Reynolds to Offer Premium Wheelsets - Black Label Series in 27.5 and 29-inch
Reynolds is partnering with the Pivot DH team to develop a new carbon downhill wheelset.
Reynolds anounced two developments in its wheel program at Park City's Press Camp this week. The first was an all/mountain/trail wheelset that features top-drawer spokes and hubs in conjunction with its best carbon rims. The reason stated was to answer the challenge brought forth by the recent spate of high-priced carbon wheels coming into the marketplace. The second announcement was that they are developing a carbon downhill racing rim and wheelset in partnership with the Pivot racing team. The new wheel has not been released for view because it is still in experimental development. Presently, however, the Pivot team is racing on test mules built in Reynolds' existing all-mountain molds. The AM rims are being used to test different carbon materials and layup schedules that, once solidified, will become the basis from which the new, wider DH rim profile prototypes will spring forth from. Reynolds is optimistic that the new DH wheels will be ready for race testing as early as the World Cup finals, but you didn't hear that from us.
Reynolds
Black Label Wheelsets
Reynolds' new Black label wheelset was produced to compete with the company's uber-priced rivals, at slightly less than uber pricing.
Reynolds took its all-mountain-width MR5 carbon rim and built it up with DT Swiss hubs and bladed, DT Swiss spokes into a premium wheelset that will appear in both 27.5 and 29-inch models. Reynolds tells us that MR5 carbon refers to five types of carbon material that are positioned in the many layered carbon layup used to construct the Black Label rims. This includes the types of resin, as well as the actual carbon fibers which Reynolds has the capacity to have custom made. The blends, says Renolds officials, can be used to give the rim impact protection in the areas which face the rail, and ultimate tensile strength in areas, such as the spoke interfaces.
Black Label 27.5-inch wheels will be sold in two models: XC and AM, while the 29-inch offerings will be sold in XC and Trail versions. The differences are in the rim designs, with the 27.5-inch all-mountain rim measuring 31 millimeters outside and 23 millimeters between the flanges, while the narrower XC version measures 29 inches outside and 21 millimeters inside the flanges. Black Label 29-inch wheels use slighty narrower rim profiles in order to save weight and to minimize rotational inertia. The XC wheel sports a 26-millimeter outside and 19-millimeter inside measurement, while the Trail model rim measures 29-millimeters outside and 21 millimeters inside the flanges.
All four wheelsets, however, share the same build components, with straight-pull DT Swiss 240S hubs and DT Swiss Aerolite bladed spokes. Reynolds says that Black Label wheels will only be spec'ed with Shimano's splined Centerlock brake rotor interface, which seems like a weight-based decision, but six-bolt adapters are readly available should the need arise. The new wheels will arrive with tubeless rim tape and valve stems installed, and the sandard configuration will be with 15-millimeter, through-axle front hubs and 142 by 12-millimeter axle rear hubs. All Black Label wheelsets are priced at $2400 USD. Availablity is stated to be Fall, 2014.
| 27.5 XC: • MR5 Carbon rims • Width: 29mm outside, 21mm inside • Hubs: DT Swiss 240S straight-pull type • Spokes: DT Swiss Aerolite, black aluminum nipples • Centerlock brake rotor interface. • 15mm through axle (F), 142mm X 12mm through axle (R), optional endcaps available. • Shipped with tubeless tape and valve stem pre-installed. • Weight: 1435/pair, 622g (F), 733g (R) • MSRP: $2400 USD 29 XC: • MR5 Carbon rims • Width: 26mm outside, 19mm inside • Hubs: DT Swiss 240S straight-pull type • Spokes: DT Swiss Aerolite, black aluminum nipples • Centerlock brake rotor interface. • 15mm through axle (F), 142mm X 12mm through axle (R), optional endcaps available. • Shipped with tubeless tape and valve stem pre-installed. • Weight: 1440/pair, 665g (F), 775g (R) • MSRP: $2400 USD | 27.5 AM: • MR5 Carbon rims • Width: 31mm outside, 23mm inside • Hubs: DT Swiss 240S straight-pull type • Spokes: DT Swiss Aerolite, black aluminum nipples • Centerlock brake rotor interface. • 15mm through axle (F), 142mm X 12mm through axle (R), optional endcaps available. • Shipped with tubeless tape and valve stem pre-installed. • Weight: 1528/pair, 710g (F), 818g (R) • MSRP: $2400 USD 29 Trail: • MR5 Carbon rims • Width: 29mm outside, 21mm inside • Hubs: DT Swiss 240S straight-pull type • Spokes: DT Swiss Aerolite, black aluminum nipples • Centerlock brake rotor interface. • 15mm through axle (F), 142mm X 12mm through axle (R), optional endcaps available. • Shipped with tubeless tape and valve stem pre-installed. • Weight: 1500/pair, 695g (F), 805g (R) • MSRP: $2400 USD |
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I sent an email to Reynolds' customer service, no reply after a few weeks. Sent it again, no reply, ever.
We are in a sport where after-sales service can be paramount. I won't buy Reynolds again. Not a 'hater', an 'informer'!
only advantage of bladed spokes is aerodynamics, which are only relevant on a road bike wheel once you are going 35-40kph+
which means you will only see bladed spokes on deeper section aero wheelsets in the road world
you could perhaps argue that a DH MTB being used for a world speed record attempt would benefit from an aero spoke, but the turbulence caused by typical mountain bike knobbly tires would negate any benefit from the spokes
bladed spokes are actually slightly heavier, weaker and more sensitive to wind up during tensioning and truing.
according to Park's own measurement tools (TM1) and corresponding calculations for deflection and spoke tension, a regular round spoke will take a higher setting torque (kgf) than a bladed spoke with all other elements in the wheel structure being equal? This exhibits as the round spoke requiring substantially more load to cause a deflection
yes the bladed spoke shows resistance to deflection against the thin edge, but a wheel is a three-dimensional structure which withstands complex forces including constant stress cycles as the wheel is loaded and unloaded, the round spoke like a round frame tube exhibits uniform behaviour when loaded in different directions.
bladed spokes cannot accept the torque range of round spokes and also exhibit an uneven reaction to loading in different directions, which means a rounded spoke builds into a stronger, stiffer and more dynamic wheel which is ideally what mountain bikers are interested in.
bladed spokes are also not the ideal choice for any wheel with disc brakes - a spoke like the DT Super Comp is actually rated specifically for disc brakes and DH racing whereas the bladed spokes are not
Deflection of a spoke is of interest in tensile elongation only. And is a factor of its cross section, since the young's modulus for steel is irrespective of its yield value. So thicker spokes build stiffer wheels.
Bladed spokes are a good option for expensive carbon wheels because they allow a lighter weight whilst maintaining tensile capacity (strength) and fatigue life. The wheel stifness comming from the rim means that the overly stiff wheel is afforded a little compliance from the more stretchy spoke....
(IMO)
good points well made
it would be useful to get an engineer from Sapim or Dt Swiss on here, because neither company rate their flat-bladed spokes as being suitable for disc brake use, due to the behaviour of these spokes during the extreme torque loading that disc brake wheels receive under every application of the brake system - typical figures are quoted at 400-450nm
@tobiusmaxium it debateable if most people evan notice the difference in high end stuff compared to lower end. alot of people like the bling factor aswell...... more than the great product in the end
If you think there is no benefit to carbon wheels you're wrong. There is not much difference between alu and carbon 26" wheels, but on a 29er the difference is staggering.
So much money just for a bike park ?
www.pinkbike.com/video/243228
My favorite part is towards the end when they just start swinging.
We're really not worried about aerodynamics in mtbing ... yet. Some top tier XC racers use bladed spokes because they run pretty narrow tires and go fast for long periods of time. Sapim CX-Ray spokes are super common for XC builds and don't require slotted hubs.
**side note: I have been using Sapim spokes for several years and they are super high quality spokes have the same feel as good as mid 90's DT spokes.
No you can't feel the difference in the lateral stiffness of wheels built with all of the same components except with bladed vs regular spokes (given that the spokes have the same cross sectional area). Again, spokes work mainly in tension and not in bending. Do a little research on wheelbuildibg ASAP.
In the range of motion of a wheel flexing they are almost nearly free to move laterally at the hub and rim. I hoped that you understood that from my previous explanation so hopefully this will cause you to think about it a bit more.
And as I mentioned before, you don't see them often on race bikes that use wide tires. The air behind wide tires is very dirty so using bladed spokes doesn't help except possibly at very high speeds.
I'd agree with you that 'the best' round spoke builds a stiffer wheel than the best bladed spoke, but I think it's down to its tension properties, not its resistance to bending in compression.
***CX-Rays do smoke most other bladed spokes. Again, I am a big fan of Sapim spokes no matter what type I use
2400 almost buys me a handmade US downhill alu frame with a superb shock. This bike runs on 400$ wheelset. Why? Because the pinnacle of building wheels is alu and both, hubs and rims, are from Taiwan. They figured it out. Carbonwheels are not even near...