Review: 6 Months on the New Race Face Era Carbon Wheels

Mar 28, 2024
by Matt Beer  
Race Face Era wheels

Carbon wheels, as a whole, went through a phase of being overly stiff, harsh and sometimes even brittle, which sparked the trend of enduro racers resorting to alloy hoops. Race Face aims to reverse those doubts of compliance and durability with their latest carbon wheelset, the Era.

The Eras are available in a full 29" or 29/27.5" combo and are laced up to the well-established Race Face Vault hubs featuring 28 straight pull spokes across the board. To attain the desired flex and durability requirements Race Face demanded from an enduro wheelset, the front and rear rims are unique in profile and thickness.
Race Face Era Details

• Wheel size: 27.5, 29" or MX
• Intended use: trail/enduro
• Rim material: carbon fiber
• Specific front and rear rim profiles
• Rim dimension: 30mm (internal)
• 28 straight-pull spokes per wheel
• Hubs: Race Face Vault 148 Boost & 157 SuperBoost w/XD or MS freehub (HG avail.)
• Weight: 1750g grams - 29er (1759g actual w/o valves)
• MSRP: $1599 USD / $2150 CAD
• More info: raceface.com

With a price tag of $1,599 USD / $2,150 CAD, the Eras aren’t a budget product, however, they do land lower in the ballpark compared to other premium carbon wheelsets on the market and rank high in weight savings at 1750g (29”). Like the crankset that shares the model name, the Era wheels also come with a “no-questions-asked” lifetime warranty.

Race Face Era wheels
Race Face Era wheels
The front rim is 4mm shallower in profile height to increase vertical and lateral compliance compared to the rear rim, which is 22.6mm in overall height.

DESIGN

Designed from the ground up over a lengthy and rigorous test phase, the Era’s carbon rims were built to balance durability and compliance, both in the vertical and lateral planes, That meant designing a front and rear specific rim profile.

The front measures 18.6mm tall externally while the rear is marginally deeper at 22.6mm. A shallower front rim cross-section is said to provide even more compliance. Internally, they both feature the commonly found 30mm width to produce evenly formed tire profiles from popular brands when using 2.4 or 2.5” width treads.

Race Face rolled with 28 straight-pull, double-butted (2.0/1.6/2.0mm) spokes on the front and rear wheels, likely adding to the compliance while reducing weight over a higher spoke count. Each asymmetric rim profile uses an offset nipple bed.

At the center, the huge Vault hub shell boasts tall flanges for claimed increased torsional stiffness and a wide bearing placement, nearly 10mm wider than DT’s 240 EXP hub. At this time, only 6-bolt rotor mounted Vault hubs are available for the Era wheels, but a Centerlock option is coming late 2024.

Typically, you’ll find the pawl clutch system located on the freehub and the drive ring on the hub shell, but the Vault reverses that orientation. A labyrinth seal guards the 60-tooth drive ring and 6 pawls, each with two teeth, making for a speedy engagement of 3-degrees.

Freehub bodies are available in each standard; the XD driver for SRAM Eagle cassettes, plus the Shimano Micro Spline for their 12-speed drivetrains. Shimano HG freehub bodies are available aftermarket.


photo
The huge Vault hub shell has a wider bearing placement over the DT Swiss 240 EXP and Industry Nine Hydra.

photo
DT Swiss 240 EXP
photo
Industry Nine Hydra

PRICE AND WEIGHT

Carbon wheels are a premium product, reflected by a higher price tag than aluminum hoops, but generally bring weight savings too. The Era's cost $1,599 USD / $2,150 CAD for either wheel size or freehub body. That's nearly twice the price of the Turbine wheelset, Race Face’s aluminum trail and enduro option, but $200 less than the full retail price of Reserve's 30HD carbon wheelsets. Against the We Are One Convergence ($1580 USD / $1750CAD), the Era are on nearly equal state-side but are much more expensive in Canada.

As for the weight, the 29" Era wheelset comes in at 1750g. That sheds 100g from the Turbine's weight and more than 100g off of the Convergence (1887g) and 30HD (1879g). The full 27.5" wheelset totals 1692g, and the MX set lands at 1736g. On their own, the front and rear 29" rims check in at 470 and 505g, while the 27.5" versions are 450 and 480g (claimed).

Next to shedding grams off of your bike, carbon rims’ most notable benefit may be how the material holds its shape. I mean in terms of denting. Yes, they can break, but so can aluminum hoops.

Race Face may have made that security upsell to carbon less incentivizing because that their lifetime warranty now applies to the alloy Turbine wheelset too. Still, if you can pony up the extra cash out of the gate, the carbon Era rims act as insurance against those deflating rim dents.

Race Face Era wheels
The rear wheel has held up to abuse from all angles.
Race Face Era wheels
Bulbus maximus.

PERFORMANCE

Race Face boasts that the Era wheels strike a desirable balance of lateral compliance and impact resistance along with the lowest weight that they could achieve in a carbon wheelset. I put these through the wringer for nearly 6-months and have been impressed with their overall ride quality and durability. If you’ve stepped away from carbon wheels because they’ve been brittle or unbearably harsh to ride, it may be time to take a spin on the Eras.

Primarily, they’re aimed at anything you’ll find on epic trail rides or on an enduro race course. They’re comfortable when bolted to short travel trail bikes and resilient enough even under SL E-bikes.

Feedback and tracking might be another way to think about vertical and lateral compliance. The Eras bring a positive element to both. During the test, the wheels took hard impacts and were thrown into corners when clad with 1,000-1,300g tires and shook those forces off with ease. I wouldn’t deem them harsh or lacking in the ability to track through chattery bits of trail well, but there is a unique “spring” to them when pushed hard through berms.

Race Face Era wheels
Still looking brand new all around.
Race Face Era wheels
The labyrinth seal has been keeping the water and dust at bay.

DURABILITY

A large helping hand on the durability front would be the thick Anvil Edge rim bead wall. This is said to make the Eras the most durable Race Face rim yet. I’ll stand by that claim as these wheels took a serious licking over the long test period, including a double-flat produced by a rogue rock sitting in the landing of a sizable gap jump.

Rim tape isn’t an overly exciting specification to talk about, but poor materials here can ruin your day before you even start riding. The translucent brown rim tape that Race Face chose looks brand new, even after multiple tire changes, and has remained air tight.

Other areas of the wheels held up impeccably, as one would hope for a carbon component of this level. The spokes held tension well, rarely needing anything more than a quick confirmation in the truing stand. In the center, the hub internals remain clean (as pictured) and quiet - no pops or bangs from the freehub were ever emitted.

Race Face Era wheels
Race Face Era
photo
We Are One Convergence

HOW DO THEY COMPARE?

When deciding between all of the carbon wheels on the market now, it’s hard to go wrong honestly. There’s a vast range of weight classes, flex characteristics and value to choose from. The Eras do stand out when searching for that ideal trifecta in the aggressive trail and enduro bike carbon wheel category.

Without a doubt, the Zipper 3Zero Moto wheels have to be the most flexible carbon wheels I’ve tried to date. While they’re suitable under my 78kg mass aboard a short travel trail bike for slower trails where you want them to track through the chunder, they can be a little unnerving when diving into high speed berms. The Eras don’t wander aimlessly through those G-force turns like that at all, however, they do spring back with more force than the We Are One Convergence wheels, for instance.

Against the Reserve HD30, another premium carbon wheelset I’ve spent a fair amount of time on, the Eras track across cambers and rough trails much more comfortably and with less feedback.



Pros

+ Springy feel make for a comfortable, yet responsive ride
+ High value (for a carbon wheelset) with no-questions-asked warranty
+ Impressive durability for the weight

Cons

- The price is in line with the competition, but they're still not a budget-friendly option.





Pinkbike's Take

bigquotesIt's fair to say that Race Face have done their homework building a dependable carbon wheelset that played well with three unique styles of bikes; light-duty trail, enduro and an SL E-bike. All in all, if you're after a carbon wheelset that is resilient, yet won't rattle you to death, the Era's a serious contender.

Matt Beer







Author Info:
mattbeer avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2001
360 articles

124 Comments
  • 74 6
 That Vault hub is severely underrated! I've run mine in the PNW for 2 winters and the bearings are still just as smooth as new. If you live somewhere wet, the sealing on those hubs is exceptional and the bearings are nice and big, I haven't had to replace any across the multiple sets I've owned. Decent engagement, though if you go with J-bend spokes they tend to creak in the hub shell in dry conditions.
  • 18 0
 I recently had to replace the pawls, but it’s so easy to do. Definitely my favorite hub. Great sound, great engagement, and it looks like the old Chubb hubs.
  • 5 0
 Glad to hear that- I had nothing but problems with the Trace hub on my AR30 wheels, it kept eating bearings.
  • 9 0
 Except for the drive side bearing which falls out of the shell after a season requiring a new hub. Seen more than a few of these.
  • 6 0
 I had the opposite experience. My vault hub imploded after about one season of use. Shipped it off to warranty and they immediately replaced it though.
  • 5 1
 I would not call 6902 bearings ''big'' for a rear hub... Hope uses 6903 and I still need to change them every year (they are still good but not smooth).
  • 4 2
 @dreamlink87: I wanted a Chubb hub on my fixed gear so bad in about 2008 Big Grin
  • 5 1
 @trellis-opportunity-red: same! I keep an eye out on eBay just so maybe one day I can build a sweet fixed gear around it. Aero trispoke carbon front wheel, super drops with cloth wrap right at the ends, a completely inappropriate lugged steel frame from the 80s- it’s the dream.
  • 3 0
 Same experience with the Vault hub as well, in fact, have a couple RF wheelsets that have them. Only had to replace 1 rear hub bearing due to water exposure. Outside of that, been solid hubs for me.
  • 5 2
 @CaSentLeTabarnakMonHomme: 6902 and 6903 use pretty close to the same size balls, not going to be a huge difference in longevity. More important would be alignment of the bearings in the hub shell and along the axle, the actual quality/precision of the bearings, and the sealing/lubrication.
  • 4 2
 meh, I cracked two vault hubs at the axle. Not a fan, and raceface has the slowest warranty now that they're under Fox
  • 2 0
 The straight pull ones creak in the hub shell as well. A tiny dab of tri-flo on each spoke and they're good to go for another season.
  • 2 0
 I have had two of these hubs and they have been awesome! I did a pawl replacement on one and it was easy as the pie.
  • 2 0
 I've had two of these hubs for the last 3 years and love them, the look and sound (so much I bought a second). They did make creaking/pinging noises for a while (a known issue from the straight-pull spokes), but seem to have settled down now with no unwanted creaks for nearly 2 years.
  • 1 0
 the word UNDERRATED is seriously OVERRATED. Just because you don't see someone else running it, it doesn't mean particular thing is underrated
  • 44 8
 Round straight pull spokes should not be allowed
  • 33 1
 You don't want to be holding bladed spokes with your fingers for an entire wheel build any more than you want to try to hold round spokes. There are tools for holding straight-pull spokes, and we humans can use them though the magic of opposable thumbs and a large pre-frontal-cortex.
  • 9 0
 park tool spoke pliers!
  • 2 0
 If you are adjusting tension they don't really twist. If you are replacing a spoke, the spokes have a square flat section up by the threads, and the nipples are double square so you can true from the outside while holding the spoke on the flats.
  • 2 5
 Bladed are more of a pain trying to keep them lined up correctly.
  • 4 0
 @justinfoil:
Doesn't help much on the trail though when you break a spoke and need to re tension the adjacent spokes to get the wheel straight enough to be able to ride home.
Happened to me multiple time with race face turbine r (same hub and spoke setup) and it's a serious pain in the ass.
  • 2 10
flag TannerValhouli (Mar 28, 2024 at 11:29) (Below Threshold)
 www.backcountry.com/b/park-tool-clamping-spoke-holder?CMP_SKU=PARE03O&MER=0406&skid=PARE03O-BLU-ONESIZ&mr:device=m&mr:adType=plaonline&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla&utm_campaign=213416677__p:G%7Cs:BC%7Cct:Shopping%7Cct2Mad x%7CgMad x%7Cc1:Bike%7Cc2:Accessories%7CbMad x%7CmtMad x__151290960640__mtMad x%7Cc1:Bike%7Cc2:Accessories%7CsMad x%7Cb:parktool&utm_term=pla-2065508994888__PARE03O-BLU-ONESIZ&utm_content=657327816162__pla&utm_id=go_cmp-213416677_adg-151290960640_ad-657327816162_pla-2065508994888_dev-m_ext-_prd-PARE03O-BLU-ONESIZ_mca-7811_sig-EAIaIQobChMI86qHhcuXhQMVMfLjBx30zATvEAQYAyABEgJcNvD_BwE&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI86qHhcuXhQMVMfLjBx30zATvEAQYAyABEgJcNvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
  • 5 0
 @KennyWatson: I only use 28 spoke wheels with carbon rims. Last time I broke a spoke the rim barely moved. I finished my ride.
  • 25 0
 @justinfoil: "large pre-frontal-cortex".


I am not sure you want to make assumptions like that on PB.....
  • 4 0
 @Henchman21: but you can clearly see when they are twisted. With round you can't.
  • 2 0
 @lightone: exactly. Between the trail side tensioning situation, and the twist evaluation, bladed are the way to go.
  • 5 1
 @frorider2: man, I can say....if you are tensioning wheels trailside, you should honestly pack in the ride. lol
  • 3 0
 @justinfoil: speak for yourself, pal.
  • 27 4
 I can't see any reason to buy these over the WAO convergence or... save even more and get unions.
  • 2 2
 I can't see a reason to get any wheel other than a we are one. They run 20 percent off all the time too.
  • 13 4
 How does the warranty work? Do they send you a new buildt wheel like Santa Cruz, or just the rim?

Also, I like Raceface, but $2150 seems high when you can pick up a set of We Are Ones for $1400 (granted they are on sale right now). Perhaps the Vault hub is superior to the Hydra that comes with the We Are Ones?
  • 1 0
 I too would be curious about the warranty.

How badly do I have to screw up the wheel before I can warranty it? Do I get a whole wheel or just a rim? If just a rim, do I have to pay to get it rebuilt? Details matter with this kind of thing.
  • 29 0
 They send a complete wheel as replacement.
  • 4 4
 It could definitely be argued that the Vaults are better, between the wider bearing spacing, and the sort-of-a-lie of 0.56 degree engagement on the Hydra meaning that the hub is _always_ twisting and thus un-aligning the (very slightly narrower) bearings, shortening their life and marginally affecting drag.
  • 3 0
 @dariodigiulio: I would say that's a very nice benefit and may warrant paying a little extra over some competitors.
  • 8 0
 Idk about the wheels but i just did a warranty on an era set of cranks. Bike went tumbling and rock smashed into the crank denting the heel guard. Hit them up and bang new set of cranks at my door. Grade A warranty service.
  • 8 19
flag Mtbdialed (Mar 28, 2024 at 12:33) (Below Threshold)
 I can confidently say, there's very very low likelihood that a RF hub is superior to an I9 hub....
  • 5 3
 @justinfoil: every hub is always twisting. under all forces....pedalling, braking, turning. It isn't a lie in any possible convoluted contortion of reality to say the hub as half degree engagement. it does. the only thing that happens is the next two pawls engage when you apply force. that's it. and its reliable af....
  • 4 0
 In my experience with the Next R's, they send a complete wheel as a replacement, and yes, it's no questions asked. Amazing customer service. Totally worth it.
  • 8 3
 @Mtbdialed: "the only thing that happens is the next two pawls engage when you apply force. that's it"

"that's it" hahahah

The whole thing has to distort to get those next 2 (two if you're being gentle on flat ground, gonna be more when hammering up a punchy climb) pawls to engage, and distort in a way that misaligns the bearings all around. Distorts in the way that every other hub tries to mitigate with precise machining of freehubs and pawls. Yeah, it's not always perfect, but the potential distortion due to imprecise pawls is going to be way less than a Hydra. And perhaps they designed the hub and axle to handle the flex, but you can't design away the fact that the flex moves things in a way that bearings typically don't appreciate.
  • 4 3
 @justinfoil: Like I said......all hubs flex. some a lot more than the hydra, some less. I would guess the wide body/small flange of the Vault flexes less...but it still flexes. Simply taking advantage of that flex isn't a design flaw!

and I get 2 full years out of bearings in my Hydras. 150 days on the bike per year. less if I ride in exceptionally wet environements, but thats just the seals not some degradation from shell flex.

lastly, I will take whatever small fractional wear increase that the shell flex adds to a hub, in exchange for the engagement. You do you obviously.
  • 3 0
 They send a complete wheel.
I know because they have sent me 3 turbine wheels under warranty. All 3 exploded after less than a week of riding. Hopefully these are better (although I will not be the one to test it)
  • 2 0
 @advocate: same here, they even replaced my 29 with a 27.5 when I asked.
  • 1 3
 @Mtbdialed: Except the 0.5 engagement is kind of a lie, because it's _never_ going to be just one pawl. It's always going to flex in actual riding situations for the average rider, so going to be closer to 1.5-2 degrees, which you can get in other hubs without intentional bearing misalignment.

Yes, all hubs flex, but building in enough flex that it can be relied on to engage the pawls one by one is just simply bad for the rest of the system.
  • 2 0
 @justinfoil: the first pawl doesnt slip. so yes, it's .5! if it slipped, you would explode it. if the other 2 didn't drop in due to flex, it would explode.
  • 1 2
 @Mtbdialed: I did not say anything about the first pawl, or any pawl, slipping. But the first pawl does _not_ determine the actual angle in use, since the hub will _always_ flex under a typical riding load to engage those later pawls. As you said, if they didn't drop in, it would explode, and it takes a half degree more for each other pawl to drop in, allowing a good amount more than just 0.5 degrees of movement between the freehub and the hub shell.
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: it doesn't matter if the hub flexes for the remaining pawls to drop in. the hub IS engaged. just like any other hub with lesser engagement. the flex is a moot point, as every hub flexes, and engagement doesn't play into that at all. Unless you state that all hub engagment figures are a lie due to this.....Onyx being the worst offender as their claim to 0º engagment comes with an ungodly amount of sprag "sponge" and can easily be counted for 5-8º of "flex"
  • 1 0
 @Mtbdialed: The Hydra flex is pretty much the same as the Onyx flex. An Onyx will have less sponge if it doesn't need a lot of power to move the wheel. But when the power demands go up, the sprags have to move more to apply more friction, hence the sponge. Same with Hydra: a little power needed engages ONE pawl. If more power is required, however, it's NOT "engaged" because it will need more pawls, which is provided by the flex. Saying "it IS engaged" when only a fraction of the pawls (that will be eventually engaged to handle the power) are actually engaged is disingenuous at best, a flat-out falsehood at worst, and definitely bullshit.

It doesn't apply to "normal" hubs because they are either engaged or not, independent of the forces.
  • 11 0
 My next R wheels have been great, i expect the same from this era of wheels
  • 1 0
 Same.
  • 3 2
 @onemanarmy: yah but you also work there
  • 2 0
 @way2manyhobbies2keep: I don't work for race face or in the bike industry.
  • 1 0
 @onemanarmy: your lock-n-step feedback on all things fox seem very biased, but on the subject matter the RF wheels have been good!
  • 1 0
 @way2manyhobbies2keep: Never been a RS guy. Been on Marzocchi or Fox for the most part since suspension was a thing. I still have a Jr. T in my garage.

Just like SRAM. Their drive trains are good but I can't stand their brakes. Shimano or TRP is where I go now. Components. I like the RF stuff but I run a lot of Diety. RF saddles suck.

Suppose I'm a Shimano/Fox guy vs a SRAM/RS guy. Plenty of those around.
  • 8 1
 Race Face's customer service is great. Their rear hubs are not. I got a set on my bike OEM and the Trace hub lasted 7 months before there was so much play in it that I couldn't shift properly. Then I got a new one and it lasted 2 months. Raceface upgraded me to vault front and rear which was great. The rear lasted 5 weeks of North shore riding before it started to make so much noise I couldn't ride the bike. Raceface watched the video I sent and sent me another vault rear. So 18 months on riding and 3 hubs destroyed. That's my experience. Great customer service poor product.
  • 4 1
 One person with glowing customer support, but juxtapose that with 10+ years of trash customer support along their whole product line.
  • 1 1
 I sent my Atlas pedals back to them twice because the tolerances are so bad that the bearings wear out within a month or two of dry riding. It's cool that they send me a new pair but I don't even want to put the effort in to send them back again and deal with the warranty. So now they're sitting in a drawer and I've now learned for the 3rd time not to buy race face products with moving parts.
  • 7 0
 So, what do we think the third new Era line product is? We have cranks and wheels, Bars just make sense, thinking maybe Race face Carbon Stem?
  • 5 0
 Probably just a new Handlebar. They already have the tooling and production lines established to make carbon bars.
  • 2 0
 I think it'll be end up being bars, and stem next. Makes sense and it would line up with Turbine, Next, Aeffect, and Atlas stuff.
  • 13 0
 @noodlewitnosteeze: I don’t think we’ll see a stem. The Next and SixC lineups never had a stem.

Also, from an engineering perspective carbon stems are kinda dumb. Massive cost and complexity for negligible weight savings.
  • 1 0
 Carbon seatpost without i-beam is my guess! Could also be a saddle or aluminum stem, but definitely not a carbon stem.
  • 2 0
 @Nobble: Hoping it is a stem though, already have the Era cranks. It'd be pretty sweet to outfit a trail bike with full RF era stuff.
  • 2 0
 I responed with "stem" in their online contest...but now that I think about it, a new dropper post is more likely.

Just looking at all of the parts they have been clearing out for 50% off...

Next R Cranks
Next / Next R Bars
Turbine R Dropper Posts

No stem clearouts recently.
  • 2 0
 If we are guessing. Dropper posts.
  • 1 0
 I think the next ERA products are stand-alone rims and a handlebar although their carbon bars are confusingly overlapped. The NEXT R and SIX C are already within 5g of each other. A carbon stem would be dumb. Nothing else left, really.
  • 11 6
 Stiffness and carbon bla bla aside, 1750g for a 28H pair of 29" wheels at that price is unreal for me, considering my home made 350€ pair of 28H DT350/EX471 which are irreproachable so far at 1930g (with DT Comp spokes and 12mm brass nipples). I can live with that and shred like a punk without being worried at all. What else?! Smile
  • 5 0
 I had a set of rims built up by a third party and they forgot the offset spacers for the valve stems. I was able to email raceface directly and they sent me some out the next day free of charge even though I didn’t buy the rim from them directly . It’s the little things like that I will remember. That was mighty nice of them top notch customer service /support !
  • 5 2
 Stay away from the RF Trace hubs! I went through 4 hubs with maybe a couple of hours riding on each one, before UK distributor finally admitted there was a manufacturing issue with the seals. The bike shop i purchased the bike from then got me a DT Swiss replacement wheel with no problems since!
  • 25 20
 We Are One are cheaper (currently 20% off) and are made in Canada. Do better RaceFace.
  • 9 3
 And the new Convergence rim is so much more compliant than other carbon rims. It's everything you want out of carbon without the sketchy deflection.
  • 10 4
 but then you are stuck with Hydras, wish they had a greater hub selection.
  • 11 2
 @souknaysh: Agreed. If they offered them with DT350 hubs I'd buy them tomorrow. I don't do loud or unreliable hubs.
  • 18 0
 @JustinVP @souknaysh FYI, if you give them a call or email they offer Onyx, Hadley, and DT Swiss as options. I don't know how that changes their price, but they 100% offer different hub options at request.
  • 1 2
 @JustinVP: same, I want them so bad even considered buying Union with 350 but then again no SuperBoost hub available.
  • 6 5
 @JustinVP: I own the DT 240, I9 Torch, and the Hydra. Of all those hubs I've only had problems with the 240's. I don't know where all the Hydra hate comes from. They've been solid.
  • 8 0
 @souknaysh: I ordered my WAO with DT350 hubs in October. $1200.
  • 1 0
 @souknaysh: I just ordered some convergence wheels, spoke on the phone and inquired about an Onyx Vesper and it would have been approx $100 upgrade. Unfortunately lead time for the Vesper was 3-4 weeks longer for my spec so I went with the i9. But they will build you what you want.
  • 3 0
 @ratedgg13: You got me with Hadley
  • 3 3
 @chriskneeland: I would like to know as well where the hydra hate comes from.. somebody made that inception and it stuck it seems. I dont own hydras, but my Torchs have been flawless for +6 years and laced to many rims and part of several bikes, unbreakable, if properly maintained..
  • 1 0
 @somebody-else: I broke the axle in half on my DT240 and ended up buying a new one. It never even occurred to me that DT would warranty it. At least I9 is warrantying them with redesigned axles. Guess I'll be putting the Hydra's to the test this summer.
  • 2 0
 @chriskneeland: my hydra axle snapped, and given pinner’s steel axles it doesn’t seem like an uncommon experience. Other than that, they’re okay.
  • 3 0
 @souknaysh: In January I got a set of We Are One Factions with Hope Pro5s for under $1,200 shipped. Just gotta call and ask or find a custom wheel builder online but you can get them in any configuration you want pretty much.
  • 9 2
 Still getting WAO's.
  • 2 0
 Help me understand how the Era is 15 grams lighter than the Next R despite using a thicker rim and spokes. Did Raceface work some carbon magic and make the rim stronger AND lighter?
  • 2 0
 Coupe be higher quality carbon (more fibers and less resin with fewer air gaps) and/or different layup.
  • 3 0
 Different front hub, NEXT R has the Vault 414 Front hub, ERA has Vault 415 front hub. The 414 is 15x110 boost and can convert to 20x110 Boost, while the 415 is 15x110 dedicated.
  • 1 1
 Probably, that's why composites are so great!
  • 1 0
 @OTBSteve: I didn't know that.. Why would they market the ERAs for gravity if it won't work with DH forks?
  • 1 0
 @skimgosu: ERA is Enduro / All Mountain / Trail wheels.
  • 1 0
 @OTBSteve: Could you shed light on why RF decided to update the front hub? I really liked how they used big bearings that didn't require swapping the internal axle (like I9) to make 20x110mm fit
  • 2 0
 @skimgosu: The seals. 415 hubs have smaller end caps, with tighter seals. This reduces potential noise from dry or unserviced hubs as well as better protects the bearings from outside dust and dirt to extend the longevity of them.
  • 2 1
 Is the comparison pricing to We Are One convergence correct? I see full price convergence series wheels are $1750 CAD (on sale currently for $1399 cad). To my knowledge they have never been $200 more expensive than this raceface offering at $2150.
  • 2 1
 No it isn't. JensonUSA.com has the Convergence regular $1799, on sale for $1439 USD
  • 1 0
 A good set of aluminum wheels will set you back 600-900 depending on brand. 1500 is not bad at all considering the warranty and low maintenance. My custom we-r-one wheels ran me 1800 and it was worth every single penny and my left eye.
  • 4 0
 Wouldn't the 1st generation We Are One rims be a better comparison ?
  • 1 0
 I don't know who makes the race face rims, but they look identical to WAO Unions
  • 2 0
 @Erku: I don't know who makes them either (I don't think there's any chance it's WR1 knowing RF/Fox's size and WR1 product cosmetics) but those definitely aren't rebranded Union rims at a bare minimum.
  • 3 0
 Sounds like a good product but a tough sell at that price point
  • 1 1
 Buying race face hubs/wheels is about as solid of a choice as buying DT cranks(if they existed)

Race face bars,stems, cranks. DT for hubs. No I9. They are high on moonshine. That’s it. Stop.
  • 2 4
 I broke two pairs of race face cracks back in the early 2000’s. Haven’t liked their stuff since
  • 4 1
 @meathooker: Shimano ftw w cranks for shure.
  • 3 1
 Hadleys on convergence for me. Best wheelset I’ve ever laced and ridden. Bombproof
  • 2 0
 m.youtube.com/watch?v=V3ZSMQE3V0w
Fast and Bulbous - also tapered
  • 1 0
 back from NZ and already putting out killer stories. Nice to meet you @mattbeer
  • 1 0
 Ha always chipping away at something. Wicked times down there Bryce - good to meet you too!
  • 3 1
 Carbon rims are for fancy people
  • 3 5
 Vault hubs have been the worst for me

almost every one I’ve seen or used has started creaking where the two halves of the hub shell are bonded/the glue fails. I dont know how this really common issue doesn’t get mentioned ever in reviews or comments online.
  • 3 5
 it seems race face quality went downhill when fox factory absorbed the great little company
  • 8 10
 The eras? Nice try Disney, but no swiftie propaganda allowed on PB
  • 2 0
 Hey Meatball showed up!
  • 1 0
 @itslightoutandawaywego: Ayy pass-a the red sauce
Thought I was sufficiently obvious in my sarcasm but apparently not
Below threshold threads are hidden







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.048217
Mobile Version of Website