If you’re anything like me the idea of riding carbon mountain bike wheels is an unsettled one. Carbon is, well, carbon. It just seems cooler, faster and better. It’s alluring. On the other hand the I worry that it won’t be as sturdy or reliable. Not to mention the cost of a decent set of carbon wheels is usually pretty prohibitive to begin with.
Darkhorse Wheels have been supplying a range of good quality, well priced carbon wheels to the road cycling market for a few years now. When the opportunity arose to test out their newer DH29 carbon mountain bike wheels I was dead keen to see what all the fuss was about.
Specifications
- RimHigh modulus full carbon hookless rim, tubeless profile.
- Dimension24mm deep x 27mm wide (Internal width: 22mm)
- SpokesSapim CX Ray 32 front 32 Rear
- NippleSapim SILS Secure lock nipple
- HubsFront – Bitex MTF15 QR/15/20mm axle
Rear – Bitex RAR12 135xQR / 142×12 - Weight1460 grams (per wheelset)
- Max Tyre pressure45 Psi
- Max rider weight100 kg
- PriceR13,195.00 (On special at the time of this review for R10,995.00)
Aesthetics
My first impression of these wheels was that they look great! The decal design is subtle, but striking. Rocking up in the start pen for my maiden ride saw many heads were turning. Of course the fact that my bike is already black red and white doesn’t hurt. The decals themselves are covered by a light, matte finish which gives a great-looking, quality feel to rim surface.
The Ride
Besides the cool factor, switching to carbon rims is said to bring some changes to the feel and quality of your ride. A carbon rim wheel is typically stiffer than aluminium meaning less lateral flex. This results in better acceleration thanks to the improved power transfer and a more responsive, precise feel.
On the downside the added stiffness can result in a harsher ride (something I was concerned about when facing longer stage races or marathon events).
Against all common wisdom when it comes to trying new things my first ride on the DH29’s was the Die Burger 65km race in Stellenbosch. My secret hope was that the carbon factor would offset my fitness deficit. Aside from feeling a bit cooler, the lateral stiffness of the wheels was immediately apparent. There was a definite rigidity in the general ride quality and a hint of harshness on some bumps. Lowering the tire pressure just slightly smoothed off those harsh edges though.
Although I can’t say that I’ve found fault in my usual aluminum wheel set, the feel of these in sharp and hard turns was another noticeable difference. Initially I was caught a bit off guard by their responsiveness and precision, but soon it became the new normal and when back on my Crests the control just felt a bit vague.
In terms of compatibility and maintenance the DH29’s are pretty hassle free. Interchangeable end caps on the Bitex hubs mean they should fit most common axle standards. We tested these with Vitorria (GEAX) Saguro 2.25 and Onza Canis 2.25 and both were easy to fit and inflate with a standard foot pump. Removing tyres was a bit more tricky though and did require a bit more effort, but did leave us reassured that once seated there was little danger of burping or movement on the hookless rim.
Verdict
As far as carbon mountain bike wheels go the DH29 from Darkhorse Wheels are more budget friendly than most without sacrificing on quality. They proved to hold up admirably in some pretty testing conditions. After more than 6 weeks of solid riding on all sorts of terrain they are still running true.
Can't test them on tyres as *** as the Saguaros.