The Best ENDURO MTB Wheelset? Let's Go Racing Season 2, Episode 2
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2022
- It's time for Brian Cahal to figure out which mountain bike wheelset will work best for enduro racing. Brian has no component sponsors this season and is in a unique position as a professional rider to test and evaluate critical parts he will put on his Forbidden Dreadnaught for race season. He tries out wheels from DT Swiss, ZIPP and ENVE, ultimately deciding which he will run for this EWS season. #MTB #mountainbike #enduro
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See all Let's Go Racing Episodes - czcams.com/video/1uRDNrumDxM/video.html
I love when someone comes along and does something so seemingly simple, but not many people have thought of. Makes a ton of sense!
Love the concept of this series and the honesty about breaking the zip wheels in the past. Keen for the next episode!
Your front/rear specific approach reminds me a bit of the Crankbrothers Synthesis Wheels, but it seems like you took it further with an extra stiff & burly rear wheel. Would be interested in your thoughts if you can ever give those wheels a try.
I’ve heard good things about that wheel set. Would be interested in giving them a try
So brian has only three sponsors... (maxxis, forbidden and TLD), he should have a whole buch of them... He reaches out to much more people than a lot of racers and he actually informs the people about a certain product giving his feedback... Also I preffer having a review from Brian, than from the best of the world, lets be honest, we will never ride like the n1 of the world, but we might ride like brian one day...
Props to VitalMTB and Brian!!!! Waiting for more!
Thanks for the kind words. I think you'll really enjoy the rest of the series!
The video I’ve been waiting for! Thank you.
I run an enve on rear also, but not always. It’s incredible when speeds pickup and terrain is flowing. I run lower air pressure and inserts for janky sharp rocks and roots. My second wheel set is We-Are-One composites. I really like the compliance with out giving up much stiffness. I run it as front wheel always. Saving the enve as a spare or bike park flow trail days.
Would love a follow up video post season to hear your feedback on your experience with this setup. Great video.
Cool videos, man. Really appreciate the detailed analysis as well as the reasoning behind each choice you make. The slo-mo berm shots are crazy, too, especially with the flex in the Zipp rims.
Brian, Your analysis of the wheels is so in-depth! I watched your brake video as well, and I have to say, I have really enjoyed and learnt a great deal from your experience. Im a fan!
I’ve been running DT EX471s this season, pretty bullet proof apart from flat spots.
Great explanation, thanks for sharing!
I'm riding pretty much a classic burly wheelset. A strong combo
Dt swiss ex471 in the back and ex511 in the front. I don't even complain about the overall weight of my bike. 14.8 kg
Ex511 front and rear here for the past 5 years. Added cush core to the rear for the first time ever this year as I was definitely having a pinch flat issue due to the sharpness described in the video. Total game changer. Used to be cautious with my bike placement in rocky bits, but now just straightline through without a care in the world. Never had so much confidence in a wheel setup before. Also haven't tried carbon though...
Great comparison, a bit of an unorthodox setup, but I'm all for it!
Next up is two different tire brands then lol
Excellent video!!
Awesome set up. I really like the thought you put into mixing the rims. I'm running Light Bicycle 933s which are very similar to the ENVE rims at a fraction of the price. They aren't super compliant but they are completely bomb proof and maintenance free.
I live your thought process. Seems like what you are looking for is something that Crankbrothers has created with their Synthesis rims. Its a tuned system with 32 hole rear, 28 hole front. Stiff rear wheel that supports peak loads and enhances stability and speed in the turns. The front is more compliant and improves handling and maximizes grip in the turns. Its a killer setup and very popular with our customers.
Did you consider trying Berd Spokes? Might be a way to eek out some more compliance whilst running the Enve rim :)
Great content thanks!
I'd be interested to know how we are one wheels fare in a race environment as they seem to be super confident in their product and reviews have been amazing
This is pretty cool and certainly makes the point for manufacturers to start looking at more specific front vs rear rims. We do it with tires already.
The one I’d like to see you run is a set from Atomik. The Fusion Fiber rim combined with BERD spokes. Wonder how those can combine the compliance & tracking with energy and durability.
Very cool video!!
Hell yeah. I was running double Zipp Motos til I broke the back one, then decided to go with a stiff We Are One with a Cush Core for the back wheel to hold a line a bit better (and improve durability). Bad ass combo
That line looks like MR2 at Windrock XC...
.... and the flat rock on MixTape. 🤘
Great review. Maybe it's not all hocus pocus. 🧐
Crank Brothers Synthesis Enduro Carbon would have been interesting considering they also have different rims and spoke counts I believe front and rear.
They have 32 hole rear with a 29mm internal width and the front is 28 hole and 31.5 internal width. I'm liking my pair at the moment but am far from a racer.
Love the alloy Lil 'sisters! Smart wheelset, reliable performance at a good price 👌and J-bend spokes mf!
@@rustymac83 they also have different spokes at each end and lower spoke tension in the front
Great video for a resident rear rim destroyer like myself who’s constantly trying to find the line between cost, reliability, durability, weight and performance
I've been sold on the idea of a less stiff front wheel for a few years now, it makes a lot of sense and helps each wheel since they have quite different jobs! I'm interested in the Zipp rear wheel though, what you describe sounds a lot like what happens when a wheel flexes too far and some of the spokes go slack. Usually happens when the tension is too low or the the rim is too flexible, especially in comparison to the spokes & hub flange geometry
You should have tried the we are one rims. interesting to see how they would compare.
Nukeproof Horizon V2's. Cheap, Stiff and... Bombproof/ Nukeproof. My only complaint is the HG hub's splines are too soft. Great wheels!
Honest reviews from a guy whos pushing his bike to the limit! With so many bland generic reviews out there this is a breath of fresh air!!
I have the new Ibis Blackbird Send rims (aluminum) on my Ripmo AF. Super wide and thick bead like the Enve to help with pinch flats. Not running any inserts and have had zero issues here in rocky Phoenix, Arizona.
I just had a new wheelset built with DT Swiss FR560s, so far very happy with them, they are noticeably lighter than the Ibis S35s they replaced while also being apparently as durable as the EX 511s if not more so. Was kinda an unscheduled wheel upgrade, but I had badly flat spotted my 2nd rear S35 rim in a year on my first park lap of this season.
current setup for the enduro bike is arc 31s with dd and cushcore rear and exo+ cushcore front. I might have gone up casing but I just got the tires that were in stock. the cushcore is worth it because breaking rims (especially carbon ones) sucks and is expensive. its also been nice the two times I had to ride out a flat
The combo makes perfect sense. Cool series!
please do more wheels test and reviews on different brands. I would like to hear your opinion on spank wheels and roval wheels after your torture testing. how they compare to your other gotos..
I have been running weareone covert rims with profile ac-2 hubs for two years on my meta power and have had zero issues.
with the motos it would be nice to hear your thoughts if you ran a straight gauge spoke on the rear wheel and a butted spoke up front. would probably help solve your compliance issue in the rear
I'm probably one of the few also running mis-matched wheels. I've a Stans Flow Mk3 front (laced 2 cross, because the spoke length I need for 3 cross wasn't available when I built it) and a WAO Union rear laced 3 cross with a Cushcore Pro. Fitted my budget and been bombproof so far. Never done any kind of compliance or back-to-back testing though to see if it's really better or worse than anything, I just know I no longer destroy rims and rarely destroy tyres.
Brian, thank you so much for the insights. Optimizing front different than back makes a lot of sense. You run dh casing, so how would you compare DD with light inserts on your wheelset?
I've run that set up with double downs before. I think the biggest difference is how the casings feel, the double down casing will feel a little springier and livelier due to the different tpi used in the casings. I like that feeling for more every day trail riding, plus the option to run maxxtera in the back is nice to help the tire last and roll fast. The insert will help with pinch flats and support the tire in Corners but it will not help with sidewall cuts. Two ways of getting a similar performing tire but with a little more risk of a sidewall cut with the DD.
Been loving my We Are Ones for wheels. Pretty burly probably pretty comparable to those enves
surprised he didnt include them! ( I build em now haha )
Nice
What is the definition of compliance ? What of stiffness? How can i imagine it on the trail!?
Excited to see the next vids.
A more compliant wheel will feel like it absorbs the trail some, while a stiffer wheel may feel like it gets bounced around
I also have downhill carbon wheel at rear, maybe going to replace my hope fortus 30 front wheel to dh carbon also.
I have new industry nine trail 1/1 aluminum wheelset. They are fantastic wheelset.
I have the "spank spike race 33" rim.
To me personaly it is some kind of an insider tip. Price point, durability, weight, stiffness.
By the time i' ve demaged all my rims before but not these ones, yet. Although they have had some ugly buttom outs, they're still fine.
Would be interested what a pro racer would say about the spank spike 33 race.
Wow, makes sense to me
I do recommend trying out Spanks Vibcrocore range.
(Can’t fathom how someone can go through 3 wheels a season, that’s crazy)
bullshit, spank rims are made of paper
@@game_mtb такой бред безобоснованный)
Спанки бомбпруф
@@eeemanag якщо їздити як овоч, вони надійні як любі інші колеса, ще й важкі, я свої 359 і 350 склав в перших же для них горах. Тому так, дуже круті важкі, дорогі, паперові обода.
Thoughts on cushcore and carbon wheels?
Reserve wheels seem quite good
After seeing your video I now understand why my Zipp motos cause my rear tire to rub the side of frame!
We Are One Convert front and Strife rear for the exact same reasons.
Where was this filmed at? I saw a trail sign that said "Windrock XC". Was that right?
what are your preferred hubs?
What about hope pro 30 wheels ? Though it would have a place between these wheels and do good
The spanks with vibracore are the strongest wheels I’ve seen
destroyed 2 rims in one race because they are made from paper 359 and 350 models
I'm running the Dt Swiss ex 1700 with 350 hubs, which I was told that they are the ex511 wheels ,can you confirm ?
Didn’t think about the WAO Strife on the back?
Have you thought about throwing a cushcore onto the zipp rim to stop it from burping or the dt swiss ex 471 with a cushcore?
I've run cushcore on the DT and it does help but not a huge fan of the weight and the hassle of dealing with an insert throughout the season. Don't think an insert on the Zipp would help that much since its the whole wheel flexing as well as the tire. Haven't tried it though, would be interesting to see how it feels.
I have been running back and front m630 or m730. But gain I am not a downhill or enduro racer. But it sounds you have thought a lot about your choices. Let us know how it works out through the season 😊
very interesting comparison, i´m kinda sad you didn´t put the actual clip of jack moir bashing his rim with the rock into the video :(
Same, but I also couldn't find it on yt
@@otisjordan5613 czcams.com/video/XTvhc5AsYh8/video.html&ab_channel=JackMoir have a look at 15:40
czcams.com/video/XTvhc5AsYh8/video.html here it is about half way through. Saved his race and the championship last year.
IBIS SEND wheels. A very interesting 4.5mm bead wall on an alloy wheel with a 7yr crash replacement warranty. Look it up. Nobody else doing 7 years on a $99 rim
also have you ever tested cushcore xc with a little lighter casing tire. Might be inerresting to see the performance on that.
I have, I ran dt Swiss with double down tire out back with good results. Not as much sidewall protection but that combo is good for races without as many sharp rocks. Like running the maxxtera compound out back in DD when the races are a little flatter and not as aggressive.
I think you should try dt swiss fr 541
ex511s for me
Good job! I started using carbon wheels a long time back with a set of Enve AMs, migrated to Derby (same as the early Ibis), now been testing/riding Santa Cruz Reserves. The extra width on the Derbys still feels the best for tracking in chunk. I don't race, but I have burped at low pressures since I am heavy. Tire construction and width can also make a change to ride feel. Looking forward to your suspension video as that seems to be the topic I am personally focused on again knowing how the better options make a huge difference.
PANCHO VIBE
bontrager line 30 pros. i run them on my enduro and they are mint
Just got to this video 7 months on great content can we have an answer to the wheel mix did it work and was it a spoke too soon moment
Finally someone tells the truth about inserts.
I've buckled two DTSwiss Ex511s unfortunately. Switched over to Silt wheels so I'll see how they cope
Wow how?
@@LastAphelion first one was at a Downhill race. Came off an 8 foot rock, went too fast and dove front wheel first into the ground. Second wheel bent because I came in too hot to a corner, slid over the top and smashed it into a tree😂 The Silt wheels seem to hold up well so far
I used to run e13 lg1 Enduro carbon wheels. Never failed in 2 years. Love that rim, but be careful with the exhaust pipe of your car, i melted my front wheel
Setup of zeb please
I mentally fell over when I looked up how much the enve cost, that's like half my budget for a new bike I'm hoping to get lol
What's something I can get that's as durable to spec on a new bike but on a budget?
I'd go with an aluminum wheel. It costs less up front, and when it bends beyond repair, you replace it with another low cost wheel. The breaks Brian had on his carbon rim aren't covered by some manufacturers, and you'd end up shelling out for another expensive carbon rim.
The M90 is expensive. Enve makes the AM30 that I also tested out that is about half the price and performs really well. I think the emphasis on durability is really high for racing, especially since we are always pushing tire pressure to the limit. I think the DT Swiss or a lot of aluminum options are great wheels especially for the price, you just have to be a little more mindful of tire pressure and where you are riding to avoid flat spotting or pinch flats. I've turned a few aluminum wheels less round from being a little greedy on tire pressure.
Dt swiss is pretty much bulletproof. The fr series is solid. Or stan's flow ex3. Yeah they're both born for freeride but they're reliable
We Are One! Buy a rim for 450$. Spokes and nipples 100$. Build it yourself. I dont even own one, im running Dt EX511 actually. But once I blow up this EX511, I'm going We Are One Union
Check out We Are One Composites. Handmade in Canada.
what about the best dh wheelset?
What's your thoughts on a set of hope pro4 hubs with fortus 30sc rims ?
Haven't heard of fortus before but I've run the hope hubs and have been happy. not to picky on hubs, just need something that doesn't blow up and has decent engagement.
Fortus are hopes own brand rims. Sc is there single cavity enduro rim.
H E A V Y
@@stevenelmes2518 Did you buy it? How are other reviews about it? Is the Fortus new from hope? I have seen some in my LBS and wondering if they can take some abuse and if they are all pre built with same specs. as a wheelset.
I think it really depents on how stiff the bike is. I had to go away from Carbon Rims because, riding a really stiff bike and a really stiff wheel is too much
I run a Zip moto 3 on the front and a Reserve carbon and another Reserve HD AL on my enduro/trail bikes. I have no confidence in Enve and Reserve are the market leaders.
ACS Z-rims make a comeback 40 years later.
Totally disagree point of not using inserts. Using tire inserts u can continue riding and finish the race/stage it costs 300 grams per wheelset also u have much more confidence while riding in general.
I will never run those Zipps after watching my buddy explode one and go face first into the ground. Screw compliance, I wanto live to ride another day
Even to this day, after 2 decades of riding, I still run tubes with Slime inside. I also run a plastic shield insert between the tyre and the tube and both of these add a bunch of weight but I have NEVER had a puncture/flat with this setup. Definitely a trade-off i'm happy with.
Test Spinergy MXX30
But you’re running DH casing. You might as well run inserts too.
Reserves on dt hubs.
why no reserves
Think I'd rather true/replace a £100 alloy rim, than crack a £1100 enve rim and write my season off lol
Get you some Spank rims....beats all of these
flat spots are why I buy carbon rims at this point.
Revelstoke 2.0 syncros
No matching rims, that's the best! No carbon rims?
How bout nobl?
Just get a set of DT Swiss FR560s and be done with it.
I think you are confusing a flat spot with a rim ding. I have never had issues with my XM481 rims. DT Swiss aluminum rims are almost as light as carbon and definitely stronger than most other aluminum rims. I have the Zipp XPLR rims on my gravel bike and totally agree, it’s really compliant and best as a front. The ENVE M9 is a solid choice. I can see that a CushCore or other insert is not for you. Especially because your running thicker casing tires. I think it’s a benefit to have tires inserts but it’s also has a lot to do with the tires that you choose.
Enve are very pricey too say the least.
No we are one???
The best wheel comparison I’ve seen.
Honestly wasn’t expecting this level of knowledge from a guy dressed in camo sitting on the back of a pick up truck.
Excellent.
“dressed in camo sitting on back of pick up truck”. What an ignorant, and unnecessary statement.
Is he running a SRAM axs shifter on a Shimano cassette
Yessir! stay tuned for a full bike check later on in the series where I'll dive in to all that stuff.
@@briancahal I just need to know: does it work? Because I love the AXS stuff, but i have a Shimano drivetrain. Plus i don't want to spent 200€ or more to change che cassette and Driverbody. If it works good... I'll do it.
@@lukasrossi1593 As long as it's all 12 speed it'll work. Shimano chain, chainring, and cassette with AXS controller and derailleur and your good to go.
@@briancahal One last question: how did you set the b-tension? in some videos they said that the white one that is in the box of the axs derailluer doesn't work on the shimano cassette. Now thest nothing in my way and i can install the good stuff. THX
@@lukasrossi1593 not sure on exact measurement. I just played around with it and got it dialed in,
Actually bro. it's not that I forgot about my wheels, it's the COST of wheels! For what you get, don't make no sense. Just me. Aloha.
With such top level suspension components you can ride even on cheap alexrims wheels... It shows minimal load on wheels in slow mo rock ride...