Mountain Bike Wheels
Shimano Deore XT M8000 27.5" $650 A
Upgrading your wheels will make a big difference to the ride experience, but you don’t need to go with the expense of carbon to see gains. Shimano’s Deore XT m8000 27.5" wheelset offers a solid wheel package for XC riders and racers for a reasonable investment. The wheels sport Shimano’s 15-mm E-thru front and 12-mm E-thru rear axles, offset rims for better spoke-tension balance and wheel durability and 28 spokes front and rear. The 23.9-mm rim width means these wheels are best suited for tires 2.25" or narrower. Weight for the wheelset is a claimed 1,834 g. ( bike.shimano.com)
Mavic XA Light 27.5" $599 B
Mavic is a well established name in the rim-and-wheel market; the XA Light aluminum wheelset is a reminder of what Mavic is capable of producing. These tubeless-ready Xc/trail wheels feature 24 spokes front and rear and a 25-mm internal rim width, meaning they will play well with tires as wide as 2.5". They use Mavic’s own TS-2 freehub, which works with all axle sizes and sram XD drivetrains. The XA Lights are available in both Boost and non-boost configurations. The price for the pair makes them a great deal if you need to replace your current hoops. Weight for the pair is a respectable 1,760 g (claimed). ( mavic.com)
Giant TRX 0 27.5 Boost $2,100 C
Giant has mastered the art of carbon bicycle construction, and has been using that knowledge to turn out its own carbon-fibre wheels for a number of years. The trx 0 27.5 Boost is Giant’s trail wheelset, designed to take a beating on the way down while still allowing you to get to the top without towing a boat anchor. Rim width for the 28-spoke wheels is 33 mm and height is 25 mm. The front hub is available in 15 x 110 spacing and the rear in 12 x 148 spacing. Claimed weight for the pair is an impressive 1,540 g. ( giant-bicycles.com)
Race Face Next R $2,000 D
The Next R (R for Rally) is Race Face’s first carbon wheel. It’s built tough, and is designed for trail, all-mountain or enduro riding. Available in either 27.5" or 29" sizes, the full-carbon 28-spoke rims have a 31-mm internal diameter and 34-mm height, come tubeless-ready and have 4.5 mm of offset for increased spoke balance and wheel stiffness. Race Face’s Vault hubs have an oversized flange for an improved bracing angle, and offer 120 points of engagement. Both front and rear hubs come in virtually every axle combination you can think of. Weight for a set is a claimed 1,680 g for 27.5" and 1,765 g for 29". ( raceface.com)—stuartkernaghan