TESTED: Stan's NoTubes Valor BOOST Wheels

As the company responsible for popularising tubeless tyre technology all those years ago, Stan’s NoTubes is a well-known name in the mountain bike scene. Along with their tubeless sealant, valves and conversion kits, NoTubes has since gone on to establish a reputation for building lightweight and well-priced alloy rims such as the Crest, Arch and Flow models. In 2014, they added their very first carbon wheel set called the Valor. The goal of the Valor carbon rim was to combine the light weight of the Crest rim, with the lateral rigidity of the Arch rim, whilst increasing impact durability all round. The Valors have since gone on to deliver on those claims, becoming a popular choice with XC racers and trail riders. While we have ridden and rated the Valor wheels here at AMB, we were never particularly enthused by the original ZTR hubs that the carbon rims were built around. Whilst lightweight, the ZTR hubs left a little to be desired in terms of engagement speed and seal durability, and the end caps frequently dismount on their own when removing the wheels from the bike.

Noting this criticism and seeking to improve the reputation of their own-branded hubs and their wheel sets as a whole, Stans embarked on a 2-year development to completely redesign their hubs from the ground up. About half way through last year, they announced the brand new Neo hubs. Shortly after their announcement, I arranged to receive a test wheel set to see whether the new hubs would redeem NoTubes reputation, and give the lightweight Valor rims the complete build they deserve.

The Trek Procaliber 9.8 SL served as our test bed for the lightweight Stans Valor wheelset. Photo: Open Shutter Photography

Over the past six months, I’ve been testing the Stans Valor wheelset aboard a Trek Procaliber 9.8 SL. For all of the initial details, check out my comprehensive First Look article on the Stans Valor Boost wheels.

The Valor Pro 29 Wheels feature:

• Designed for cross country racing and riding
• RiACT carbon fibre layup system absorbs impacts and rolls faster
• Bead Socket Technology for unmatched tubeless performance
• 2-year warranty with 3-year crash replacement
• New faster engaging, 100% CNC machined Neo Ultimate hubs
• 6-pawl freehub mechanism with 72 engagement points
• Sapim Custom Laser 1.8/1.5/1.8 spokes with Secure Lock aluminum nipples
• Lacing: 24 spoke (front) & 28 spoke (rear)
• Available for Shimano or SRAM XD cassettes
• Available for all current axle systems, including Cannondale Lefty SL, Lefty Supermax, SRAM Predictive Steering, and Boost 110mm and 148mm spacing
• Claimed weight: 1342 grams
• RRP: $3499 AUD

Before getting to the new hubs, lets have a refresher on those lovely lightweight carbon rims. The Valor is claimed to weigh just 330 grams, making it one of the lightest 29er XC rims on the market, and about 50 grams lighter than the current Crest alloy 29er rim. That means a Valor complete wheel set will have 100 grams less rotating weight than a Crest wheel set using the same spokes and hubs. Internal rim width is a little over 21mm, though because of Stan’s Bead Socket Technology (BST) profile, the Valors emulate a slightly wider rim due to their very short sidewalls and almost hookless design. Looking a lot more substantial than an equivalent alloy model, the rim sidewalls on the Valors are constructed from 2.5mm thick carbon fibre, which results in a very strong structure with more impact resistance than a taller and thinner sidewall.

As for the carbon fibre itself, NoTubes spent a significant amount of the Valor’s early development phase testing out different layups and different rim profiles to assess the effect these variables had on ride quality. A local data acquisition company nearby their New York head office was enlisted to test these prototypes and validate their on-trail experiences. The end result is what they call RiACT. Standing for Radial Impact Absorbing Carbon Technology, the RiACT design came about from NoTubes desire to produce a wheel system that could not only provide sharp handling by offering excellent lateral stiffness, but also a greater ability to absorb impacts and maintain forward momentum by providing vertical compliance. What does that mean? This video below should give you a good idea of why vertical compliance is important for a mountain bike wheel;

Super stiff wheels are great and all, but they can shake your teeth out on the trail, and they can actually increase your susceptibility to pinch flats. As verified in the lab, the Valor rims offer 7mm of vertical ‘give’ under a heavy impact, which offers a more comfortable ride quality and allows the rim to deform more easily at the tyre contact patch to offer more traction. It also means that the rim will better absorb impact energy rather than cracking and breaking. This isn’t a view held exclusively by NoTubes, as you may recall that Aussie brand Bouwmeester is also pushing for more compliance with their carbon Tammar rim.

The classy matte finish on the Neo hubs give them an understated appearance that belies their high-tech construction. Photo: Timothy Arch Photography

Okey dokes. So the rims are light, tubeless and supposedly pretty smooth to ride. What about them new hubs then? Looking nothing like their previous ZTR hub set, the new Neo hubs also share nothing mechanically with their predecessors, being entirely new from the ground up. Developed with a new manufacturing partner in Taiwan, the Neo hubs feature a 100% CNC machined hubshell that is built to higher tolerances with increased flange diameters over the previous version. The Neo hubs come in two different versions; the standard Neo and the Neo Ultimate. Both hubs are machined from a single piece of alloy bar stock, though the Ultimate sees further sculpting and chiselling to remove a few more grams. Internally, both hubs feature new swaged axles that are stronger and more precise for better alignment. The bearings are bigger for increased durability and improved stiffness from end cap to end cap. Speaking of, the higher machining tolerances mean that while the end caps are still a press-fit design, they sit much more snugly inside the hub shells, so they don’t come off on their own whenever you remove the wheel.

Tested in the BOOST-specific width, our Valor wheelset delivered outstanding lateral rigidity combined with the Procaliber’s thru-axles and stiff carbon frame. Photo: Timothy Arch Photography

The modular end cap design means you can adapt the hubs to fit different frames and forks. That said, our test set features BOOST hub spacing, which means they’ll only fit BOOST 110mm wide forks and BOOST 148mm wide frame dropouts. Compared to the standard QR15 and 142x12mm hubs, the BOOST versions are significantly bigger in both their width and overall profile, which is all in the name of improving wheel stiffness by broadening out the hub flanges. Important for any wheel, but even more important-er for a large diameter 29″ wheel.

After six months of testing, I decided to pull the hubs apart to check their condition and see what dirt and made its way inside. This is a damn easy process, as it doesn’t require any tools to do. Simply pull off the non-drive end cap (no tools required), then pull the freehub body and the axle out from the other side. This gives you access to the freehub mechanism for routine cleaning and re-greasing. As it turned out though, the hubs sealing has proved to be exceptionally effective at keeping grease inside and contaminants out, and I really didn’t have to do anything to them. As you can see in the picture above, the Neo hubs feature much larger sealed cartridge bearings than the old ZTR hubs, and given how smooth they’re rolling after the km’s we’ve put into them, it appears to be a sound choice on Stans part.

Speaking of the freehub mechanism, the new Neo hubs get a much faster engaging design than the ZTR hubs of old. On the Neo Ultimate rear hub, there are 6-pawls that lock onto a 36-pt steel ratchet ring inside the hub shell. The pawls are arranged into two pairs of 3 that are slightly offset, meaning you get 72-engagement points, which is the same number as a Chris King hub. This is where the Neo Ultimate hub differentiates with the standard Neo hub, which uses a freehub with only 4 pawls that deliver 36-engagement points. However, if you do purchase a Stans wheelset with the standard Neo hubs, you can upgrade to a Neo Ultimate freehub body with its 6-pawl design for an inexpensive engagement upgrade that doesn’t require you to change the entire hub out. In terms of construction, the freehub body initially begins life as a blob of forged alloy, before it undergoes several CNC machining phases to turn it into the shiny silver component you see here.

Ok, so back to the wheels. In case you were wondering, they’re light……FREAKING light! In fact, they’re considerably lighter than my road bike wheels. In the 29″ size with BOOST hub spacing, our complete wheelset came out at 1322 grams. That’s including the yellow tubeless rim tape and tubeless valves, which already come fitted when you pull the wheels out of the box. So sans valves and tape, they’re likely to be under the 1300gm mark. While the new Valor Pro wheelset has gained about 50 grams over the previous Valor wheels due to the new burlier Neo hubset, I reckon that’s an acceptable weight gain for such a dramatic improvement in the hubs fit and finish and their overall durability. And it it’s worth pointing out that this weight figure is still significantly lower than their big name competitors, which includes the Shimano XTR Race wheelset (1611 grams), the SRAM Rise 60’s (1430 grams) and the ENVE M50 (1445 grams).

Stiffer isn’t always better. The Valor rims place an emphasis on vertical compliance that offers greater impact protection and a smoother ride quality. Photo: Open Shutter Photography

Compared to the stock DT Swiss X1700 wheelset on the Trek Procaliber 9.8 SL test bike, the Valor’s lobbed off over 300 grams of rotational weight, turning this lightweight carbon hardtail into a full-blown race weapon. This only reaffirmed by feelings that wheels are without doubt the area that you want to be throwing money at if you’re looking to upgrade your existing bike. Faster acceleration, more responsive handling and a greater ability to fly up the climbs are some of the advantages you can expect when strapping on a lightweight race wheelset such as the Valors. What I found to be particularly noticeable during race scenarios however, was the Valor’s ability to lay down the acceleration while you were already cruising at race pace. Whenever I needed to push on the pedals a little harder to get past a competitor or get a head start on a steep pinch climb, the Valor’s delivered a near-instant response at the tyre, with no sluggishness apparent whatsoever. It also made it easier to respond to a lead riders change in speed, so I could better hold their wheel when required.

Having tested the Valor wheels on a hardtail frameset, I had the ideal opportunity to asses the overall comfort that the RiACT design is purported to provide. I can say that compared with many other carbon wheels I’ve tested (both on the Procaliber and on other review bikes), the Valors are indeed a smooth riding wheel. There is minimal pin-balling, and in tandem with the low operating pressures I could set the tubeless tyres to, they deliver a quiet and predictable ride that lets the bike skip over the rough stuff rather than having to barge through it. Part of this comes from the low profile of the Valor rim, which aids the rims ability to filter out vibrations. Many other carbon rims use huge oversized profiles and 25mm+ depths, and that makes them considerably stiffer and less compliant.

The BST design ensures an easy and reliable tubeless setup. Operating pressures for the Bontrager XR2 tyres were around the 20psi range. Photo: Open Shutter Photography

In regards to durability, there are two occasions that stand out to me during the test period that validated the Valor’s strength. On the first occasion, I came into a jump too slow after turning a corner and finding a rider up ahead baulking at the lip. As I reached the launch ramp, a hasty tug at the bars was all I could muster to get the slow-moving bike airborne. Coming up well short, I absolutely whalloped the rear wheel into the rocky landing. The carbon rim didn’t exhibit the normal “DING” you’d get with an alloy rim, but rather a muted “THUNK”, followed by a small amount of pinging from the spokes as they relaxed and re-tensioned. After rounding the next corner, I examined the rear wheel, expecting a significant buckle and pissing sealant from a cracked rim. Spinning the wheel off the ground however revealed the wheel was still straight and true, with no cracks or damage in sight. There wasn’t even any residual sealant, despite the fact that I had 20psi in there, which I thought would have surely unlocked the tyre beads. Very impressive indeed.

At less than 1350 grams, the Stans Valor Pro 29er wheelset is one of the lightest on the market. Photo: Wil Barrett

On the second occasion, I had a stick go through the spokes on the front wheel whilst chasing a fellow rider on a piece of twisty singletrack at abour 25 km/h. The large-sized stick jammed against the fork lowers, and sent me sprawling over the handlebars before I hit the ground, destroying my helmet in the process. Despite such a violent impact, there were no broken spokes to be seen, and none of the nipples were pulled through the rim, which is kind of what I expected for such a lightweight carbon wheelset. Again, save for a very small wobble in the rim, there was no significant damage, and I was able to continue the ride unaffected. After truing the wheel back at the workshop, I have had no resulting problems since.

It’s no secret that like many other carbon wheels, the Valor’s aren’t cheap. That said, there are a few more clues in the box that indicate that these hoops ain’t just a set of Chinese carbon wheels re-stickered like many keyboard warriors would suggest. Aside from the overall quality that is clearly evident from the finish on the rim and hubs, the wheels also come beautifully well built with custom Sapim Laser spokes that use a double butted design. The wheels are handbuilt in Stan’s New York factory, and each wheel comes with its own build sheet that verifies spoke tension, along with lateral and vertical deflection. You also get 4 spare spokes with each wheel, which is a nice touch that I’d like to see from more manufacturers. If you do bust a spoke though, they’re a standard J-Bend design, meaning you won’t be too far away from a bike shop that has a spare in stock. The alloy Sapim nipples use a smooth rounded profile at the head, which allows them to orient to the correct spoke bracing angle where they sit inside the rim bed, minimising stress on the spokes. Sure, they might not look as ‘bling’ as some of the more proprietary wheelsets out there from the likes of Mavic and Industry Nine, but any shop mechanic out there is going to appreciate the sensible functionality that comes with the Valor Pro wheels.

The Verdict

Along with all the km’s I’ve put into the Valors, I’m happy to conclude that their strength and durability is just as impressive as their super light weight. They feature tough carbon rims that have been reliable and easy to setup tubeless, with an internal rim width that works well with XC tyres up to 2.20″ wide. And having experienced the weird things that super-wide rims can do to some tyres, I’m not convinced that an XC wheel set like this needs to be much wider. The new Neo hubs are a huge step up from the previous ZTR hubs, though the dull matte finish does make them quite understated. I think some brighter colours or a polished silver finish might give them a little more curb appeal. Functionally though, they are spot-on, and they’re easily serviceable. Combined with the standard J-bend spokes, a normal lacing pattern and externally adjustable nipples, the Stans Valor Pro wheelset is the ideal upgrade for budding privateer racers who are looking for a significant performance booster. Like many high quality carbon wheel sets, the Valors are not cheap. But if you value high-level construction, serviceability, ease of use and a smooth ride quality, the Valor Pro’s are some of the lightest, and best riding wheels out there.

Contact

Jet Black Products: www.jetblackproducts.com

Stans No Tubes: www.notubes.com