2013 DH Crank Brother Opium Wheelset / RED

20 MM Front / 12 X 150 Rear / Mounted for photos but never ridden - Zero scuffs or scratches...

These are similar to the rest of the Crank Brothers range in that they use the same 24-spoke pattern, along with the extruded ribs that run around the inner circumferences of the wheels and upside-down spoke systems. This means there are no holes drilled in the rims themselves, making them perfect for a tubeless set-up.

More importantly, the Opiums are stronger thanks to their uninterrupted design. In order to handle the higher stresses and wider tyres of downhill riding, they use 24mm rims and bolt-through hubs on both the front and rear, maximising stiffness.

With the rear wheel weighing 1,585g with disc rotor and cassette and the front 1,178g with disc rotor, they may not be quite as light as a set of Mavic Deemax wheels, but they’re not far off.

When it comes to performance, the improvement from the standard design is instantly noticeable. These wheels are seriously stiff and massively strong. There’s barely any flex at all, even when we hit turns hard. It actually takes some time to get used to.