SRAM Introduces Roam 40 and Roam 30 Wheels
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A More Affordable Wheel
Wheels. The machines that we spend so much of our time on are useless without them, but how much time does the average rider put into thinking about wheel choice? Deciphering all the tech and marketing acronyms can be a daunting and confusing task when it comes time to purchase a new set of wheels, and it comes down to a few simple points for many riders who don't enjoy delving into those engineering secrets: get something that is reliable and won't require excessive amounts of maintenance, get something that won't have you sucking extra wind on the climbs, and get something that hopefully won't empty your savings account. In short, the wheels need to work for how you ride. SRAM's two new all-mountain wheels, the Roam 40 and Roam 30, have been designed for how many of us ride, while also employing cost saving methods that see them come in at a much lower MSRP than the company's elite wheel offerings. We traveled to Terlago, Italy, to learn the ins and outs of the new additions, and also to sample the area's great trails.
Prices and Weights
Two years ago, SRAM debuted the Roam 60 and Roam 50 all-mountain / trail wheels. These represented one of SRAM's first foray's into the mountain bike wheel market and the intention was to provide a high-level product. 20,000 kms worth of testing later, two new offerings will be joining the SRAM family at a more affordable cost to the consumer: the Roam 40 which weighs a claimed 1615 grams for 27.5" set and costs $697; and the Roam 30 (shown at right) which weighs 1785g in 27.5" and costs $497 USD. These two wheel sets are very similar to the previously released aluminium Roam 50, but with a few key changes.
Two years ago, SRAM debuted the Roam 60 and Roam 50 all-mountain / trail wheels. These represented one of SRAM's first foray's into the mountain bike wheel market and the intention was to provide a high-level product. 20,000 kms worth of testing later, two new offerings will be joining the SRAM family at a more affordable cost to the consumer: the Roam 40 which weighs a claimed 1615 grams for 27.5" set and costs $697; and the Roam 30 (shown at right) which weighs 1785g in 27.5" and costs $497 USD. These two wheel sets are very similar to the previously released aluminium Roam 50, but with a few key changes.
A New Hub
When SRAM originally launched the Roam family they combined a SRAM-designed hub shell with DT Swiss internals. By making this decision, SRAM was able to get into the market fast and make an impression while using technology that was tried and tested. Now, with the introduction of lower cost models into the family, they've decided to utilize their Double Time hub design that has been in the works since before the release of those original Roam 50 and 60 models.
The Double Time hub was first introduced on the X0 wheels and, more recently, in the XX wheel set which launched at this year's Sea Otter. You may wonder why the high-end XX wheels have ended up with same hub as the lower cost models shown here, and how this works out to be more cost effective than using the DT Swiss hub for the new 30 and 40s. The bottom line is that DT Swiss is an established player in the wheel market and are able to charge a decent premium in return for using their product. However, SRAM are now manufacturing their own hubs - the cost savings associated with this, along with receiving a considerable discount for bulk ordering of the parts to be used within the construction of the Double Time system, drops the price point substantially. SRAM says that the Roam 50 and 60 will still be using DT Swiss' internals, but we wouldn't bet against seeing Double Time put to use there is well in the future.
Internally, the Double Time system uses either a four pawl or less expensive two pawl layout. The four pawl system has 52 points of engagement on the 26 tooth ratchet ring, whereas the two pawl design offers 26. The more points of engagement there are, the faster the initiation time. Instead of threading into the shell, the ratchet ring features an external splined interface that mounts to the hub shell permanently. With this system, the threat of the thread becoming corrupted due to excessive forces is removed.
SRAM also opted to work directly with a ball bearing manufacturer as opposed to working with a bearing trading company to develop their Speed Ball technology. By going directly to a manufacturer, SRAM were able to work one-on-one with the company to get a very specific bearing made for their particular system's requirements. When integrating the bearing into the system, SRAM chose to use contact seal on the outside, something that provides additional protection from debris and gunk getting inside the system, but it is also an approach that increases friction. The inside seal is a non-contact design to counter this.
Internally, the Double Time system uses either a four pawl or less expensive two pawl layout. The four pawl system has 52 points of engagement on the 26 tooth ratchet ring, whereas the two pawl design offers 26. The more points of engagement there are, the faster the initiation time. Instead of threading into the shell, the ratchet ring features an external splined interface that mounts to the hub shell permanently. With this system, the threat of the thread becoming corrupted due to excessive forces is removed.
SRAM also opted to work directly with a ball bearing manufacturer as opposed to working with a bearing trading company to develop their Speed Ball technology. By going directly to a manufacturer, SRAM were able to work one-on-one with the company to get a very specific bearing made for their particular system's requirements. When integrating the bearing into the system, SRAM chose to use contact seal on the outside, something that provides additional protection from debris and gunk getting inside the system, but it is also an approach that increases friction. The inside seal is a non-contact design to counter this.
The rear hub uses a 17mm tapered axel that saves weight where stress is low and increases strength where stress is high. The body is a bonded three piece shell that functions the same as a single piece hub shell but saves on manufacturing costs due to there being less machining required. The three pieces consist of a middle section and two spoke flange pieces that are bonded together. Another nice feature which has been carried over in the is the interchangeable end cap system that requires no tools to swap from quick release, 10 speed, or an XD freehub.
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How the Roam 40 and Roam 30 Wheels Differ
Firstly, the Roam 40 wheel comes with the same taper core UST certified design as its Roam 50 predecessors. But, instead of a welded joint, the Roam 30 uses a sleeve joint that offers big manufacturing savings as there is no requirement to hand grind and polish the flash away from the weld site. Although the rim is exactly the same design and material as the Roam 40, it is not certified UST. This is due to the fact that the sleeve joint does not make the rim air tight, although this fact quickly becomes irrelevant as sealant and a tubeless kit can easily remedy the issue. With the sleeve adding less than ten grams of weight, SRAM have been pretty savvy at saving cost on this specification.
Another difference between the two wheels is the 30's use straight gague bladed spokes that come with a reinforced head and brass nipples as opposed to the 40's double butted straight pull spokes and aluminum nipples. The use of brass for the 30s nipples should mean that the wheel is more serviceable in the long run, but you do lose out in the weight game against the alloys. Finally, as talked about above, the Double Time hub on the Roam 40 uses the 4 pawl system and features quicker engagement as a result, whereas the 30 uses the two pawl system.
Roam 40 Details • Intended use: all-mountain / trail • Available in 26'', 27.5'', 29'' sizes • Asymmetrical, Taper Core aluminum rim with a welded joint • 21mm internal width, 25.5mm outer • UST tubeless • Convertible to any axle type • 9, 10 and XD compatible • SRAM Double Time 4 pawl hubs • Straight pull, double butted bladed spokes • 26'' - 1560g, 27.5'' - 1615g, 29'' - 1695g • Available in June • MSRP: $697 USD | Roam 30 Details • Intended use: all-mountain / trail • Available in 26'', 27.5'', 29'' sizes • Asymmetrical, Taper Core aluminum rim with an internal sleeve joint • 21mm internal width, 25.5mm outer • Straight guage, straight-pull bladed spokes • Tool-less axle conversion • 9, 10, and XD compatible • SRAM Double Time 2 pawl hub • 26'' - 1730g, 27.5'' - 1785g, 29'' - 1870g • Available in June • MSRP: $497 USD |
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Riding the Roam 30 Wheels
We spent just a single day riding the Roam 30s, so we're not going to pretend that we can provide cold hard facts as to if they are better than similarly priced competition, but we can certainly give you an honest run down of our time on them. The trails around Terlago had seen rather epic rainfall in the lead up to our visit, but this didn’t put too much of a damper on the enjoyment factor of our experience. Although boggy in places, the trails are mostly made up of deep and loamy soil with a few rock gardens and rooty sections thrown in for good measure, but all in all it’s pretty easy to get up to some pretty quick speeds without worrying too much about what is around the next corner. So, what can we tell you? We had a really good time on our bike! Parsed down, this means things were operating as they should, and if things are operating as they should, that means they are functioning properly and feeling good. And if all of the above is happening, you are able to enjoy the ride. We didn't feel anything flimsy beneath us other than the compliant, spongy dirt. We didn't feel a clunk, pop, or s single tick. What we felt were fast rolling, fun and peppy wheels beneath us. No noodles here. We'd have to say that in order to deliver an honest report, we'd need to spend much more time on the them, but for one glorious day the Roam 30s kept us rolling through Italy on our bike. What's not to be enjoyed about that?
www.sram.com
Photos by Adrian Marcoux
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A wider tire would give a more square profile.
funny how all the armchair engineers discuss about things they have no clue about, because most of them are not able to feel any difference between 21 oder 25mm.
mavic ultimates are 21mm internal. hill smashed on ex1750 wheels back in the days..... and now. marketing tells you "wider is so much better" --> result: "pfff 21mm too narrow for me, bla bla bla".
these are all-mountain/trail wheelsets. I want to see you guys bring the wheels to their limits while riding "allmountain/trail" because of being 21mm internal instead of something wider.... all those honks, riding allmountain with their +25mm rims, balloon tires with mega heavy duty carcass 900g, super sticky compound ... just because of grip and stability ... and in reality the tire's sideknops are like new when the mid ones are ripped of, because they have no idea of how to lean an corner a bike.
i always come here to read the comments, but holy hell ... reading that stuff really starts making me more and more aggressive visit after visit.
same as with super low stems and flatbars. "buy that stuff, the lower the front is, the more pressure and grip you'll have on your front wheel" --> armchair engineers buy and hate frontends that are higher than their balls --> 2 years later everyone is running 38mm rise renthal bars and spacers under their stems to get things right.
More and more companies are coming out with wider rims so I think tires will be redesigned to fit these rims and thus there will be more tires availabe that still give a round profile on wide rims.
And yes Muzzle I think there are people that won't notice the difference but same argument can also be applied to people buying dh bikes and using them only in super smooth bikeparks...
yes probably time will change my mind, when tires will be redesigned, or probably carbon rims offer a better dent resistence than aluminum ones.
but I'm not willing to pay 1000$+ for carbon wheels and I personally don't like the square feel of todays tires.
for sure there are people that do like the feeling of wider rims more than narrow ones, or that do not have dent problems. everyone should ride what they like more :-)
but I just do not support statements like "narrow is shit because its technically worse and old fashioned" ... truth is, that it's all just personal preference. some like chocolate, some like milk ........... :-)
That's a really great sentence there, so good it almost makes sense
(Much like 650b) The improvements of going wider are smaller in real life than on the Internet
Seriously? Are we trying to sound deep here?
And I thought a whole heck of a lot about my wheel choice... as do most of the people I know/have sold wheels to. Sounds like someone thought this sounded like a cool way to start an article and then never went back and thought it over.
Think about the rim to tire ratio of just about every other vehicle out there: cars, trucks, motorcycles, quads, dirt bikes, even road bikes. The rim is just a little narrower than the tire.
Why are us mountain bikers still riding on ballons?
I do like the idea of a 3 piece bonded hub instead of a one piece machined hub for cost savings, as I don't think it will make a difference to anyone unless they get a defective product.
I've definitely broken more pinned rims than welded rims when jumping...but I think either will work just fine for this application.
However, I will nitpick here.....I don't think custom bearings are a justified expense. No matter how they are shielded or set up, we eat bearings like crazy in the PNW, so that is something that would significantly add to the cost of the wheel set over time. Plus, I wouldn't be able to source replacements from local bearing distributors (much much cheaper and quicker to get) like I can with almost EVERY OTHER HUB on the market.
Other than that quibble, I really do like the wheels. And they hit a great price point and a pretty solid weight for each. I bet these will be some really good wheels for the money.
530 grams for Flow EX (650b)
453 grams for Enve M70