Totally Spoked
Three top wheelsets for taking on singletrack
Three top wheelsets for taking on singletrack
Shimano Deore XT Trail M8120 $590
The Shimano XT logo has long been a symbol of affordable and reliable mountain bike componentry that shredders of all levels can appreciate. When Shimano debuted its new XT 8100 group in the spring of 2019, the hubs were available but not on complete wheels. Shimano has since released its new XT 8100 wheels and I was excited to try them out.
The biggest feature of the new XT wheels is that they now have Shimano’s 12-speed Micro Spline freehub with its 23 splines that are made to minimize wear on cogs. Boasting an angle of engagement of nine degrees, the hub runs smoothly and spins up well considering the price of the set. It’s good to see these wheels coming in at an affordable $590 because there are still not a ton of Shimano Micro Spline options available at the moment. Most third-party manufacturers are making higher-end hubs. The price and performance of the Shimano hubs are great. If you have six-bolt rotors, you will need to get an adapter or new rotors because the XT hubs only accept Centerlock.
The wheels come setup tubelessready. Installing tires was straightforward and relatively problem free. Don’t forget the nylon washer when putting on the cassette because the new lockring has a higher torque rating than the previous ones. Shimano lists the external width of the rim at 34.7 mm. I measured 31 mm for an internal width. Shimano recommends tires from 2.25" to 2.5" wide. On my scale, the 29" front wheel was 945 g, and the rear came in at 1,106 g.
Given the weight and width of these hoops, aggressive trail riding is certainly the focus. I gave them a thrashing on my local trails to see how they’d hold up. The wheels spin up to speed and accelerate quite well. I am usually a fan of loud freehubs, but the new Shimano ones are very quiet. I have come to enjoy the serenity this rear hub can offer. One thing is for sure – these are tough hoops. After several rock garden laps and a few cased doubles, the wheels are still running true and holding air. It’s good to see the Shimano XT logo living up to the expectations and continuing a quality lineage. ( bike.shimano.com)—mattstetson
Race Face Next SL $2,100
Race Face bills the Next SL as its “BC XC” wheelset. The unidirectional carbon-fibre rims aim to balance a race-ready weight of 1,555 g with toughness for demanding race courses. Based in Vancouver, Race Face has effectively built wheels to survive cross country riding in its own backyard.
The company keeps the 29" Next SL wheels at a 26-mm inner-rim width. While some brands are pushing to 30 mm, the Next SLS are wide enough to run higher volume tires comfortably. I put a 2.4" up front. The wheel will still keep an effective tire profile when running lower-volume, faster tires.
When it comes to carbon fibre, stiffness isn’t everything. The shallower rim depth of the Next SL wheels makes for a more forgiving feel over rougher ground. But, with wheels’ svelte weight and the quick-engaging Vault hubs, it is still easy to accelerate quickly up to speed when you put the power down. You don’t get beat up as much through roots and rocks, which leaves more energy for the final hill or finish sprint.
The Vault hubs have a distinctive, oversize design that uses oversize bearings, which bolster Race Face’s reputation for durability. The fast, 120-point engagement hubs connect immediately, giving you precision and control during technical climbs and quick speed out of corners.
Race Face Next SL hits a fine balance between race weight and trail toughness. During the test period, they survived several rock strikes as well as a full ride over the BC Bike Race stage in Cowichan. The wheels are light and quick up long technical climbs, while still holding a solid line through rough singletrack descents. Whether you’re racing or want a reliable, fast wheelset for your local trails, the Next SL’S are worth a look. ( raceface.ca)—terrymckall
Bontrager Line Pro 30 $1,730
Years ago, Bontrager first introduced its Line series of wheels touting the hoops’ durability and affordable price, which, at the time, were essentially unmatched. Today, there are several wheel manufacturers offering lifetime warranties on their carbon rims at reasonable prices. So, can the new Bontrager Line Pro 30s live up to the performance of their predecessors?
Right out of the box, these wheels look slick. All black satin finish with gloss accents and big Bontrager logos give the Line Pro 30s a stealth bomber-type appeal. The hubs are designed for the six-bolt disc mount with either sram or Shimano drivers. The relatively humble sounding freehub has 108 points of engagement, which allow you to get on the gas quickly when coming out of corners or climbing uphill. The front and rear hubs are each laced into the rims via 28 straight-pull spokes.
Bontrager uses its proprietary rim strip for tubeless application, which offers a great seal. Due to the thickness of the rim strip, however, it’s very difficult to install the tire. You may need to opt for a more traditional rim tape in order to fit your desired tread. Luckily, I managed to coerce my tires on with the provided rim strip, but it did take two tire levers and a few other tricks.
Once on the trail, the Line Pros spin up to speed nicely thanks to their light weight. They are easy to keep turning over on climbs, too. With the 29-mm internal width, tires anywhere from 2.25" to 2.6" wide have a great profile, although the 2.35"–2.5" range is the sweet spot. I paired the wheels with a set of 29 x 2.4 Schwalbe Nobby Nics and rolled through rock gardens and over exposed roots. The lower profile rims really allow the tires to conform to obstacles better as the rims stay on line. This setup allows for more confidence through rougher sections. After I pinned through a few rock gardens and felt some impacts, the hoops remained true and straight.
I know a few people who are still riding the previous version of the Line Pro 30s. I expect the new wheels, which are slightly more expensive than the old ones, to hold up just as well. ( trekbikes.com)—ms