FFWD Outlaw AM carbon wheels £1,850

FFWD (Fast Forward) are better known to our skinny-tyred roadie friends, but these are serious mountain bike wheels. The carbon fibre rims have an internal width of 26mm, which gives a decent tyre profile with up to 2.5in rubber. They’re built around DT Swiss 240 hubs with 28 asymmetrically-laced spokes in a three-cross pattern. The fairly deep rims (24.5mm) give them a stiff feel. We’ve ridden harsher wheels, but the lack of radial compliance means you may need to adjust your tyre pressures or suspension set-up. The pay-off is that their lateral stiffness ensures they’ll go wherever you point them without deflecting offline. Our set weighed 1,575g, which is fair for the price and application, though not ground-breaking. The build was spot on, remaining true and stiff, and we didn’t damage the rims or have any problems with pinch flats or burping. The DT hubs appear on many top-end wheels for a reason. www.paligap.cc