Eurobike 2017: Stans NoTubes New Podium SRD Wheels

As a longtime innovator of tubeless technology and lightweight alloy wheels, Stans NoTubes wasn’t particularly quick to jump on the carbon fibre rim bandwagon. Instead, Stans took plenty of time to develop and test its first carbon fibre wheels, debuting the original Valor wheelset in 2013, and then a beefier and wider version in 2015 called the Bravo. Since the release of those wheels, we’ve tested and reviewed both the Valor and Bravo carbon wheelsets (you can read those reviews here), and have been very impressed with both the durability and ride quality of each.

Launching at Eurobike is Stans latest carbon fibre wheelset called the Podium SRD, which essentially replaces the Valor wheelset as Stans flagship XC race hoop. And boy are they light…

Exotic lightweight carbon wheels from Stans NoTubes.

Standing for ‘Stans Racing Development’, the SRD tag is a new line of high performance products from Stans, and the Podium SRD is the first wheel to be titled as such. Superseding the Valor wheelset, the Podium SRD is a hyperlight 29in XC race wheelset that’s claimed to weigh only 1287 grams, making this the lightest wheelset that Stans has ever produced.

Despite the low weight, the Podium SRD is actually wider than the current Valor rim, featuring a 23mm internal rim width that’ll take tyres up to 2.25in wide. It’s also shallower too, and a revised rim profile along with a thinner carbon layup (3-ply instead of 4-ply), means it offers more vertical deflection. Compared to the Valor’s 7mm of vertical deflection under impact, the Podium SRD will deflect 10mm, resulting in a smoother and more comfortable ride quality, while also reducing the chance of pinch flatting.

The Podium SRD uses a new carbon fibre rim that has been in development for the last two years.

The 23mm internal rim width is the same as the latest Crest MK3 alloy rim, while a shallower depth increases the rim’s ability to deflect vertically under impacts.

The Podium SRD wheels are built around Stans own Neo Ultimate hubs, along with Sapim Laser double butted J-bend spokes.

The rims of course come taped with Stans own yellow tubeless tape, and along with the BST rim profile, are designed to offer quick and easy tubeless setup.

For wide-rim lovers, Stans has new MK3 alloy hoops on offer.

Also new at Eurobike was the introduction of three new MK3 wheels to join the Crest, Arch and Flow wheels. Offering wider rim profiles to suit tyres up to 3.5in wide, the new Sentry (32mm internal), Baron (35mm internal) and Major (38mm internal) MK3 wheels are based on the cheaper S1 versions that were launched at last year’s Eurobike show, but are upgraded with a lighter 6069 alloy construction along with shallower profiles that help to lower weight.

All the MK3 wheels are available in 26in, 27.5in and 29in diameters, and come built onto Stans own Neo hubs with 32 stainless steel Sapim J-bend spokes per wheel, and a 6-pawl mechanism for quick pickup. Freehubs can be had in Shimano or SRAM XD variants, and there’s a variety of different axle types available to fit nearly anything (except Super Boost Plus…)

The MK3 Sentry wheels have a 32mm internal rim width and are ideal for 2.5-3.0in tyres. These are for your enduro racers and plus-tyre trail bikes.

The Baron increases rim width to 35mm, making this the pick for 2.8-3.0in wide plus tyres.

And for those who want maximum girth for low-pressure tubeless tyre support, there’s the Major MK3 wheels that have a 38mm internal rim width.

Oh and Stans handy cheat sheet for its new wheels and recommended tyre widths.

Chipps Chippendale

Singletrackworld's Editor At Large

With 23 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)