The number of spokes will vary between front and rear wheels, the rear often featuring more spokes to improve strength and stiffness. More spokes typically mean a stronger wheel but that comes with a weight penalty.
Most commonly spokes on mountain bike wheels are made of steel wire but can vary greatly in shape and diameter. Nipples: Spokes attach to the wheel via a special nut called a 'nipple'. Nipples are important for adjusting spoke tension which will 'true' a wheel, making it straight when spun. Most entry to intermediate level wheels will feature aluminium rims of varying quality, while high-level wheels will typically feature rims made of carbon fibre which reduces the weight while increasing stiffness.
Aluminium, commonly referred to as alloy, is the more popular choice of rim material used on entry to mid-level mountain bike wheels. This is largely on the back of how much cheaper it is to manufacture. Whilst it is the cheaper alternative, there are still a host of benefits that come with using the material, the main of which being compliance, or comfort that alloy wheels provide out on the trail.
On the flip side, carbon fibre wheelsets are beginning to increase in popularity across the spectrum of mountain bike riding disciplines. This is largely thanks to the falling prices and the increased stiffness to weight ratio, and strength, on offer. This means a wheel can be made super stiff, whilst also being lightweight, particularly helpful given the nature of mountain biking being tough on components.
The drawback of this increased stiffness is that typically comes at the expense of comfort, requiring riders to alter tyre and suspension settings to suit. It's worth knowing the two different tyre types that fit onto a wheel as they require a specific rim. Mountain bike tyres will either be 'clincher' or 'tubeless' and the wheel will specify which tyre it is compatible with.
Frequently found on entry level bikes, Unless stated, it's a fair assumption that any new entry-level bike bought will feature clincher tyres. Clincher tyres require a tube to inflate and hold air, while the tyre will feature either a steel or kevlar fiber bead on its edge to hold it in the rim.
As the name suggests, tubeless tyres require no inner tube, instead relying on tight tolerances and air pressure to create an airtight seal.
It's a technology very similar to that found in modern cars and motorbikes. Tubeless tyres have long been used in mountain biking and its safe to assume that most complete mountain bikes are shipped with tubeless ready wheels and tyres fitted. If looking to upgrade your wheels, we strongly recommended seeking wheels with tubeless, or tubeless-ready rims, which will allow you to take advantage of lower tyre pressures, lower weights and lower rolling resistance.
The lower tyre pressure will provide more control, traction, and comfort, while the lack of tube means punctures will rarely be of concern. The weight of a wheelset can have a number effects on how your bike feels out on the trail, namely the handling, strength, and comfort of your ride.
Given there are a number of disciplines that fall under the mountain biking umbrella, different ride style will require wheels with different strengths and weaknesses. For racers, or riders frequently scampering uphill, investing in a lightweight wheelset will surely make life easier, whereas enduro and downhill riders will likely see more benefit in a heavier, stronger wheelset.
Regardless of your preference of riding style, it must be noted that shedding weight often comes at the cost of overall strength and durability, two items that are foolish to overlook out on the trail. A hugely topical subject amongst keen riders, there are three main sizes of mountain bike wheels that you will find on the majority of new mountain bikes, plus larger options to cater for specific bikes. Wheels are referred to by numbers which indicate their size. The shift in recent years has been to larger wheels that offer more traction, greater roll-over ability, and a better ride quality, meaning 26in wheels are rarely seen on new mountain bikes.
They do, however, weigh more than the smaller wheel sizes, can be cumbersome in small frame sizes and are slightly limited in the amount of suspension that can be incorporated around them.
For this, 29er bikes are best used in cross country and trail-type riding, where generous suspension travel is usually not needed. Although, this is fast changing as many of the world's best enduro and even downhill racers are making the switch to 29in wheels too. The trend is for modern rims to be wider, resulting in improved comfort through greater tyre air volume.
This coincides with the shift to larger tyres that are said to improve roll-over ability, traction and control by being able to run at a lower pressure. Rim width can either be measured internally or externally, which potentially provides some confusing numbers. Traditionally, 17mm was a popular internal width for mountain bike wheelsets, however, more recent times have seen a shift to wider rims thanks to the increases offered to tyre stability, footprint and air volume.
By current standards, a narrow rim when measured internally is anything under 19mm, a standard modern internal rim width is typically between mm, while a wide rim is considered anything greater than 28mm.
While closely interrelated, the external rim width will mostly influence the aerodynamics of the wheel, while the internal rim width will influence comfort, rolling efficiency or tyre shape. The depth of the rim will affect the lateral stiffness of the wheel as well as the handling of a bike.
Unlike their road-going cousins, rim depth isn't as much of a sticking point due to the reduced emphasis on the aerodynamic benefits that a deeper wheelset may provide. The majority of wheelset manufactures will typically top out at mm in depth, however, there are some manufacturers offer increased depths where the material used benefits the strength of a wheelset.
The total number, shape, and material of the spokes on a wheel will vary. High spoke counts having a lot of spokes increase the robustness and durability but come with a weight penalty. Spokes come in a variety of materials, including steel, aluminium, carbon fibre and titanium, however, Steel spokes are by far the most common.
The spoke count of the front and rear wheels will vary, rear wheels often have more spokes as more forces are applied drive forces and additional weight load.
Typically a lightweight front wheel will have between spokes, while the rear wheel will have between spokes. As materials and manufacturing processes have improved, particularly in cross country XC racing, spokes counts have gone down, reducing weight. But what they normally lack is overall strength. That might be acceptable if they were super lightweight, but they're normally heavy.
That isn't a great combo, especially if you throw in a low engagement hub. Many upgrades are not very noticeable on bikes, but wheels and tires are always something you feel. It's what makes contact with your trail, responding to pedal strokes, and helps you carry momentum while riding. All of these wheels offer a good combination of rolling speed, strength, engagement, and weight.
I have spent time on all of these wheels, from normal local riding to our DH worthy local chunky trails and our local bike park, with the Stan's wheels making it all the way to Whistler. All of these held up without many issues at all, and I have enough time to know all the pros and cons of them.
So let's get into it. They combined the material of the MK3 with the shape of the older Flow EX rim to make the newest, strongest version yet. During testing, they proved that the shape of the Flow EX made it incredibly strong, and one of the best in all rims they tested.
And combining the shape with more modern dimensions, and the stronger aluminum of the MK3 versions, the Flow EX3 rim seems to be one of the best combinations Stan's could make. With an internal width of 29mm, the rim profile suits tires from 2.
The hubs are Stan's Neo OS, front and rear. The front hub has a larger bearing than the other Neo hubs and the rear hub has a cromoly axle rather than an alloy axle. These are a few of the steps Stan's took to make the most durable wheelset possible.
The engagement on the hubs is solid and fast enough for all types of riding. With 72 points of engagement or five degrees, it's an upgrade from most. Laced up with 32 Sapim D-light spokes and secure lock nipples front and rear, the Flow EX3 wheelset really is a good bang for the buck.
How do they handle the constant banging on rocks? Mounting up Stan's wheels was not an issue, tires went on fine and installation was straightforward. I mounted up some of my favorites, WTB Vigilante 2.
I may be out of trend on the width, but the 2. I rode them locally for a weekend and then it was off to Whistler with these wheels and a fresh set of the same tires. I figured there is no better place to test a rim that claims to be strong than three full days of Whistler lapping.
To my surprise, they were true, zero dings and tension seemed OK. I didn't have to touch them. The third day had some morning rain followed by the best dirt conditions I have ever ridden. We rode the entire day, a full eight hours of riding like little kids in a candy store. Lap after lap, and you could imagine by the third day I was comfortable, sending jumps too far, leaving whips out hanging and smashing rocks.
It was probably the best day on a bike I've ever had, as well as the most vertical feet of descending I have ever done in done day with 23k feet of pure DH in 8 hours. A quick wash and the bike was packed up. Once back home, I took out the wheels and wanted to see the final result of the trip. The tyre stayed inflated with its bead locked in place, and it was a simple job to straighten the rim. The spoke rear wheel is stiff and can handle a lot of abuse, while the spoke front wheel is a little more compliant.
We did find the wheels to be pretty stiff but this seemed to be the compromise for an exceptionally tough set of hoops. The instant reaction to pedal inputs on our test hardtail made these some of the snappiest-feeling wheels around. Unfortunately, we cracked the rear rim while ragging it down a particularly rocky track, writing it off. The wheels come with a Micro Spline freehub for Shimano speed cassettes. No XD driver is available.
These lightweight wheels have a hookless carbon rim with an internal width of The rim profile makes it a bit of a challenge fitting, inflating and seating tyres. However, once up and running they proved reliable performers, and with a very quick freehub pick-up, they feel reactive on the trail.
We expected to be battered around by the deep rims, but they feel good on the trail with plenty of width and a fairly low spoke count The hubs come ready for Center Lock rotors.
The following mountain bike wheelsets scored fewer than four stars in our reviews, but are still worth considering. The Crankbrothers Synthesis wheels have a wide The back wheel is built to be stiffer, with a The Enduro Alloys are comfy on fast, rocky tracks, and track off-camber lines and rough corners well. Through rock gardens, they feel a little less composed than some, but we were still able to hold our lines with confidence, and they feel great tearing around berms. Freehub engagement is slower than most here, making them feel a bit sluggish when you want to power out of corners.
For the money, it should be better. The first thing you should consider when buying a new set of wheels is what sort of rider you are. Trail and all-mountain riders will want to balance strength and weight, looking for the perfect compromise for their individual riding styles.
Gravity-focused riders, enduro or downhill, should look at prioritising strength over weight, although generally speaking the more you spend the lighter and stronger wheels should be. Also consider how hard you ride. Over the past five years, axles have transitioned from decades-old quick-releases to thru-axles, which offer a stiffer, more secure interface.
There are several thru-axle standards to be aware of. This standard increases the axle width further, in theory, to improve stiffness once more. Bikes and hubs with standard Boost spacing measure mm wide.
This means the hub flanges are further apart compared to a standard mm axle hub. This increase in angle leads to stronger wheels. Super Boost hubs are mm wide, and just like normal Boost spacing the increase in width is seen with wider-still hub flanges improving strength further.
You might also want to consider looking for a hub that can be changed to a different axle size should you change your frame but want to keep your wheels at a later date. Increasingly, high-end wheelsets are built around carbon fibre rims.
Compared to aluminium, carbon rims can be as stiff or stiffer at a lower weight. Aluminium rims are more likely to be dented or dinged in an impact before they crack or fail entirely. Carbon rims, however, are less likely to show signs of damage until they fail completely. Rim width has increased for both road and mountain bikes.
The critical dimension to keep in mind is the internal width. This distance determines the shape of your tyres. For a given tyre, a wider rim will increase tyre volume and give the tyre a flatter, squared-off profile.
A narrower rim will decrease tyre volume and give the tyre a rounder profile. Wider rims can also increase tyre stability, which can make your bike feel more predictable through corners. At the same time, tyres are designed with specific rim widths in mind. Going too wide can cause the knobs on the sides of a tyre to sit too high, resulting in less grip through turns. Pairing rim and tyre width is a key consideration — especially with so many tyre widths to choose from.
Here are some rough guidelines to get you started:. If you have a favourite tyre width and tread pattern, keep in mind which rim width you want to pair it with when buying a new wheelset.
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