As well as the Pike SRAM has been beavering away on a new range of wheel to complement their existing XC orientated Rise wheels. Enter the Roam and Rail. We got the chance to ride the Roam 50 out in Sedona, here’s our initial thoughts:
The wheels are centred around a SRAM designed hub which utilises DT Swiss internals which should make for a reliable and easily serviced hub. The hub has been engineered with differing depth spoke holes which when married to the asymmetric rims mean only one length spoke is needed throughout the wheelset. Why hasn’t anyone thought of that one before? Those rims are also wider than the norm enabling better tire shape when seated to help with grip and traction when out riding.
Interestingly SRAM has abandoned the carbon for lightness mantra, instead tuning the Roam 60’s carbon rim to extend the wheel’s usage into All Mountain and Enduro usage while still being a not too shabby 1495g in 26″ (1625g in 29″).
And here’s the official word from SRAM:
THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF BALANCE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hl7Wl_9Jw8
You don’t win by being the lightest. Or the stiffest. Or the toughest. You win by being the fastest. And that takes a wheel designed specifically for the modern mountain biker. At SRAM, we start with the demands of the terrain and work forward from there—carefully balancing each wheel’s design around five key attributes: weight, inertia, engagement, stiffness and durability. No matter where you ride, SRAM wheels will take you further. Rise higher. Roam farther. Rail harder.
ROAM 60
The Extra Mile. And Beyond.
It’s the only wheel you need. By layering extra material onto stress points, ROAM 60’s CARBON TUNED rim design makes it light enough for long climbs yet strong enough for the toughest Enduro races. UST compatible, its WIDE ANGLE 21 millimeter-wide rims give you greater stability around corners while its lightness and low inertia make for a more explosive ride. If you love to ride, this is your wheel.
- Intended Use: XC/TR/AM
- Available in all 3 wheel sizes: 26”, 27.5” and 29”
- CARBON TUNED unidirectional and woven carbon fiber, asymmetrical rim profile
- WIDE ANGLE profile: 21mm inside, 29mm outside rim width
- UST compatible
- Available with 11-speed XD driver body for SRAM XX1 or 9/10-speed driver body
- Aluminum nipples with nylon lock ring
- SOLO SPOKE design with double butted, stiff stainless steel spokes
- Durable hub internals with STAR RATCHET 36T system
- SIDE SWAP easy conversion to all axle types
Technologies
- SOLO SPOKE
- WIDE ANGLE
- SIDE SWAP
- CARBON TUNED
- STAR RATCHET
- UST
Weight
- 26” - 1495g
- 27.5” - 1550g
- 29” - 1625g
Wheel pair in lightest configuration
Price: £1,699.98 a pair
Available: July
ROAM 50
Trail Blazer
It’s everything the modern mountain biker could ask for. One of the lightest alloy trail wheels in the market, ROAM 50 delivers a smart balance of weight, inertia and stiffness—making for a very responsive and predictable wheel. Thanks to our WIDE ANGLE 21 millimeter-wide rim, its tire profile delivers superior traction.
- Intended Use: XC/TR
- Available in all 3 wheel sizes: 26”, 27.5” and 29”
- Lightweight aluminum rim with asymmetrical profile
- WIDE ANGLE profile: 21mm inside, 25mm outside rim width
- UST compatible
- Available with 11-speed XD driver body for SRAM XX1 or 9/10-speed driver body
- Aluminum nipples with nylon lock ring
- SOLO SPOKE design with double butted, lightweight steel spokes
- Durable hub internals with STAR RATCHET system
Technologies
- SOLO SPOKE
- WIDE ANGLE
- SIDE SWAP
- TAPER CORE
- STAR RATCHET
- UST
Weight
- 26” 1475g
- 27.5” - 1530g
- 29” - 1611g
Wheel pair in lightest configuration
Price: £839.98 a pair
Available: July
RAIL 50
Aggressive Behavior
An alloy rim that does what other alloy rims can’t. With WIDE ANGLE rim design providing superior stability, RAIL 50 can withstand the most aggressive All-Mountain/Enduro riding while setting a new benchmark for lightweight in the category. Featuring the perfect balance of strength, stiffness and width for All-Mountain/Enduro terrain, RAIL 50 delivers best-in-class ride quality all the way down.
- Intended Use: AM
- Available in 2 wheel sizes: 26” and 27.5”
- Lightweight aluminum rim with asymmetrical profile
- WIDE ANGLE profile: 23c, 28mm outside rim width
- UST compatible
- Available with 11-speed XD driver body for SRAM XX1 or 9/10-speed driver body
- Aluminum nipples with nylon lock ring
- SOLO SPOKE design with double butted, stiff steel spokes
- Durable hub internals with Star Ratchet system
- SIDE SWAP easy conversion to all axle types
Technologies
- SOLO SPOKE
- WIDE ANGLE
- SIDE SWAP
- TAPER CORE
- STAR RATCHET
- UST
Weight
- 26” - 1690g
- 27.5” - 1750g
Wheel pair in lightest configuration
Price: £839.98 a pair
Available: July
WHEELS TECHNOLOGY
TAPER CORE
Strong in the right places. The sidewalls of SRAM rims are reinforced along the wings to withstand major impact. But the sidewalls then taper in along the center—reducing overall mass. The result is a very light rim with excellent dent resistance.
SOLO SPOKE
With SOLO spoke, you’re never wrong. SRAM wheel design eliminates the need for different spoke lengths—one size fits the entire wheel. This identical-length design means no longer wondering whether you have the right front/rear/drive-side/nondrive-side spoke handy.
FRONT + REAR + DRIVE-SIDE + NONDRIVE-SIDE = 1 SPOKE
CARBON TUNED
Strong like bull, light like carbon. Every Carbon Tuned rim is designed with a distinct style of riding in mind. By selectively layering woven carbon fiber at high-stress points and using unidirectional fiber throughout, SRAM creates rims that yield a remarkable level of strength and durability—while remaining lightweight and responsive.
WIDE ANGLE
Take corners as fast as you want. SRAM wheels have a wider rim profile without significant added mass. This profile holds tire shape better, preventing tire roll and giving you superior comfort and traction around corners.
19MM XC RACING
21MM TRAIL
23MM ALL MOUNTAIN
STAR RATCHET
This patented freewheel system uses precision ratchets with extremely high load capacity and reliability. Thanks to its no-tools-required design, routine maintenance is easy.
SIDE SWAP
Switching axles has never been easier. Threadless side caps can be installed and replaced by hand—no tools necessary.
XD™ DRIVER BODY
XD is a new driver body design that allows the use of the SRAM XX1 10-42 cassette and provides an improved interface.
UST TUBELESS
No tube, no-brainer. UST Tubeless rims feature hooked edges designed to seal with UST compatible tires. The result is improved traction and control, less inertia and fewer flats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFew5vU_jbk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W10Zir-jG7E
Comments (8)
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Is it just me, or is £800 for a set of wheels just nuts?
Wheelsets of £500+ seem to be becoming more the rule rather than the exception. When did that happen?
or you could buy several sets of hope hoops.
£800?? £1700?!? **’:.:@{}£”!!!
So the £1700 16″ wheelset is 15g HEAVIER than the £800 one? Offt!
Sorry, 26″ wheelset….
Solo Spoke is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
Offset rims are a good idea that Ritchey and Bontrager did years ago and not one we should pay through the nose for now.
As bigrich said you can buy a couple of sets of equally light wheels for different purposes rather than one expensive general purpose set.
PRICEY!!
I picked up a pair of Bontrager wheels from the LBS only last year that have offset rims, so it’s obviously nothing new. Certainly not the cost of a nice hardtail new anyway!