I take pride in the fact that I can destroy bike parts and I am a little disappointed that these rims are still alive. After riding cross country and 1000 kilometers through Northern Thailand and Laos I put it in my mind that I would destroy them by riding with them on my freeride bike.
All details inside,
The Rims:
The
Spank Ind. Vomax rims are made from Dynamal Alloy, which is used in airplanes and space ships. The rims are 32 hole, 26" presta and disc specific. They are available in black, white and silver.
A single rim weighs in at 335 grams, which is only 5 grams heavier than the listed weight of the DT Swiss XRC 300 Carbon Fibre rim.
To increase strength the rims are flash welded, combined with post weld cold work and artificial aging to make for a stronger welded rim.
The Test:
This being a cross country rim I started testing it by riding the local cross country loop. I was surprised by how stiff it felt. I was expected the wheel to flex while riding downhill or in corners, but it felt solid. I decided that it was time to push it a little bit more and started riding more all mountain style trails and was disappointed when I was unable to do any damage to the rim.
I then took them with me to Thailand and Laos. Riding an estimated 1000 kilometers over broken pavement and dirt mountain roads. 25 kilometer downhills over broken pavement and through pot holes the size of small cars day after day had no affect on the strength of these rims. I was disappointed again and decided that it was time to really test them.
When I got back to Taiwan, I put the wheels on my Banshee Wildcard. I would not classify it as a cross country bike. The first thing I noticed was the weight difference. All of my wheels are built with the same hubs and the rim weight difference was noticeable. I started out slowly by riding down our pump track line at a reasonable speed. After they did not fail I decided it was time to jump them. To my surprise and disappointment even jumping was not enough to cause failure.
I then decided I would spin a couple of 360's to see if they would survive a couple of bad landings. On several attempts I under spun and landed sideways, but again the wheels are still rolling straight.
I am sure that if I really put my mind to it I could destroy these wheels. A couple stair gaps, drops to flat or landing on a sharp edge would most likely cause some problems. But then I have to remember that these are 23 millimeter cross country rims that only weigh 335 grams.
Conclusion:
Light and strong are the two words I would use to describe these rims. They were a lot stronger than I expected. And Spank will probably advise against it, but I could imagine racing 4X on wheels built with these rims. I am going to continue riding with them on my freeride bike. I think they will eventually taco, but I thought that when there were on my cross country bike and at $90 USD per rim, they are priced among other rims in this class.
The only problems I have experienced with these rims are paint flaking around the nipple holes. I also broke a couple of poor quality tire levers getting the tire on and off the rim. In most cases I can roll a tire on and off with my hands. A quality tire lever or super man hands will solve this problem.
Keep Riding.
Rob Dunnet
