Crankbrothers Launches USA Synthesis Carbon Wheel Demo Program by crankbrothers

55 Comments

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Telemahn FL (Jan 15, 2020 at 15:01)

Crank Brothers already has a strong reputation for selling wheels that will get demoed.

unloadingsomuch (Jan 15, 2020 at 20:07)

LOL

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rockchomper (Jan 14, 2020 at 10:31)

Thats how you know its a Great product, When they are so confident in what they have created that they will ship you a demo set!

crankbrothers (Jan 17, 2020 at 9:59)

We believe it's a great product! However, the main difference in these wheels is that the ride feel is better than other carbon wheels. So it's difficult to sell a product on how they feel when people haven't ridden them yet. So we hope to get as many people to try the wheels and understand why we believe they are such a good product.

EnglishJames (Jan 15, 2020 at 17:02)

I have these wheels on my pole machine! The best wheels ive ever owned, and ive had about 5 others sets of carbons before!

crankbrothers (Jan 15, 2020 at 17:45)

Glad to hear!

jrocksdh (Jan 17, 2020 at 7:57)

Very legit

kwapik (Jan 14, 2020 at 10:47)

Great opportunity. I think I'm going to schedule a demo right before the Southridge races and see how they hold up in the "world of rocks & boulders".

rockchomper (Jan 14, 2020 at 13:28)

@kwapik : better hurry the next race is JAN 25-26

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SLBIKES (Jan 15, 2020 at 15:43) (Below Threshold)

You will DNF using a CrankBros product!

Saiyan66 (Jan 16, 2020 at 11:06)

I have had zero negative experiences with Crank Brothers products and I am in the market for a new wheelset so I think I may be one of their "target" customers. Here is my take: I would love to demo a set of these and the concept seems well thought out, but the price is prohibitive. I spent $5K on a high end carbon wonderbike (got a killer deal) and I just cant bring myself to shell out half of that on a set of wheels. The performance gain to me is irrelevant when the cost of entry is so high. I personally would say that $1800 on a carbon wheelset is my max budget and that's pushing it.

crankbrothers (Jan 17, 2020 at 10:10)

Your concerns are completely understandable and valid. Even if the performance gain is irrelevant to you at the moment we believe that the feel of our wheels is what makes our product unique. We urge you to demo them and see if your mind changes. If not, we salute you for giving us a chance!

SunsPSD (Jan 15, 2020 at 14:52)

Best ready made wheels out imo. Not sure why they don't seem to be selling like hotcakes.

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ryanaskey (Jan 15, 2020 at 15:00)

I would hazard a guess and say its because of some of the hot steamy piles CB decided to release in years past. Same story with the dropper posts. You let your consumers do the product testing and the bitterness won't soon be forgotten.

joewlo (Jan 17, 2020 at 9:44)

Great wheels - great company, doing everything they can to fix their old reputation problems. These guys love MTB and the community. I want to see them succeed.

I own the synthesis wheels and love them. Smash them through everything from whistler bike park to local trails in Vancouver. When i dented my back rim (due to my own low psi stupidity), they replaced it under warranty within 5 days (including postage).

Only wish I got them in 29 so I can bring them to whatever I buy next

crankbrothers (Jan 17, 2020 at 10:25)

Glad to hear! For those that don't know, our rims are covered for a lifetime and if they break from riding them we will replace them.

shoplife (Jan 15, 2020 at 18:34)

I had a demo set for a month. Compared back to back with my SC reserve wheels...the CB wheels are far superior. That being said no one I talked to was willing to drop coin on anything with the CB logo. Especially wheels. No matter how hard I tried, even when CB offered a ridiculous pro deal...I too could not buy a CB product. Sorry guys, make the rim stickers removable and drop the $ and we have a deal.

sngltrkmnd (Jan 15, 2020 at 8:53)

No better way to determine if the hype is real!

shoplife (Jan 15, 2020 at 20:46)

Der Baron tires are fantastic!

thoe (Jan 16, 2020 at 5:31)

I can buy NOX Farlow 29", Hope Hubs, Sapim Cx-ray spokes and nipples $1300 a set. Once you start creeping into the 2k for a set of wheels the amount of riders that can afford that goes way down. You need to be under $1500 for a set.

chocolate-thunder (Jan 17, 2020 at 8:25)

What makes you think that’s a fair comparison? Not all carbon is equal. Hope hubs certainly aren’t I9’s.
You should really read/listen up on the design of these wheels. Check out Downtime podcast on it.

thoe (Jan 17, 2020 at 10:07)

@erikkellison: when building a bike you have to decide where to spread the dough out. Should I put it all in the frame? The wheels..... You need to read the post its about price and a point to where people will not buy because it gets to ridiculous. I own four bikes two have carbon wheels two don't. I know what the cost is on a set of carbon rims and there is a ton of mark up on them, whether they are build in China or the USA. Its because you are paying for all the hands that touch them and everyone wants their piece of the pie. And yes you are right there are different level of hubs. For the type of riding I do Hope works perfect plus I always have spare parts around to repair them if they should fail. But I am one of those riders who inspects, cleans and lubricates his stuff on a regular basis to maximize the life of all these over priced Asian made products.

chocolate-thunder (Jan 17, 2020 at 10:34)

@thoe: what makes you think I am unaware of the cost factor? I agree, not cheap (relatively-speaking), but hands down these would be a wiser upgrade over some mid-level wheels on the overall ride, in comparison to taking that money and upgrading your Ripmo AF to a Yeti _______.

proxient (Jan 16, 2020 at 8:08)

so, free wheels for race weekend?

RimCyclery (Jan 16, 2020 at 15:38)

I'm running a similar set up, as the front wheel is a bit wider so more compliant than the rear. Working well so far..

themostnate (Jan 16, 2020 at 12:52)

Great marketing, the whole you break it you buy it method!

jestep (Jan 21, 2020 at 9:23)

Holding out for their eerollers titanium line to come out to match my crankset...

matthewb8ker (Feb 11, 2020 at 9:20)

Seems like a good deal for $500!

orastreet1 (Jan 16, 2020 at 12:20)

Derby Carbon wheels - best out there and are 1500$. There is no way Enve or others are 1000$ better

chocolate-thunder (Jan 17, 2020 at 8:28)

Ugh. Do some research. Not all carbon is the same. In fact, carbon is HUGELY variable - that’s why it’s such a cool material. You’re the one missing out is you think carbon = carbon = carbon.

feanaro1313 (Jan 16, 2020 at 18:47)

DH wheels only available in 29"............ LAME!

crankbrothers (Jan 17, 2020 at 10:17)

We also offer them in a mixed option! (29F and 27.5R)

29er1 (Jan 15, 2020 at 18:24)

What 26?

matadorCE (Jan 15, 2020 at 19:12)

Continental tires? No thanks.

flyguyty (Jan 15, 2020 at 19:39)

love my conti's, Der Kaiser for enduro and Trail King for normal riding! Given, their 29er variant of the TK is not great, the 27.5 version is with larger knobs and smaller spaces. so much grip everywhere and so predictable! 600mi on them and my kaisers show almost no wear.

5afety3rd (Jan 16, 2020 at 1:22)

if you look at the photos it's a VeeRubber tire lol

chocolate-thunder (Jan 17, 2020 at 8:29)

You might want to try them first. Der Baron Projekt specifically.

matadorCE (Jan 17, 2020 at 9:21)

@erikkellison: Maybe so, but the Trail Kings and Mountain Kings that refused to stopped seeping sealant plus sidewalls that would mysteriously wear out as if I putting a sander to them after each ride put me off the brand for a good while.

crankbrothers (Jan 17, 2020 at 10:21)

The Continental tires mounted on the wheel are optional. If you have a preference in tires you are welcome to use them!

chocolate-thunder (Jan 17, 2020 at 10:49)

@matadorCE: really, try some Projekt tires. They’re different. I don’t like trail kings or mountain kings. Personally I prefer der Baron to der Kaiser by a LONG shot - Kaiser good for dry park riding. Baron good for anything, less good for park.

flyguyty (Jan 17, 2020 at 12:25)

@erikkellison: ive heard Baron is not great for dry conditions, love my kaisers for all around riding! really fast rolling and very grippy. i havent tried Der Baron yet, so i cant say for myself if its better or worse than the kaiser.

joewlo (Jan 17, 2020 at 12:52)

@flyguyty: in the pacific northwest, der baron is great for me. Grippy but still rolls fast

flyguyty (Jan 17, 2020 at 15:06)

@joewlo: ill have to try it out if i ever move out there! im coming from AZ and TX and the guys i know that tried der baron did not like it in the loose rocky conditions. der kaiser seems to handle it really well!

Seawild66 (Jan 15, 2020 at 16:18)

Do they come in 26?

crankbrothers (Jan 15, 2020 at 16:49)

Hello, Unfortunately we don't offer them in 26. Good question!

scottyrides5 (Jan 15, 2020 at 17:00)

@crankbrothers: Howdie, Good response! Unfortunate answer..

rh00p (Jan 15, 2020 at 18:28) (Below Threshold)

@crankbrothers: 26 Wheels Matter

stiingya (Jan 15, 2020 at 20:44)

Mid range or MASS PRODUCED wheels I can understand the expectation, or at least the hope. But the market percentage for $2400 dollar 26" wheels would be minuscule. If it were your business would you risk the investment in additional product development?

sanchofula (Jan 16, 2020 at 8:48)

DT Swiss hubs as an option and I'll bite, but I9, no thanks.

crankbrothers (Jan 17, 2020 at 10:22)

We do sell the rims by themselves. So if you have a preference in hubs you can definitely build a custom set!

Below threshold threads are hidden

PrivilegedBikeR (Jan 15, 2020 at 15:20)

Only a $500 deposit? What if I demo the wheelset and then accidentally "lose" them before I can send them back?

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conoat (Jan 15, 2020 at 15:53)

LOL. they will charge your card the remainder. That just isn't that hard to figure out....

rh00p (Jan 15, 2020 at 18:31)

@conoat: What if I "lose" my credit card right before I accidentally "lose" the wheelset before I can send them back?

DrPete (Jan 15, 2020 at 20:43)

@rh00p: yeah, because then all they have on you is stuff like all your contact information and where you live.

conoat (Jan 16, 2020 at 9:35)

@rh00p: then you "lose" all rights to not be considered a thief.