Spēd Precision Maul TR Wheels - Review
Spēd Precision is a new player in the ever-growing carbon wheel market and we first showed you their product at Sea Otter this year. The US-based brand has set out to create carbon wheels for most dirt disciplines; DH, trail/enduro, XC, and Cyclocross, and have taken some different approaches in hopes of creating something that is durable and retains good trail manners. To this end, Spēd has done a number of things slightly different to the modern day norm with the goal of servicing a portion of the market where there is a bit more of a value proposition. Did it work in the real world? We find out.
Maul TR Wheel Details
• Six double-stepped pawls, 42t drive ring
• Bead hook design
• Angled tire bed
• Directional, reinforced spoke nipple interface
• 28 spoke (front and rear)
• 28mm internal rim width
• Weight: 1,775g
• MSRP: $1,750 USD
• spedprecision.com
• Six double-stepped pawls, 42t drive ring
• Bead hook design
• Angled tire bed
• Directional, reinforced spoke nipple interface
• 28 spoke (front and rear)
• 28mm internal rim width
• Weight: 1,775g
• MSRP: $1,750 USD
• spedprecision.com
One of the most apparent differences from the current trends in wheels is the choice to retain the bead hook, with Spēd claiming that they were able to make the wheels as strong as those without bead hooks, while also claiming that it allowed them to make sure the tires remain seated. To add to this they also built the rim bed with a four-degree angle from the center to the sidewall.
Another immediately noticeable attribute to the Maul TR wheels is the lower profile than many other carbon hoops. The brand wanted to avoid the extra surface area that can be damaged, even punctured, by strikes from rocks and trail debris. They also claim that moving away from the tall sidewall enabled them to focus the carbon layup and possibly generate a stronger surface and rim.
The attention to detail shows in the directional, reinforced spoke nipple interface between the rims and the nipples. Note the lower profile than other carbon rims too.
The rim profile on the Maul TR wheels is the same as their Maul DH, but the layup between the two varies slightly. The layup on the TR wheels is a little less robust given that a DH rider is more-often going to put a lot more abuse to their wheels than a trail rider. That said, Spēd is quick to note that the TR wheelset is ready for the abuse of Enduro racing. The wheels are also designed to work with 2.3–2.4-inch tires, with the brand claiming to work with a number of key tire manufacturers in order to produce a wheel that provided users with what they feel is an optimal tire profile, for the most popular tires being sold in this category.
Something that is not noticeable by looking at them is their weight, and while some expect carbon products to weigh less, there are more brands utilizing the material for the tunability that it provides and that is the case with the Maul TR. At 1,775g these aren't the lightest wheels out there, but the brand is quick to note that they focused on ride quality first, then weight second. This is also the reason they chose 28 spokes rather than 32, noting that more spokes made the wheel too stiff and negatively affected the ride quality that they were seeking.
Performance
The Maul TR wheels tested here are of the 142x12 and 100x15 variety. They were setup tubeless with a set of e*thirteen’s TRS tires, which measure in at 2.35, and thrown on my 155mm travel Transition Patrol. I’ve been riding these wheels for a couple of months now and they’ve seen everything from casual rides to more aggressive steep and chunky days and even ended up staying on for a great week riding blind on the rowdy trails of the Trans B.C. Enduro.
The Maul TR rear hub in the 142x12 configuration.
Maul TR front hub in the 100x15 configuration and the well finished rotor interface.
Carbon wheels are an interesting thing for me, with many brands pushing for a stiffer is always better ideal with their hoops. With Spēd being a new brand we literally had no idea what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised to find the wheels well mannered on the trails, while still providing adequate snap out of corners or compressions. Having a wheelset that doesn’t turn you into a pinball down trails like the often moist and rooty ones of Coastal B.C. is something that is often overlooked in the hunt for “stiffer is better”.
That’s not to say that the Spēd Maul TR wheels aren’t stiff, but rather, they’re just about right. Their trail manners are great in a number of situations with a good balance between flex and stiffness. They provide that great carbon feel in the rough, snap out of corners, and stay on a line with minimal effort. They won’t snap out of a turn like some of the stiffer wheels out there, but they will keep a line far better and provide a much more comfortable and controlled ride.
The Maul TR rims (and Maul DH) feature a 4-degree slope to the rim bed and a bead hook.
Having busted a number of carbon wheels over the years, I am happy to report that the Maul TR’s made it through unscathed. The most damage is a couple of chips to the outer coating on the rims, which is completely normal for any wheel that is subjected to rocky terrain; carbon or alloy. The tires have bottomed to the rim on many occasions, some due to sloppy riding, others thanks to unexpected snipers in the ground, and all is well. There are no signs of cracks or delamination in the rim.
Being the first rims in some time to feature a bead hook, I’m now left somewhat curious why so many brands are moving so quickly away from it. Perhaps some folks don't have issues, but all of the hookless rims I've ridden have burped at some point or another. Normally my tires are set to about 21psi front and 24–25psi in the rear and I am yet to burp a tire with the Maul TR wheels. Even with pressures lower than this—nothing. These and a set of alloy wheels I own (Easton Arc on DT hubs) are the only wheels that have yet to burp on me and they’re the only wheels ridden in recent times that have bead hooks…
Pinkbike’s Take:
 | Spēd Precision’s Maul TR wheels are up there in price at $1,750 USD, and while some can be found/built cheaper, they often don’t include the quality control that I've found in these—to get the same quality in finish and ride, you would have to shell out even more. These are a well thought out wheel and it shows in how they perform on the trail. The hubs have a good amount of engagement, the wheels provide a great ride and they are standing the test of time. If you are looking into carbon wheels at this price-range or higher, it would be remiss to not have the Spēd Maul TR’s on the list. |
MENTIONS: @SpedPrecision
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For $500-800 less, you could buy (prebuilt or have a local wrench lace 'em) a sturdy wheelset with aluminum rims with comparable weight, durability and ride quality. And......you could get DT 350 hubs instead of the Joytech or other less durable Asian junk laced into the center of these (yeah, yeah they claim to have their own hub design, but I doubt the pawls, springs and drive ring are as robust as DT, I9, or King driver assemblies).
For example, Dt 350 Centerlocks, 32 light spokes (say, DT Comp race front, Comp race non-drive and Comp drive side), alloy nipples and some decent 500 gram rims will get you there (weight and strength-wise)-at around $800 (including an upgraded, higher tooth count driver).
I don't outright dismiss carbon as a rim material-done right it can be stronger and lighter than a comparable aluminum rim. That said, most carbon rims are too harsh riding or don't offer any notable weight advantage, and the replacement cost is steep. Sorry Sped, but you bring nothing to the table but a high price tag for an unimpressive product.
That leaves me with more than $1k to spend on hookers and coke.
Its a pretty critical piece of information.
I get that the cost of good carbon (layup schedule, good qc etc.) is expensive and adds cost to a wheelset. However, there should be more tangible benefit to justify the price premium. Any wheelset at over $1500 retail shouldn't just be really good, it should match (or raise) the bar for performance.
I may be jaded because I can (and do) build my own wheels, but the quality of rims, spokes, and hubs today is astonishing (esp. compared to 20 years ago). Also, if Fanatik is charging $1100 for a decent alloy rim wheelset, it had better have King or i9 hubs!!
If you're not, move along and stfu about it. Enjoy the amazing free content or take your whining elsewhere.
Seems pretty normal and understandable to me! I've spent a lot of time on these wheels right after riding a set of Reynolds and Enve M60's. Those two brands are even pricier than the Spēd Precision’s Maul TR's and I preferred the Mauls in every way. Actually for the ride and strength achieved, they are pretty damn competitive in the marketplace.
Actually this is a good idea. We are trying (slowly) to put together a short video story on the development of our rims. Design, testing, lab breakage etc. With so many off the shelf cookie cutter rims available online and direct from every corner carbon shop in Asia, we feel the story needs to be told on what the real difference is. I agree that most of these rims look exactly the same. Under the matte black paint the end user has no idea what they are getting. I can promise you the price tag is inline with the regular margins that the bike industry operates on. A great deal of the price comes in the labor it takes to lay up a carbon rim. Depending on the layup there can be upwards of 50-75 pieces of precisely cut fiber that needs to placed accurately in the mold for each rim. So building a carbon rim with the intent of creating a tuned ride is quite time consuming. Doing it consistently for each piece takes a lot of time and training for the person laying the pieces together. We take the time to make sure each one is done right. To the extent of sometimes only making 10-12 rims per day.
How is what you said a counter argument to what he said in any way?
On a side note, I absolutely do not believe that expensive bike parts are only for rich people. I make a modest hourly wage and live within my means. My bike is also probably the most expensive thing I own besides my house. That's what I prioritize, and I don't harbor any hard feelings toward companies that charge exorbitant fees for their products. I don't ride enve wheels because I can't personally justify the price. I also don't go complaining about editors whose impressions I willingly read in a free online media. There's a lot to like about pinkbike and while I definitely don't agree with everything written here I take the good with the bad. I like reading about shit I would never buy, I think it's interesting.
Im not saying they are for everyone either. For most a set of light bicycle wheels is more than enough and is far more cost effective. Those are aren't made with the care and detail that these wheels are, but they do a damn good job. They definitely don't ride as nicely though. For people that want to spend the cash to buy the best, there are some great options.
Hey - what about weareonecomposites.com?
OMG non off shored carbon manufacturing. And at a competitive price? Unpossible.
"The Maul TR wheels tested here are of the 142x12 and 100x15 variety... not to say that the Spēd Maul TR wheels aren’t stiff, but rather, they’re just about right."
So what you're saying is the old hub standard feels just right...
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
We are gathering video on all our travels. Whether its to our factory, to a local or WC race to work with our athletes or just BS talk on the local trails on our daily rides. Ideally we would like to put it all together to show how it all comes about. Its a real project..but its a slow project and honestly gets worked on after all the other tasks are done for the day.
While we would love to be able to offer you a set at $1000... its just not feasible and be able to run a business. We do have some sets allocated to marketing and R and D. We also are currently setting up ambassador deals for some deserving folks. You can always throw your hat in the ring for that by shooting us an email from our site. Tell us about yourself...
I think a potty mouth,abusive speaking forum guy is not a future ambassador for your wheels. Probably best his hat stays on his stupid head.
It's the same stupid argument people have about the sales tax the US adds. Add it to the price. You don't see other costs added separately either. "Oh, this milk is for free, but you have to add the costs the damn farmer wants for having to cows and the people delivering it to us. Otherwise, it would be for free." Doesn't happen. It is just there to get people upset.
Now what do you want the politicians to do? Listen to some money grabbing minority and vote down the affordable care act and put it something that will make millions pay for it, or do what the majority of the US people want, a better healthcare plan? You tell me.
Economic growth and per-worker productivity increases due to capital gains created weekends, shorter working days, and vacation. All the peer-reviewed economic evidence very clearly demonstrates this.
Of course I understand that we also need a market to sell the goods that are being produced, but again, we are 7 billion people, a large part already is working in conditions that you most likely would not be willing to work in, for a pay that wouldn't feed a family in any western country. Your attitude is purely for the benefit of you, which is fine, but were there are winners, there have to be losers, and you might say you don't care, but again, we see that a less regulated market also leads to a larger divide in society, which will lead to tensions. Using people to work for the benefit of a few has been done before, it was called slavery.
In my opinion, removing certain restrictions (and yes, there are many which I do not see the point in) will only lead to a race to the bottom, with a few winners, and a lot of losers.
No one is forced to work for anyone else, except when government coerces you. What forces you to need to work is the nature of the universe. Nothing is free, all things you want have to be produced through the work of others.
We in the West forget our own history, and what it took to industrialize. 300 years ago, living/working on a farm sucked. It sucked so bad that people left that way of life to live in the cities and work for slave wages in dangerous factories because it was still a better living than being on a farm. Because of that, our economies have developed to the point where we have short work days,weekends, and holidays. None of the progress came from Government, but from economic growth. You said it yourself- the government laws in Taiwan are broken both by the employers and the employees that voluntarily work for them, rendering them 100% ineffective. Just because some economies haven't progressed as much as ours does doesn't mean that Capitalism failed.
For your second point, "an employer will try to find the people to do the same job for less money" it is also false, but has at least a half truth. People who work for less wages have lower rates of productivity. Once again, wages are set by the law of supply and demand. Hiring a lower skilled worker is like buying milk in smaller containers- yes you get it for cheaper, but you get less. The "race to the bottom", or more formally, the "Iron Clad Wage Theory", is one that has been proven false time and time again with data and economic theory. If it was true, we would see the same thing with the price of cars, yet we still observe a differentiation in price and features in the market.
Finally, your point about "Maybe someone from a different country" is racist. If I can do the job better for the same pay, or I can do it for less, why shouldn't I get that job, regardless of the accident of where I was born? If someone in India, who has poor English skills, didn't go to as good of a school, doesn't have the social, professional, and personal connections that I do but can still outperform me in programming, then there is something seriously wrong with my work ethic.
it's like i'm wilford brimley and that bike is my syringe fully of insuline.
I don't get it. How many people are willing to pay twice as much for a wheelset like this (and the others) when fantastic aluminum wheelsets can be had for 1/2 - 1/3 of the price? Or when GREAT carbon rims can be bought directly from China?
And as a sidenote, pricing carbon this high is, IMO, suicide for manufacturers like Sped. Alibaba/Aliexpress have already infiltrated Amazon - so many products are coming straight from Chinese manufacturers now at 1/3 the price of the high-end western brands. The more ridiculous the pricing for carbon wheels, the more people are going to be looking for the likes of Light Bicycle. As the supply chain continues to grow in efficiency, eastern manufacturers are more able to sell directly to western consumers (exacerbated by the ridiculous pricing on wheelsets like this one).
I'm no expert but I see more and more direct China-to-USA-consumer sales happening in the future and pricing on wheelsets like these that come across as western brands slapping their label on an eastern product don't help.
If there's a quality difference it's not appreciable.
The MAIN point is that comparing cheap chinese carbon to North american carbon is the same as comparing cheap aluminum to pricier aluminum. The ride quality and durability is quite different. Sure you can buy 3 cheaper LB carbon rims for the price of an NA rim but it wont be nearly as refined in the ride quality or quality in general. Now calling a rim a consumable part is a shame imo. The wheelset is the one component that will make a bike feel one way or the other. If you disagree then run a dh wheelset and then switch to an xc wheelset. Bs if you say you cant feel the difference.
Rims used to be consumable items in the hucking days and for some people they still are which I totally get. Nowadays however people are more concerned with ride, weight, durability etc etc. For a person to spend money on cheap carbon, it means that person does want lighter better performing wheels and would prefer them to NOT be consumable but are too financially gun shy to really dive into a quality set.
The sad injustice of it is that carbon rims, up until this point, have been either way too pricey or way too cheap in which case they usually blow up or are expensive to replace. This left an impression of being unreliable and overpriced. Carbon rims dont have to be consumable items, they can last and provide years of unreal performance. Companies like We Are One are trying to prove this and I believe its only a matter of time before people stop being gun shy and give local quality wheels a try.
@onemind123: I have no idea, you'd have to ask him yourself. Admittedly I am biased as I am running their wheels (as a clydesdale I break everything so local support is always a must for me) and so far so good. If the need should arise for warranty I don't really see how a chinese rim supplier is superior?
The thing Enve doesn't tell us is that Minnaar destroys a wheelset per race, they are consumables. At least Reynolds showed us Kerr's wheels.
Carbon wheels are the Pretty Fly (for a white guy) of MTB : made for WC top racers-wanabee show-off. Sorry bruv, It won't add inches to your D.
Ive ran 2 different carbon rims (enve and e13) and they both sucked, the enve was stiff as funk and cracked in 3 places the e13 just cracked after 2 rides. I have just trued my Hope DH that spent 15 days on Whis and had 3 runs done from mid point Garbo to olympic station on the rim cruising (pesky flats), it needed minimal attention and has one tiny ding. Carbon rims can get f*cked.
We have a 2 year manufacture and workmanship warranty as well as a very reasonable crash replacement policy. Lifetime warranty sounds good and i applaud the term. Lets realize however that any defect in workmanship that would be a warranty would rear its ugly head way before two years if the wheels were being ridden in the manner they were intended. After that it is a repair issue. On our TR and DH models we will lace a new rim into your wheel for $300 with all new nipples and any needed spokes. This includes shipping back to you. Our XC and CX wheels get the same treatment for $290. Most riders will fall somewhere between the two terms. Either way we will make sure you are happy and that those who have invested there hard earned money in our wheels are taken care of. I don't know what happened with Mavic and you but rest assured we have full supply of parts to replace anything needed.
Although, I am interested in the great "ride feel" of your rims. Carbon rims can definitely be too harsh.
These are all good points. Many times rims can fail because of improper tension. What we set out to do was provide a tuned wheel system. Designing our own shells in relation to the rims allows us to control the feel of the build and the stability. We took all these into account in order to provide and engineered system that works together. From the hub to the rim we can make sure it all is in harmony. We have been in product development in the bike industry for well over 25 years. We saw an opportunity to solve many of the problems and preconceptions that most are talking about in here. Yes everything breaks eventually, especially if you are hitting rocks. We designed our profile and layup to accommodate these strikes on a regular basis. If you happen to do something out of the ordinary we make sure you are back on the trail and happy.
Are these big claims?? sure.
This is why we spent so much time with layups and testing the profiles globally with riders WAY more talented than us. Its a bad comparison but would you warranty a derailer if you hit it on a rock? No, that is a mistake that costs a few bucks. When this happens with our rims make sure its as painless as possible in order to support those who support us. We don't have a relabeled generic hub with our sticker. It is designed and matched to support the spokes we choose to interface with the rim. The whole engineered package is the value in what we are offering our fellow riders.
I hear you on the terrain thing. That's why we test globally. The sharp rocky steeps of Southern California all the way to the DH course at Ft William. Keep following what we are doing and hopefully we can start to show you what we have done.
Thanks for the comment
C
Good point about breaking a derailleur and warranty. Obviously, broken derailleurs are usually caused by rider error (took a bad line = snagged derailleur on a rock, crashed = smashed derailleur).
I'm sure you guys have wrestled with this question: When is a cracked rim from a rock strike a rider error or design error?
As you mentioned, you guys have designed your rims to withstand rock strikes on a regular basis. So a rock strike is obviously a part of the rim design. So if a carbon rim gets cracked from a rock strike... is that because of a poor design or because the rider was riding too aggressively? I guess there probably isn't a correct answer to that, it's shades of gray.
All I can say is that I've cracked 4 carbon rims on my XC bike. Was that bad luck? Statistically, no. Were the rims insufficiently designed? Maybe. Was I riding too aggressively? Also maybe. When my current carbon rim supplier stops sending me free replacement rims, I might go back to alu rims for a while until the carbon rim market matures a bit more.
Hooks are not needed... if the tire is well fitted...
I'd then love to see reviews/"shoot outs" for new parts in the maybe 2 most common price ranges. Or perhaps they could do some quick research and find the most common bikes/parts in the buy/sell portion of the site in those ranges, and compile their previous reviews should they exist, or review those items.
Basically, I'd love to see more articles and reviews of things the majority of people can/do actually buy. It certainly wouldn't be 2k+ wheelsets and 5k+ bikes that got the attention. Maybe it's just me though, and people really only want to read about the latest and greatest stuff they'll never be able to afford- or maybe more people can afford those things than I think.
I could go higher, but it's just not worth it, is it? My bike will do anything a top spec bike will do, and I can still have three or four holidays a year and pay my kids' school fees.
So I'd love to see a shootout between a Vitus Escarpe SLX, a Nukeproof Mega 275/290 Race, a Canyon Spectral 5.0 EX and a Rose Granite Chief 1.0. How do those bikes compare to a used Tracer 275a Foundation, or a GT Force X for 2k?
These are the questions most of is actually want answered, not "how good is a wheelset that costs as much as a full bike?". I'm sure they are all great, no shit, lol.
Finish this sentence:
"If you are looking into carbon wheels at this price-range or higher, ............"
,,,,never forget how lucky you really are."
I currently ride a set of XM1501s (only 22,5 mm inner width though) on my 2015 Reign 1 and, despite smacking through and through the rear tire at least three times, the rims are still undented. Sure, they do need more truing than a more burly wheelset, but they have impressed the damn out of me!
(I was set to sell them when i bought the bike, luckily buying a new set didn't go through with the CC, so i was able to see the DT light. I would put XM1501s or maaaaybe EX1501s on ANY dream build.)
What truly amazes me, is that there's obviously enough people out there buying all these different brands/sets.
Seems like a new-previously unknown- brand/set pops up on a weekly basis, and again, same weight, width, and price.
I gather there's a nice margin in 'em for the manufacturer
AJ tested our 27.5 TR wheels in standard spacing. They are of course available in Boost as well. We have a few new models in the works right now with our teams.
You can log on to our site and follow our social media pages to see what we and our athletes are up too.
With every carbon wheel with carbon bead locks, they will be weak. They need to add proprietary rim protection from the factory to be able ask that kind of money for potential crack popper carbon wheels.
From the picture i agree it looks like those are pretty thin. I would love to invite you to check out our site to see some pics of the engineering profiles of the rim bed. In reality the bead hook section is 4.5mm thick with 1mm of that being the hook. This is over 2x as thick as many other brands in order to survive the impacts
You are 100% correct on proprietary rim protection. Without going into and showing our layup, i can assure you we spend a LOT of time with the wrap and position of the material in this area. Our layup in that area is proprietary and uses a few different types of carbon in the impact area as well as a process of layup that prevents the usual delamination at this area by enclosing the material instead of having material exposed at the impact point.
The bead hook and strucure was something we spent a lot of time on as we are one of the few still retaining this feature. We knew it had to be right.
If these wheels manage to be strong then this is a strong plus for them. Hookless design seems like "We know it's really useful and necessary but we don't know how to do it so why even bother"
Forces are the same... directions... tell me how much difference there is...
Well, to start, the forces are not the same. Automotive wheels and tires have to cope with far greater forces acting on them. Both acceleration and braking forces are far more significant. And when going around a corner, despite a small amount of dynamic camber, the wheels remain relatively perpendicular to the ground and turn on a vertical axis. This puts a lot of strain on the sidewalls which are reinforced much more than a bike tire would ever need to be. And mountain bike tires are leaned over in a turn, using the curve of the wheel to turn, with much less pivot on the vertical axis. So, the design challenges with respect to developing a strong rim and tire are WAY different than with a bike. And their is far less concern about the weight of the wheel and tire with autos, unless you are talking about race cars. Oh, and heat. Mountain bike tires are never going to see the same extremes in temperature either. Or longevity requirements. For all those reasons, the bead of tire, and the bead seat of the wheel have different design considerations. Not to mention, we expect to be able to put on a bike tire with hand tools, and car tires are almost exclusively installed with a pneumatically powered machine. The car tire seats to the beat with MUCH greater force.
AND finally, I have seen wheels with a hook on the bead, and I have seen wheels with beadlock rims as well.
Does that help you see the differences?