Crankbrothers just announced a new lineup of complete aluminum wheelsets and rims with with Enduro, e-bike and DH offerings on tap in terms of duty. Dubbed Synthesis 2.0, this release comes with updated rims that feature a thicker rim wall, but a big part of the story relates to their in-house hubs. With the expiration of DT Swiss’ legendary and proven star ratchet technology, crankbrothers have adopted that style of engagement mechanism as the centerpiece of their new in-house hubs. For what it’s worth, they also offer the Synthesis 2.0s with Industry Nine 1/1 hubs at an increased cost as well. Crankbrothers was kind enough to send out an Enduro level wheelset for testing well in advance of today’s release, which allowed enough time on them for a proper review, so here we are! Read on for the full review…

Details

• Silver or Black colorways
• CB Ratchet hubs (tested) or Industry Nine 1/1 hubs
• 27.5″, 29” and mixed wheel (tested) offerings
• 36T star ratchet engagement for tool free serve
• 28-hole front / 32 hole rear
• J-bend spokes
• Alloy nipples?
• Tubeless valves and tape included
• 2,075 grams (mixed wheels/XD driver) with tape and valves, our scale
• Lifetime warranty on rims
• $699.98 USD

The new graphics are the first thing you’ll notice upon first glance. There is a bit more to the story here though…According to crankbrothers, the shot peened surface helps to harden the rim and give it increased resistance to surface cracks. CB claims that lab tests showed the combination of 6069 aluminum and the shot peening provided “over 200% increase in fatigue strength and over 70% increase in ultimate tensile strength” compared to the Synthesis 1.0 alloy rims. While the impact claims might be complicated to verify, the new surface certainly wore well and was easy on the eyes.

Apologies for the grunge but this was my wheelset’s first teardown. After many miles without a service I pulled this hub apart for its first service, although it was only necessary mostly for the goal of snapping this photo. The 44T ratchet is backed by springs on both sides as well as a sturdy seal. One of the nice things about ratchet style hubs is that they’re typically tool free – a quick tug of the cassette means you can clean the inner workings and repack it with fresh grease without any special tools.

The new rim is slightly thicker in some critical areas but I’d be lying if I claimed my eye could detect much of a difference compared to its predecessor. In fairness I had no complaints with that rim – in fact it has been my preferred aluminum rim for the last few years. This is in part due to the fairly thick bead wall, but I also greatly appreciated the front and rear specific approach – not only to spoke count but to rim width, with a narrower profile out back and a wider one out front.

The new hubs sport simple, clean graphics and have a burly shells that look quite sturdy.

Last but not least, rim tape and a straightforward set of valves are included. As a nod to durability and with less of a concern for weight, the entire Synthesis 2.0 lineup features brass nipples…

On the trail

After a painless tubeless setup I popped these onto my well suited Santa Cruz Nomad and it was off to the trails. Right out of the gate, I can’t say I noticed anything that stood out glaringly in terms of ride quality, but that is pretty typical of a utilitarian set of aluminum wheels. Rather, the Synthesis 2.0s just quickly became an afterthought until the occasional large impacts occurred – you know, the kind that causes you to nervously hop off the bike and inspect your wheels. I’m happy to report that none of those caused any major dents, dings or misalignments.  After a half dozen rides or so I did need to re-tension the spokes and make a couple of minor truing adjustments, but since then they’ve been absolutely tough as nails.

In terms of ride characteristics on the engagement front, I think that the choice of 44 tooth is a nice, moderate middle ground landing loosely between what DT Swiss offers as stock (36T) and as an upgrade (54T). The new hubs provided relatively fast engagement but weren’t very loud and proved to be durable and low maintenance. As far as weight is concerned you certainly can find lighter weight complete aluminum wheelsets for a similar price – the Race Face Turbine comes to mind. But like the Turbines most will come with aluminum nipples and possibly straight pull spokes as well. While I don’t have any major grievances with aluminum nipples, if you live in a coastal area they can corrode and fail prematurely, plus you need to have a pretty light touch when you’re truing them, which isn’t always that practical trailside. So, if you’re really rough on your gear you likely are better off with brass nipples and J-bend spokes even if they cost some grams. While they tip the scales at the 2,000+ gram mark, the Synthesis 2.0s aren’t featherweight by any means, but they do score a bit higher on the durability side of things.

Overall

During my time aboard the Synthesis 2.0s I have had zero issues with them. They’ve warded off flats nicely while resisting dents, dings and going majorly out of true. The hub quality is quite good for a straightforward, non-boutique offering with easy maintenance and solid engagement. Additionally, I’m a big fan of the front and rear specific approach which offers a more compliant feel up front and a stiffer/more robust characteristic out back. Last but not least, the lifetime warranty should allay any worries about long term durability. All told if you’re in the market for a complete aluminum wheelset the Synthesis 2.0 is absolutely worth considering and in my opinion should be up toward the top of the list…

www.crankbrothers.com