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SRAM Roam 40 27.5 wheels


When I look for a pair of wheels, I want something that will setup tubeless easily, be pretty light for the intended use, with easy to service hubs and spokes/nipples, a fast engagement in the freehub, with easy changes for different axle configurations. Why all those things? That’s easy – you end up with a wheel you don’t even think about. You end up just riding your bike.

The SRAM Roam series fits between the crosscountry oriented Rise and gravity oriented Rail. The Roam 30 and 40 are new for 2015, sitting below the 50 and 60.

I rode these wheels on the Whyte T 130, and so when getting the bike ready I experienced how easily they sealed up tubeless, being a UST rim. No worries there, with some FRM sealant.

SRAM have designed their own hubs for the Roam 30 and 40, and done a great job of it. I love fast engagement, and the 40’s have 52 engagement points. That’s pretty snappy. The hubs are designed to the use the same spoke length front and back, and each side. The nipples are regular external ones so maintenance is easy, as is stocking spares. The seals on the hubs didn’t need touching the whole test, but SRAM have managed to combine stronger outer seals with lower friction inner seals to keep the bearings running smoothly, but without too much drag. While our bike was set up for 142x12 rear and QR15 front, there are adapters for regular QR, 10x135, 12x135 and 20mm front as well. XD1 drivers and 10sp freehubs are both available. And at 1615g, the weight is good for a trail wheel too.

That’s just about everything I want - the Roam 40’s tick every box for a quality mountain bike wheel. But… I didn’t love them at first. I do wonder if SRAM should have made the rim a bit wider. The Roam range uses a 21mm internal width and 25mm external for stability. That’s not overly wide, but the carbon Roam 60 goes to 28mm external although internal remains at 21mm. Some trail rims are 23-25mm.

It just meant I ran a little higher pressure than expected, but the wheels were otherwise a dream to ride. The build is very stiff, and they track really precisely. I did hit a few rocks pretty hard and there were no flat spots and they didn’t come out of true – a testament to the build quality. But it’s the fast engagement that I really liked, being able to ratchet through technical sections, and get started again easily on tech climbs. To me, it just makes power transfer that much smoother when climbing on loose terrain, helping you maintain traction. They’re available in all three wheel sizes and will work for anything from cross-country racing through to all mountain riding. Best of all, they are the kind of wheel you are unlikely to think about, letting you focus on the ride.

GOOD
- Easy maintenance
- Easy to setup tubeless
- Strong, light, good value
- Excellent hub engagement

NO GOOD
- I would like a slightly wider rim width

PRICE 470$ front, 540$ rear (for all sizes)




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