Reynolds's creative genius, Paul Lew, is one of the pioneers of carbon wheel technology, and the brand has a devout following of riders in the road genre as well as in the mountain bike world. Reynolds began in the 1990's making elite-level products, with MSRP's to match, but their new Summit Carbon AM wheels are more reasonably priced. The new wheels are designed around all-mountain style riding, and are said to be the most durable offering from the brand yet. Weighing in at 1640 grams for the set, Summit Carbon AM wheels are a balance between weight, durability, and cost effectiveness. Straddling its three MTB ranges, the Summit Carbon is the most affordable carbon offering from Reynolds, with a retail price tag of $1900. | 27.5 AM Carbon Wheelset• Intended use: all-mountain / trail • Sizes: 26", 27.5'' (tested), 29'' • Width: 31mm outer, 23mm inner • 28 straight-pull spokes, three cross • Alloy nipples • Alloy freehub body (SRAM XD, Shimano or SRAM 10spd)• 15mm / 9 mm QR front (incl.)• 12 x 142 / 135mm QR compatible (incl.)• Rim weight: 440g (27.5")• Weight: 1640g (27.5" wheelset)• MSRP: $1900 USD (pair)• Contact: Reynolds Cycling |
Strategic Carbon ConstructionWhat sets Reynolds carbon rims apart from the mass produced cut outs? Reynolds devotes an extensive amount of time to their carbon engineering, constantly working to improve carbon layups and reduce weight while maintaining durability. The AM Carbon wheels feature rims constructed of MR5
(Mountain Rim 5) carbon, which is described as a precise method of assigning different fiber and lay-ups to five different rim regions. The idea is to create structural integrity to areas prone to impacts, while reducing weight in other places where impact resistance or ultimate tensile strength is less important. Once out of the molds, each batch of rims is tested and certified to Reynolds' stringent quality standards. The Summit Carbon AM rims feature a boxy rim profile that measures 31 millimeters outside and 23 millimeters between the flanges - dimensions that have become the standard for most AM/trail rims on the market.
Hubs and SpokesThe Summit Carbon AMs come laced with 28 straight-pull, double-butted, DT Swiss Revolution spokes, and with red alloy nipples. The Summit's spokes aren't interlaced - they don't contact each other as they would in a traditional two or three-cross lacing pattern, and no special tools are needed to true them The alloy nipples can be turned using a traditional spoke wrench, making truing quick and simple, no matter where you may be - an oversight of many high-end wheel-makers.
Using different push-on adapters, the front hub can be configured for a 15 or 20 millimeter through-axles, or for standard quick-release types. The adapter extends past the inner surface of the bearing and part way onto the internal aluminum sleeve. This slightly different design allows the hub to house a slightly larger bearing and improve longevity. The rear hub can also be adapted to work with nearly every frame standard out there with the included adapter kit
(except for 150mm). Rear hub adapters are included to set up the wheel for quick-release,135x10mm through-axle, or 142x12mm through-axle.
Reynolds offers its six-pawl ratchet freehub system in both Shimano/SRAM ten-speed and SRAM's 11-speed XD drivers. The pawls each have two engagement teeth and reportedly provide a five-degree interval between clicks. Reverse of most ratcheting systems, Reynolds installs the pawls in the hub. The star wheel rotates inside the pawls and is attached to the freehub's cassette driver. For those who plan on converting to an 11-speed system with an XD drive, Reynolds says their drivers are interchangeable. Check spec, though, because previous hubs used a conventional ratchet configuration with a hub-mounted star-wheel, and those require a matching XD driver.
Reynolds Assurance ProgramSure, $1900 may be a lot for a set of wheels, but if they can last for many years, it makes them a good investment. Many have concerns about the long-term durability of carbon wheels and while our experiences with carbon wheels have be predominantly good ones, anything can break, Reynolds has developed a program to give consumers a little more peace of mind. Their Reynolds Assurance Program or RAP, provides two years of coverage above and beyond their warranty and crash replacement programs to add a whole other level of protection. For an additional $250 at the time of purchase
(or up to 30 days after), riders are able to return damaged carbon wheel(s) for repair or replacement (at Reynolds’ discretion), no questions asked. Meaning that if you ride down on a flat, crash, or even if you run the wheel over in the driveway, Reynolds will repair your wheels for only the cost of shipping - which seems like a nice way to insure that your $2000 hoops will last for many years to come, no matter how clumsy you may be with them.
On The TrailPaired with the included Reynolds Tubeless rim strips, valves, and Stan's sealant, we mounted up two different sets of tires during the test period; a pair of Maxxis High Roller IIs and the new Michelin Wild Rock'R2s. Both required a little muscle install, but seated easily with both a floor pump and a low-volume compressor. Early in our test period, we found the rim strips to be a little finicky which, during our initial install, must have gone on a little crooked, causing the tires to lose the majority of their pressure while the bike sat overnight. Though an obvious error, the strips do slide around relatively easily making them a bit more of a concern with when mounting up tires with a tighter fit. But with a little finesse, this should be a non-issue for even a beginner mechanic.
We ran the wheels with the rear setup for a 12 x 142mm axle and the front for a 15mm axle, which is how they came setup from Reynolds. We spent the time to reconfigure the hubs to see how difficult the job is - which proved that swapping end caps is about as easy as it sounds. It took less than two minutes to reconfigure the front hub from a 15mm to a 20mm axle once it was removed from the bike. The rear drive-side end cap is the only one that threads on
(to keep the freehub in place)- a job easy enough for any novice mechanic with a 15mm box wrench. We really appreciated the ability to run the hubs for any axle configuration needed with included axle end caps. In an age with an overabundance of options, Reynolds removes the headache of understanding axle configurations.
And how do they perform in the dirt? Well, for a wheel billed as an affordable one, the Summit Carbon AM wheels provided us with some amazing rides. Out on the trail the Reynolds Summit wheels were a significant upgrade from our previous stock wheels. During the test period, we were pleasantly surprised that the carbon hoops served up continuous enjoyment with no issues. When investing close to $2000 on a set of wheels, many argue that they should provide an unrivaled improvement over aluminum hoops. Do they? Well, they do provide a noticeably stiffer rim, though not overly stiff, like some other carbon offerings. Hammering wheels through the roughest trails is a part of product testing that send tingles through our nether regions and that's exactly what we did. Many rocks that would have dented any aluminum rim proved no match for the Summit rims. We rallied them through high-speed rock gardens and scree fields with a variety of tire pressures, and can report great results. Both rims are as true as the day we mounted them up, which speaks highly to Reynolds' build quality.
Bomber rims are only half of the equation. Reynolds' straight-pull hubs provided similar results. The ratchet engagement was sufficient for most slow, technical terrain. When we found ourselves in a big gear on a quick grade change, we never had issues with skipping or popping from the freehub. We opted to run the an XD driver mated with an X01 SRAM cassette and had no problems in any of the 11 gears. We were pleasantly surprised with the ride quality of the 11-speed mated to the Reynolds hub.
Surprisingly, we had very few issues other than with the initial pressure loss from a maligned rim strip. Though we think the Reynolds tubeless rim strip could be improved upon, it holds a variety of benefits over other tubeless systems. It was nice to be able to remove the rim strip when needed and to be able to re-position it to remedy the leaky valve problem. Another issue worth mentioning is that longer stemmed tubes are required due to the deeper than normal rim profile. The valve stems supplied for running the wheels tubeless are long enough, but if you want to install a traditional Presta tube, you will need one with a longer stem length
.
$950 for a set of wheels is inexpensive? Man....
Bit heavy, but tough and "cheap". In Russia even $500 is expensive for many riders, and $1900 price tag for wheelset is beyond good and evil.
$2K for a set of wheels, I can build FOUR sets of Hope Pro on DT Swiss EX500 wheels for that price. I'll only need one and when I fall in love with another bike, separating from $500 vs $2000 will be much easier. If they break, then replacing a $500 wheelset will be much easier. Plus, that is $1500 left to spend on other things, like a second bike! Or season passes for multiple years, or a trip to Whistler.
nothing else to say!!
Anyway that's my 2 cents..
The only possible advantage to enve that i'm aware of are the angularly drilled holes. This means spokes are bent less when exiting the nipple. However this is arguably trivial because that bend is nothing compared to j-bend at the other end.
As for failure rate, all we've got are anecdotes. If going that route, note that pinkbike had a complete rim failure when they reviewed enve DH rims.
I too run tons of carbon components and offer a counter anecdote to your experience of cheaper carbon being prone to failure. Now what? I still see no evidence that expensive carbon rims are less likely to fail than the cheaper, factory direct options.
Can't use alloy nipples? Are you kidding? It makes no difference what nipples you use if you build a wheel properly. If you're applying that much tension to ANY wheel it's going to break.
And comparing an uber flexy Stan's rim to a rigid Enve is....lol.
As for spokes causing rims to fail...meh, I call that being put in a shitty position. Much like how the only Fox forks to be complete shit where the CTD and lock-out doesn't work on a brand new bike is on 2013-2014 Scott bikes. "Oh...but those forks are fine on every other bike..." Yeah, it's the same kind of statement. Sucks that Enve got stuck with a shit lot of spokes, but that's the nature of mass production, you can get shit batches.
Like the saying goes "The birds only peck at the best fruit..." So many people rag on Ferrari and how x car is faster and cheaper....well good, stay with you lower end stuff that is faster and cheaper; it's still not a Ferarri.
I find it hard to motivate buying a carbon rim again in the future (eventually if I buy a 29er) due to the fact that material is not stainless while price is super high. Even for LB rims. ENVE - yea, maybe... after I buy a Ferrari and a roof rack for it (although Veyron is fkng ugly, you have to have your taste fkd to like it!). I love how ENVE they look, I love their properties how light and stiff they are... I drool honestly - I would just not buy them. If someone wants to? Please do! Buy four, or five! I shall not judge you - I don't care what you spend your money on. I just feel I need to express my opinion in that topic because A-there's too much blind praise and B -if there's a soul that feels the same but is affraid to talk, then he'll know he's not alone in this world.
touche`
Everyone wants to ride a 27.5" / 650b carbon everything air suspension sub 35lb DH rig.
Nobody wants to pay for a 27.5" / 650b carbon everything air suspension sub 35lb DH rig.
Some kid " hey, are you selling your M9 frame? "
Me " I'm selling the whole bike, I wont part it out "
kid " well I can only afford the frame "
Me " I'm letting it go for a song if you need to save your paper route money till next spring "
kid "Still too expensive, oh hold on I have to call my dad... Dad, can you pick me up I'm almost finished with my ride...yeah twenty minutes "
Me " I guess you live far away? "
kid " No about 5km from here "
My inside voice " what the f*ck kid, get a spine and a job, you've already moved out of for fathers scrotum and your mothers birthing area. When I was a your age I couldn't afford bikes like this ( they also hadn't been invented yet )and had to ride my piece of shit beater to the riding spot ( which hasn't changed locations in oh, never )"
My outside voice " get a job and talk to me in the spring, maybe grandma and grandpa will give you a Christmas extra if your super nice "
Oh plus the extra $250…
I'll stick to my mavic rims laced to whatever I want, they'll last just as long, if not longer…
And why aren't there ANY 26" wheels on their site??
I'm gonna say I doubt I'd notice the benefits of these wheels over a good quality hub/alu rim wheel...
27.5 AM Carbon Wheelset
• Intended use: all-mountain / trail
• Sizes: 26", 27.5'' (tested), 29''
• Width: 31mm outer, 23mm inner
• 28 straight-pull spokes, three cross
• Alloy nipples
• Alloy freehub body (SRAM XD, Shimano or SRAM 10spd)
• 15mm / 9 mm QR front (incl.)
• 12 x 142 / 135mm QR compatible (incl.)
• Rim weight: 440g (27.5")
• Weight: 1640g (27.5" wheelset)
• MSRP: $1900 USD (pair)
• Contact: Reynolds Cycling
"Reynolds offers its six-pawl ratchet freehub system in both Shimano/SRAM ten-speed and SRAM's 11-speed XD drivers. The pawls each have two engagement teeth and reportedly provide a five-degree interval between clicks. Reverse of most ratcheting systems, Reynolds installs the pawls in the hub. The star wheel rotates inside the pawls and is attached to the freehub's cassette driver"
Five degrees is pretty standard.
So carbon can be had cheap. Oh, but 'you get what you pay for'. There's probably more LB rims out there than any other carbon rim and not too much in the way of negative press; quite the contrary.
They weigh 1510g for the wheelset, they are way stiffer than aluminium and with no decals are very discrete...
The first failure happened when two of the pawls deformed the hubshell (remember that the pawls seat in the hubshell with this design) so it required a full wheel rebuild with a new hub. The second failure happened when the toothed ratchet ring started spinning on the freehub body. The rear hub is of very poor quality. Reynolds has rebuilt the rear wheel with a DT hub so I give them credit for that but it has taken a year to get to this point with only 2 solid rides on the wheels.
I guess at the end of the day if money were no object we'd all be ridind carbon everything on the days we weren't riding our titanium or bespoke steel etc etc.
They do 26 (including fat bike rims), 650B, 29 and 700C.
I've been annoyed to find that I am on the cusp of "safe" (@245#) per several wheel manufacturer's recommended max weights.
I've been considering just relacing these hubs to a set of Velocity Blunt 35s, with some lighter spokes and nipples to see what I can save... but then I see wheels like these (above) and it makes me wonder.
At one time Disk brakes were 500 bucks each.
Repairable rims? cool!
>$1900
:/