I’ve got some new Spank Oozy 295 Trail 29er wheels, having moved from Hope Enduros. I was hoping they’d be stiff and strong and they seem to be holding up well. The build quality feels very high. Going off small 2-3ft drops and the front feels harsher on landing. Almost as though I need to lower the tyre pressure or fork air pressure. Is this how stiffer wheels feel?

Could be, or could be that the wider rim is making for a bit more tyre volume which feels harsher at the same pressure

Ah yes, the different tyre profile definitely feels like the tyres are harder at the same pressure. More testing to be done!

Like they are on viagra…

Trailrider Jim – Member
Ah yes, the different tyre profile definitely feels like the tyres are harder at the same pressure. More testing to be done!

I’m impressed that you notice – I know I’m totally oblivious to these things when landing a drop, it’s normally a case of “SHITWHERE’STHECORNERMINDTHETREEOKSTILALIVEGOGOGOGO” and things like fine differences in stiffness just don’t register

ive got the same wheelset, they don’t feel any harsher than other wheels ive tried … but if anything I would have thought there was more flex in these than if the hope enduros you have had previously which are surely a more burly wheelset?

they do seem pretty bombproof and have only needed to replace the bearings in the front wheel after approx 1000miles on them

I know they’re only 28H compared to the Hope’s 32H but the spokes are triple- as opposed to double-butted and the rim is a lot stiffer. So lighter and – I think – stronger than the Hopes. I can tell they’re stiffer even from just waggling the wheel as if you are checking for bearing play.

Wouldn’t triple-butted man thinner in three places as opposed to thinner in two places? So less stiff as opposed to more?

Or is the “butt” the thicker bit? (May have answered my own question there)

They should retain stiffness whilst shaving some weight off with the third thickness reduction.

the amount of vertical flex in a wheel (maybe a mill or two) compared to that in a fork (guessing 140mm), tyre (30-40mm), bars (10mm?) grips (couple of mill) and ground (10mm?) looks to be around 1%. It is not what you’re feeling.

I have done some drops up to about 12 – 14ft on my aluminium rims on a hardtail and carbon rims on a full suspension. I cant say either wheel felt any different and is probably the last thing I would expect to feel over the suspension. Couldn’t even feel anything on the back end of the hardtail and that’s chameleon with a very stiff rear end.
I do notice if the tyres are a bit low but that’s more taking off on jumps rather than landing. I tend to get a bit of squirm which isn’t nice just before taking off something big.

Surely the rim doesn’t deflect at all until there’s a rim strike with the tyre fully compressed (probably over a sharp-ish point load, rather than a well spread out load)

e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_OTbgvBgQc – you can see the wheel doesn’t deflect at all until the tyre is fully compressed.

I can tell they’re stiffer even from just waggling the wheel as if you are checking for bearing play.

Spokes on the old wheels a bit loose?