Ask the experts

[VTskibum]

^^^ For kids that light and racing, I would consider a Stan's Crest. Reasonable cost, quite lightweight, easy to find new and used. For what it's worth when I was racing XC often ran Crests and as long as you're smooth and not hitting drops was a great race wheelset.

[jamal]

the trek kovee wheels are really light. the pro level is like 1350g for $1500 retail (rsl are 1200g but a lot more). trek does a nica discount if she's in that but I'm not sure if/how it work for parts.

[climberevan]

Various Chinese wheels can be in the 1300g range for around $1000, including shipping. Farsports, BTLOS, Light Bicycle, and others have great reps.

I also bet you can find some older, narrower than is now trendy, XC wheels for a song. She doesn't need wide tires, so a 23mm wide rim would be fine.

[J. Barron DeJong]

Mostly just if it seemed like a good bike for the what I was thinking about using it for. I pedaled one around town today and my impression was it pedaled great and is a fine climber. Didn’t get to take it on anything too crazy but it was super fun on a couple little downhills. I also demoed one back in 2020 and totally wrecked myself when I ran out of suspension in the back. I’d like to use this on some big rougher downhills and my main question was does it feel under gunned in things like that? This one seems like a burlier bike then the last one I tried a few years ago. I’m sure my son will be rough on it too - is your impression that these can take a little abuse?


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I’ve taken mine to the bike park a couple days and it’s been fun there, but the lack of suspension does become an issue on the chunkier trails. You can’t bomb through a rock garden like you could on a longer travel bike.

For my normal trail riding I don’t have any complaints with the travel, and I appreciate the relatively slack geometry.

Regarding abuse, I haven’t had any issues other than a couple worn pivot bearings. The frame seems to be on the burlier side for a trail bike; not super lightweight.

[Eluder]

I like WR1 and would consider a frame but it's not considered because of Super Boost

They kinda missed the boat on this frame IMO. Super boost and shitty seat post insertion.

[Andeh]

I'm not sure what the term would be, maybe buyer's gratification(?), but that PB Arrival 170 review made me really glad I got a Nomad 6. I've been thrilled with it, but was always curious if the Arrival might have been better. Sounds like the answer was no.

[Roxtar]

My daughter is 85#'s. Need / want to lighten her bike after feeling guilty about everyone around her in races having lighter bikes. I started by putting a SID on. Need most bang for the dollar on XC wheelset. Obviously at that weight, she is not likely to ever knock them off true. I have a hook up on specialized, but they are out of stock and pretty pricey even with the hook up. I am open to ideas. Hunt has a relatively economical XC aluminum wheelset, but would love to go carbon just for weight weenie reasons. Boost / micro spline. Any recommendations?

RaceFace has black friday pricing on their NextR 31 carbon wheels <$1K Boost Micro

[skaredshtles]

I'm not sure what the term would be, maybe buyer's gratification(?), but that PB Arrival 170 review made me really glad I got a Nomad 6. I've been thrilled with it, but was always curious if the Arrival might have been better. Sounds like the answer was no.

Those frames look a lot like GG frames... I wonder if Revved made those for WAO?

[smmokan]

That would be odd, since WAO makes carbon rims for a few other wheel companies.

[snowaddict91]

Almost positive the WAO frame is made in BC, though I could be wrong.

[Tailwind]

I want an Arrival pretty badly and reading the review kinda confirmed how I was feeling. “A big bike that climbs well and handles natural trails”. Nomad does sound great though as well.

I don’t get the superboost hate… the Arrival is a North American made bike that’s $2000-3000 cheaper than Asian made carbon bikes. Superboost rides great and if we’re honest who knows what “standards” will be in place in 4 years (my normal lifecycle for a bike”.

I'm not sure what the term would be, maybe buyer's gratification(?), but that PB Arrival 170 review made me really glad I got a Nomad 6. I've been thrilled with it, but was always curious if the Arrival might have been better. Sounds like the answer was no.

[Tailwind]

We are one makes them in house in Kamloops. Word is they’re working on some carbon cranks next.

Those frames look a lot like GG frames... I wonder if Revved made those for WAO?

[Andeh]

I want an Arrival pretty badly and reading the review kinda confirmed how I was feeling. “A big bike that climbs well and handles natural trails”. Nomad does sound great though as well.

I don’t get the superboost hate… the Arrival is a North American made bike that’s $2000-3000 cheaper than Asian made carbon bikes. Superboost rides great and if we’re honest who knows what “standards” will be in place in 4 years (my normal lifecycle for a bike”.

My affirmation of the choice of the Nomad comes more from his description of how the Arrival is more of a purebred race bike that wants precise handling, whereas the Nomad you can kind of just chuck it into any old line and it'll sort itself out. More of a commentary on my riding style/technique/skill than criticism of the Arrival.

That said... SuperBoost was a major turnoff for me because it requires either a new wheelset, or at the very least a new rear hub. And it prevents exchanging wheels between other bikes which have the normal 12x148 standard. I do actually do that (pull my tough Reserve AL wheels with DH tires off my ebike to put on my Nomad for the bike park). Their rationale of optimizing chainline is overstated I think... you can set up a standard boost chainline to be smooth and quiet just fine, even in the big cog. To be fair, I wouldn't buy a Pivot, Evil, or Knolly either for the same reason (among others). Conversely, Neko designed his DH bike to use a 12x148 hub because the benefits of 157 were minor, and it lets him swap wheelsets between bikes easier. Spec Demo is set up like this also.

[toast2266]

That said... SuperBoost was a major turnoff for me because it requires either a new wheelset, or at the very least a new rear hub. And it prevents exchanging wheels between other bikes which have the normal 12x148 standard. I do actually do that (pull my tough Reserve AL wheels with DH tires off my ebike to put on my Nomad for the bike park). Their rationale of optimizing chainline is overstated I think... you can set up a standard boost chainline to be smooth and quiet just fine, even in the big cog. To be fair, I wouldn't buy a Pivot, Evil, or Knolly either for the same reason (among others). Conversely, Neko designed his DH bike to use a 12x148 hub because the benefits of 157 were minor, and it lets him swap wheelsets between bikes easier. Spec Demo is set up like this also.

All of that, plus I just have a general principled opposition to major standard changes for nominal gains.

Like, when sram wants to change the spindle diameter of their cranks, I don't really give a shit; the standard is specific to that part and doesn't really affect me. But when a frame manufacturer decides to put some weird new size wheel on the bike, I'm gonna resist unless there's a very clear, dramatic gain to be had. And superboost does not offer clear, dramatic gains.

Also in the same category as superboost: headtubes designed around weird steerer tube diameters; frames designed around non-standard shock sizes (relatively rare these days); frames designed around integrated seatposts.

[Abies]

I’m stupid. How hard would it be to just add some spacers to a 148 wheel and re-dish it to fit a super boost frame. I say as someone considering a sale Knolly.


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[toast2266]

I’m stupid. How hard would it be to just add some spacers to a 148 wheel and re-dish it to fit a super boost frame. I say as someone considering a sale Knolly.


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Adaptor kits exist. You have to space out the axle as well as the rotor, and then re-dish the wheel.

[beaterdit]

And then you lose most of the claimed “benefit” of Super Boost.

Had it on my Firebird29. Not to say there isn’t any but I didn’t notice any benefit. Nice bike but glad it’s gone and all my bikes can run the same wheels now.

[Abies]

Sure you lose the benefit but you also don’t get the benefit of super boost from a boost frame

I do get it if you share wheels between bikes but I’m a one mountain bike guy. These things are expensive.

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[LeeLau]

Sure you lose the benefit but you also don’t get the benefit of super boost from a boost frame

I do get it if you share wheels between bikes but I’m a one mountain bike guy. These things are expensive.

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What everyone else said about Superboost. I have 3 mtbs. So does my wife. All 3 have Boost.

I doubt Boost will change. I'd bet Superboost will disappear and those with it will be orphaned. Like Toast I won't consider a SBoost frame

[VTskibum]

^^ took me long enough to transition from 142 to 148, I don’t have any interest in doing it again for no benefit. I’m still getting downvotes on my PB trolling


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[Tailwind]

I think it’s about how you use your bikes.

I do currently have a superboost bike with a We Are One wheelset. I also have a few boost bikes. I don’t really have any need to swap the wheels over. I’ll swap tires based on what I’m riding (sometimes) but if the wheelset needs to be repaired I’d just ride a different bike (this has happened once).

When I want a new bike, I’ll either buy a superboost bike and swap the nice wheels, or sell the used bike for a couple extra hundred dollars and buy something else. It’s non-factor. I just buy bikes and ride them.

I don’t hear people complaining about Mullet bikes but this also isn’t compatible with most old bikes. This is as much a new ‘standard’ as superboost. If you have an old nice carbon wheelset from a few years ago it’s either 27.5 or 29. Not mixed.

157 isn’t going anywhere. It’ll be around as long as boost is.

[rideit]

Well, Pivot is ditching it (157) apparently. (At least on the full power ebike).

[SchralphMacchio]

No Superboost on the Shadowcat either

[Roxtar]

I think it’s about how you use your bikes.

I do currently have a superboost bike with a We Are One wheelset. I also have a few boost bikes. I don’t really have any need to swap the wheels over. I’ll swap tires based on what I’m riding (sometimes) but if the wheelset needs to be repaired I’d just ride a different bike (this has happened once).

When I want a new bike, I’ll either buy a superboost bike and swap the nice wheels, or sell the used bike for a couple extra hundred dollars and buy something else. It’s non-factor. I just buy bikes and ride them.

I don’t hear people complaining about Mullet bikes but this also isn’t compatible with most old bikes. This is as much a new ‘standard’ as superboost. If you have an old nice carbon wheelset from a few years ago it’s either 27.5 or 29. Not mixed.

157 isn’t going anywhere. It’ll be around as long as boost is.

I agree. I buy a bike based on the bike. I buy it with the wheels I want and then ride it that way.
Don't most people? How many people actually swap wheels between bikes? I'd guess very few.
It'd be one thing if SB wheels weren't available from everyone but they are.
These comments are like saying I won't buy a bike with a 31.9 seatpost.

As for the "claimed" improvement, there's nothing "claimed" about it. It's simple geometry. A wider triangle makes a laterally stronger wheel. That's why hubs have been getting wider since 130mm was the standard.
I love SB because it IS a stronger design. I hope it stays but if it doesn't, that's OK. I'll buy my next bike based on the bike. My wheels will match whatever standard it calls for.

[VTskibum]

We all get the simple geometry part, but I've never heard anyone say it's a perceptible difference. Absolutely with Toast that new standards just for new theoretical improvement is a turn-off.

I don't swap wheels too often, but between my 2 mountain bikes have definitely swapped wheels around. Last year did a long ride w/a fast group but on rocky trails I didn't want to ride my HT on. Pulled my XC tired wheels off my hardtail and put it on my trail bike for that ride. Also swap between 27.5+ Plus, 29 XC, and 29x2.6 equipped wheelsets on Hardtail sometimes depending on season. Quick enough to change for a particular ride or season is a benefit to me.