|
Spinergy Fall Line (FR) Wheel
Set:
The bike season here in New England is
in full swing and we at Dieselbikes are ready to begin our product review of
Spinergy's New Fall Line (FR) wheel set. We are happy to say that
Spinergy is working with Dieselbikes regarding this review and has gladly
provided a wheel set for us to test.
The Product
Spinergy manufactures their own wheel
sets and claim their FR product line is "Tough, Indestructible and built for
abuse". Built using custom CNC machined parts and their own patented
PBO Fiber Spoke Technology; these rims are light and have a custom look.
The customer can select rim and spoke colors to match their mountain bike.
For the complete OEM specification, please visit this direct link to
Spinergy FR product line.
The Test
We at Dieselbikes plan on punishing
these rims riding them on some of the toughest trails local to the Boston
area. Whether they survive our 90+ day challenge, you will know below
in our Final Verdict Statement. Out of the box, the rims are
surprisingly light but stiff. The rear hub is solid and has a
sounds/feel like it's a Hadley. In either case, looks are great but
performance and durability is what we are looking for. We began our
initial test at Bruce and Tom's going easy just to get a feel of the wheel
set on the trails. After hitting a few small drops and blasted through
technical single track with complete control, the rim's performance
surprised us with minimal flex even through a few rock gardens.
Again this is just the beginning and
we plan on switching riders and bikes with these rims to give you an
accurate report.
We will post further information about
our testing as we take these rims to Lynn Woods, Nam and Highland Mountain.
If you have any questions and comments, please feel free to drop us an
e-mail.
The Final Verdict
Well here is the final verdict... the
rims held up! I must say we at Dieselbikes are surprised these rims
did not fail during our testing. We took them to Lynn Woods, Bruce &
Tom's and Vietnam. We hit drops to FLAT, some with transitions and
rode the rear wheel with a flat tire down some of the nastiest trails Lynn
has to offer. Throughout all that, the rims survived.
Among the normal scratches due to
rocks and a few crashes we lost a little tension with only one spoke on the
rear wheel. Aside from that, both wheels stayed true with no flat
spots and or additional wheel flex.
Both hubs are Spinergy products and we
have nothing bad to report about them. I have had freeride hubs in the
past that began to loose up and/or bind on the axle after a few big hucks.
I can only compare the Spinergy hubs to Hadley's or Chris King hubs.
Smooth action, little flex and quality machined components with little to no
play.
We had many riders comment on the
looks of these rims. 9 out of 10 said the wheels look sick and the
white spokes were sexy. Another comment was that the spokes were so
thick yet the wheels were light. The reason for this is because the
spokes are fiber (like plastic) and not metal (steel). When you go to
feel the spoke tension, you may think at first they are loose, but as you
begin to feel the other spokes, you realize this is by design. The
spokes were one of our biggest concerns. We really thought they would
flex so much, their performance would be comprised. But they did
not... they felt just like all steel spoke rims and were not light riders!
We love these rims, but do have one
aspect we disliked. Everything related to performance, durability and
quality parts can be said about other quality rims. With this in mind,
the most frequently asked question regarding these rims were; "How Much Do
They Cost?" Compared to building a wheel set consisting of Hadley's
and Sun Mag30 Rims with steel spokes, you will pay more for the Spinergy set.
But if you're looking for a light weight, strong, custom looking (spokes
come in many colors to match your bike) wheel set, Spinergy Fall Line Wheels
are the way to go.
We understand why these rims cost a
pretty penny, but light weight combined with strength comes at a premium
price. In addition, this wheel set is a fairly new product with new
technology (PBO Fiber Spokes) on the market providing the rider with an
array of colors to choose from to create that one of a kind look on your
bike.
Regardless of these statements and or
opinions above, the Spinergy Fall Line Wheel Set did the job they were
designed for and that is the bottom line!
If you have any questions and/or
comments about this review, just
drop us and e-mail.
|
