SRAM have just dropped the news of their new carbon wheelset – the Roam 50.
Aimed at ‘trail riders’ the Roam 50 is designed to make carbon cheaper and more attainable to riders that don’t have bottomless budgets.
What you get:
- Fully featured carbon wheels designed for trail riders
- 25mm internal rim width
- Hookless, tubeless-ready rim
- DOUBLE TIME™ hubs for quick engagement
- Includes 6-color sticker pack to match your wheels to your bike Red/Blue/ Green/Yellow/Orange/Red-Orange
- Entirely designed and manufactured by SRAM
More carbon, less cash
SRAM’s UK bloke Alex Rafferty explained to us that the Roam 50 is about bringing the benefits of carbon to riders that don’t have thousands of pounds to spend on wheels. SRAM’s existing carbon wheels (the Roam 60 for example…) are all high performance, low weight and premium price. The Roam 50 allows trail riders to get the low weight, stiffness and comfort of carbon for less than £1500 a pair. Rear wheels are £646, front wheels are £554.
Is the Roam 50 right for you?
With a 25mm internal width it’s definitely aimed at ‘trail’ riders. It’s not narrow, but it’s definitely not in the new breed of modern, wide wheels. They’ll be ideal for trail centre laps, single track up the local woods, clocking miles in the local hills – but not necessarily big, nasty enduro stages, pedal-up laps of your local downhill track or the annual trip to the Alps. For the bigger, gnarlier stuff you’ll want to get that internal width north of 26mm.
Horses for courses though, right?
Specifications:
WHEEL 29in
WEIGHT Front 15×100: 765g, Rear 12×142 XD™: 890g, Pair: 1,655g
SPOKE COUNT 24
SPOKE PATTERN 2 cross
TYPE Bladed, Double-Butted 2.0 to 1.8mm
FINISH Unidirectional carbon fiber / matte clear coat / bake-on labels / decal pack included
RIM USED Carbon Clincher, hookless tubeless-ready asymmetrical profile
HUB USED DOUBLE TIME™—Four pawl, SPEEDBALL™ sealed cartridge bearings, 6-bolt disc
EXTERNAL NIPPLES Aluminum
RETAIL AVAILABILITY January 2017
You can learn more about the Roam 50 over on SRAM’s website.
