Race Face digs into lateral complinace with new Era wheels
Next generation of Era line expands to include carbon fibre enduro wheels
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Race Face
As our understanding of what we can do with carbon fibre continues to evolve, so does how we design mountain bike rims. After successfully making rims strong enough (for the most part), brands are now looking at how they can make rims feel better and help us ride faster. With that in mind, Race Face is adding lateral compliance to the conversation with its new Era wheels.
The new Era wheels expand on Race Face’s new line. The new era of Race Face Era components started with a lightweight, protected carbon fibre crankset. Our test set of cranks is still going strong, which is hopefully a good indicator for the new wheelset, too.
An Era of lateral compliance: Race Face evolves carbon fibre wheels
The new Era wheelset replaces the Next R hoops in the Race Face wheel range. The carbon fibre wheelset is aimed primarily at trail and enduro riding. That leaves the Next SL to handle XC duties.
With Era, the brand shaves around 15 grams off the Next R’s weight, bringing them to a very light 1750 grams for a set. But the big changes are in design. Race Face is focusing on lateral compliance and, with the “Anvil Edge,” flat protection.
Since the front and rear wheel are subjected to very different forces while riding, Race Face uses completely different rim shapes for each wheel. The front Era rim uses a shallower, 18.6mm rim profile to minimize weight and improve compliance and comfort. The back wheel uses a deeper, 22.6mm rim section and, while still compliant vertically and horizontally, aims to be tough enough that you can still drop your heels and plow through any rock garden without worrying about your rim.
The main change from Next R to Era, though, is the focus on lateral compliance. That means allowing the rim freedom to respond to side impacts (rocks, roots on an angle) the same way the rim would absorb impacts directly in line with the rim. Why? Some later impact absorption improves comfort, reduces fatigue and gives the rider better control on the bike. The wheel deflects off line less and you feel less of an impact through the handlebars. So you can ride faster for longer.
Compliant shouldn’t mean the wheels feel like a wet noodle, though. Instead of weak or soft, Race Face claims the Era wheels should feel “snappy.” That is, they’ll soften impacts but still give you the support you need to hold a line and the energy out of a corner you’d expect from a carbon fibre rim.
Race Face did a bunch of research comparing the new Era rims copmpliance not only to the Next R, but to many of the competition. You can see more of that on their website. They found Era is second in lateral compliance to Zipp 3Zero Moto wheels, though Era are 300g lighter. DT Swiss 1501 rims are lighter, but much more rigid in Race Face’s testing.
Light and comfortable only matter if your wheels stay in tact. Race Face tackles durability on two fronts. For the rim itself, the brand back the Era’s with with the same generous Lifetime Warrantee, crashes included, that they cover the Turbine alloy rims with. Race Face also looks to protect the wheel system as a whole, because wheels roll a lot faster when the tires have air in them. Era rims use the same Anvil Edge bead wall shape that the Turbines do. It’s a rounded bead wall that is designed to reduce pinch flats. With Anvil Edge, carbon hitting rock goes from a shudder-inducing notice to a sounds sweeter than metal on metal. Almost. But, based on our experience with Turbine rims, do a solid job of preventing pinch flats.
Both era rims are asymmetrical, with offset spoke holes for balanced spoke tension. Both roll on 28, stra9ght-pull, double-butted spokes. And both feature a 30mm internal width.
New Era wheels, same Vault hubs
Race Face focused its time on developing the Era rim profile but it is banking on the proven reliability of its Vault hub to hold the wheelset together. Vault’s still use an oversized shells to allow for a wide bearing stance that decreases torsional loads on the bearings.
Vault still uses a three-degree engagement. Era’s will be available in six-bold disc brake mounts, with Centerlock coming later in 2024.
Race Face Era wheels: Pricing and availability
The Era wheels are available now, from Race Face and dealers. A set of the new carbon fibre hoops runs for $2,150 (USD 1,600). That includes Race Face’s Lifetime Warranty, including crashes.
The wheels will be available in 27.5″ or 29″ and with XD or Microspline freehub bodies, with HG conversion kits available.
First Impressions
We’ve had some time on a prototype version of Race Face Era wheels. The Era’s have undergone some changes since then, with Race Face adding more material in an effort to improve durability, so we can’t say too much about ride quality yet. A new set with the new lay-up is on the way for long term review.
But, on a practical front, mounting a tire over the Anvil Edge rim shape requires slightly more effort than the Next R rims but is still easily manigable by hand or with a single tire lever (for Maxxis EXO+ casing tires). Inflating and seating the tire was stright forward with a standard floor pump, with both tires snapping into place betwen 25 and 35 p.s.i. Â Turbine hubs remain a great balance between quick engagement and a nice freewheel noise that is present, but not the obnoxious buzz or whine of other high-engagement hubs. That is to say, they won’t annoy everyone around you on the trail.
