speed.
Strengths:
- Ride Quality provided most comfort, but resulted in less responsiveness than some of the carbon wheels
- “More damping of vibration and harshness compared to the carbon rims.”
- “Rim feels too soft, not responsive”
- Steering Control was better than some of the stiffer carbon rims
- “Vertical compliance increases steering control”
- Ability to Maintain Speed was on par with the carbon rims tested
- “No comparable difference between these rims and the other carbon rims on the flats.”
Weaknesses:
- Steering Feel was less responsive than the carbon rims
- “Not as responsive as the carbon rims.”
- “Lacks sharpness in steering response.”
- Slower Acceleration than the carbon rims
- “Slower to accelerate out of corners. Not as lively as the carbon rims.”
Part IV: Most Preferred Wheels - Price Independent & Price Dependent
Price Independent Preference
Price Dependent Preference
Test Summary:
In addition to our summaries by wheel above, these might be considerations for you in choosing between the wheels that we’ve tested.
Highest Performance for Shorter Rides, Bike Parks or Shuttle Runs: With the highest perceived lateral stiffness in the test, the Enve and Knight wheels provided the highest degree of steering feel which is one of the main benefits that many riders seek from upgrading to carbon wheels. Medium to lighter weight riders might benefit from the greater steering control provided by the more vertically compliant Knight wheels, while heavier riders may prefer the vertically stiffer Enve wheels which may be akin to running more air pressure in a fork for a stiffer spring rate.
Highest Performance for Long Rides: Ride comfort becomes a more important consideration for longer rides. The Knight wheels had the best balance of lateral stiffness with vertical compliance. This combination provided an uncompromised level of steering feel/control together with excellent ride quality.
Best Choice at a more Moderate Price Point: $2,000+ dollars is a lot of money for sure to spend on a set of wheels. Our choice for a more reasonably priced set of carbon wheels is the Nox Farlow. Most of the test riders agreed that Nox Farlow provided a clear step-up in steering feel from the alloy Stans Flow Mk3 wheels at a price about half of the Enve wheels. Ride quality of the Nox wheels was rated second-best next to the Knight wheels. Also, whether or not it was due to random chance, the Nox wheels posted the fastest overall uphill & downhill lap time with among the lowest standard deviation scores of the wheels tested.
Best Choice under $1,000: It may not seem that way from the quantitative rating scores, but the Stans Flow Mk3 wheels did unexpectedly well in our testing. Our heaviest test rider was not particularly impressed with the lateral stiffness of the Light Bicycle or the Nox wheels and said that he, “… would rather ride the Stans wheels rather than the Light Bicycle or Nox rims.” Though less sharp steering than the carbon wheels tested, test riders rated the Stans’ level of steering control behind only the Knight and Enve wheels while its ride quality trailed only the more resilient feeling Knight wheels. Especially for long rides, the level of ride comfort provided by the Stans Flow Mk3 wheels should be a factor to keep in mind.
Based on the results of this comparison test, Dirt Merchant Bikes will be an authorized dealer for Knight Composites and Nox Composites wheels. We believe these along with Enve wheels are the best wheels available at premium and mid-level price points. We also offer Enve wheels for local sale and with sales of Turner bikes.
Thanks for reading our comparison test report. Feel free to reach out to Dirt Merchant Bikes with any questions or suggestions for other products to test at: jeff@dirtmerchantbikes.com
Also, if you live in the Seattle area and would like join us as a rider in our tire testing events, you can sign up in our product tester database at: https://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/sign-up-to-be-a-product-tester/
Our Other Comparison Test Reports:
If you’re interested in reading our tire comparison test reports, they are located at:
Spring 2016 – Enduro Tire Test (DH-F/DH-R, Hans Dampf/Nobby Nic, Butcher/Purgatory): https://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/special-events/2016/5/13/pacific-northwest-spring-2016-endurotrail-tire-test-hans-dampfnobby-nic-dh-fdh-r-butcherpurgatory
Summer 2015 – XC Tire Test (X-king, Rocket Ron, Ardent, Neo-Moto, Hans Dampf/Nobby Nic): http://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/special-events/2015/7/19/pacific-northwest-summer-2015-xc-tire-comparison-test
Winter 2015 – Trail Tire Comparison Test 2 (Trail King, Vigilante/Trail Boss, Magic Mary, Hans Dampf, Nobby Nic):
http://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/special-events/2015/1/15/pacific-northwest-winter-tire-comparison-test-session-2-2015-nobby-nic-mountain-king-ii-trail-king-vigilantetrail-boss-magic-mary-hans-dampf
Winter 2015 – Trail Tire Comparison Test 1: (High Roller II, Nobby Nic, Hans Dampf, Neo-Moto)
http://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/special-events/2014/11/20/tire-comparison-test-report-2015-nobby-nic-high-roller-ii-neo-moto-hans-dampf
Wheels slated for testing in 2017
Our wheel testing plan for Spring 2017 is as follows:
April/May 2016: Wet Conditions Enduro/Trail Tire Testing
Testing Benchmark:
• Front Tire: Maxxis DH-F 2.3 3C MaxxTerra
• Rear Tire: Maxxis DH-R 2.3 Dual Compound (rear)
Test 1: Faster Rolling Enduro Tires
• Maxxis DH-F 2.3 3C (front) / Maxxis Aggressor 2.3 (Rear)
• Maxxis DH-R 2.3 3C (front) / Maxxis DH-R 2.3 Dual (Rear)
• Maxxis Forekaster 2.3 (front) / Maxxis Forekaster 2.3 (rear)
• Schwalbe Fat Albert Front (front) / Schwalbe Nobby Nic (rear)
Test 2: Max Grip Enduro Tires
• Maxxis DH-F 2.3 3C (front) / Maxxis DH-R 2.3 Dual (rear) - Benchmark
• e*Thirteen TRS Race (front) / e*Thirteen TRS Plus - Dual Compound (rear)
• Bontrager SE5 (front) / Rear Tire TBD
• Vittoria Morsa (front) /Rear Tire TBD
• Maybe also: Magic Mary (front) & Schwalbe Nobby Nic (rear)
Wheels that we carry
Wheels that we carry are listed at: at: http://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/tires-wheels/
Knight wheels that we carry & our pricing is:
Knight 27.5 Enduro wheelset (30 mm inner rim width) – for 27.5” wheels
• With DT Swiss 240 hubs: $2,199
• With Chris King hubs: $2,399
• With Project 321 ISO hubs: $2,199
Knight 29 Race wheelset (22.5 mm inner rim width) – for 29” & 700c cyclocross wheels
• With DT Swiss 240 hubs: $2,199
• With Chris King hubs: $2,399
• With Project 321 ISO hubs: $2,199
Knight 29 Trail wheelset (25 mm inner rim width) – for 29” wheels
• With DT Swiss 240 hubs: $2,199
• With Chris King hubs: $2,399
• With Project 321 ISO hubs: $2,199
Knight 27.5 Plus wheelset (45 mm inner rim width) – for Plus-sized tires
• With DT Swiss 240 hubs: $2,399
• With Project 321 ISO hubs: $2,399
Nox wheels that we carry & our pricing is:
Nox Skyline wheelset (23 mm inner rim width) – for 27.5” & 29”wheels
• DT Swiss 350 hubs, Sapim Race Black (14/15 double butted) spokes, 32 spoke lacing with Shimano freehub body: $1382
o Substitute SRAM XD driver body: +$30
o Boost Front Hub: +$50
o Boost Rear Hub: +$60
o Sapim CX-Ray spokes: +$64 (per wheel)
o Upgrade to 36 point or 54 point ratchet: +$100
• Also available with Chris King, DT 240 and Onyx Racing hubs
Nox Teocalli wheelset (26 mm inner rim width) – for 27.5” & 29”wheels
• DT Swiss 350 hubs, Sapim Race Black (14/15 double butted) spokes, 32 spoke lacing with Shimano freehub body: $1382
o Substitute SRAM XD driver body: +$30
o Boost Front Hub: +$50
o Boost Rear Hub: +$60
o Sapim CX-Ray spokes: +$64 (per wheel)
o Upgrade to 36 point or 54 point ratchet: +$100
• Also available with Chris King, DT 240 and Onyx Racing hubs
Nox Farlow wheelset (29 mm inner rim width) – for 27.5” & 29”wheels
• DT Swiss 350 hubs, Sapim Race Black (14/15 double butted) spokes, 32 spoke lacing with Shimano freehub body: $1382
o Substitute SRAM XD driver body: +$30
o Boost Front Hub: +$50
o Boost Rear Hub: +$60
o Sapim CX-Ray spokes: +$64 (per wheel)
o Upgrade to 36 point or 54 point ratchet: +$100
• Also available with Chris King, DT 240 and Onyx Racing hubs
Nox Kitsuma wheelset (36 mm inner rim width) – for 27.5” & 29”wheels
• DT Swiss 350 hubs, Sapim Race Black (14/15 double butted) spokes, 32 spoke lacing with Shimano freehub body: $1422
o Heavy Duty DH Rim version: +$50 (per wheel)
o Substitute SRAM XD driver body: +$30
o Boost Front Hub: +$50
o Boost Rear Hub: +$60
o Sapim CX-Ray spokes: +$64 (per wheel)
o Upgrade to 36 point or 54 point ratchet: +$100
• Also available with Chris King, DT 240 and Onyx Racing hubs
Questions or Suggestions?
We welcome any other requests/suggestions for our wheel testing program. Also, we are always looking for top performing products for testing. Feel free to reach out if you feel that you have a best-in-class product that would perform well in our A/B testing format.
You can reach Dirt Merchant Bikes at jeff@dirtmerchantbikes.com