Aimed at the XC racer that likes to push past the groomed singletrack, the new Race Face Next SL carbon fiber mountain bike wheels round out their lightweight race category. They’re more than just new rims, the Next SL wheelset introduces a lighter Vault front hub made specifically for this type of rider, providing a 29er-only wheelset that comes in at just 1,555g but is ready to tackle anything you’d throw a trail bike down.
They come with Boost spacing (15×110 front, with Torque Cap conversion available, and 12×148 rear), and are built with a new 26mm wide (internal) UD carbon fiber rim. The rim has all the expected tubeless readiness with rim tape and valve stems pre-installed, and uses an offset spoke design to improve spoke bracing angles from side to side. External rim width is 31mm, and they use a shallow 21mm depth to give them a more tuned ride feel for the XC / trail bike category.
The new Vault front hub is designed specifically for 15mm thru axles (no QR compatibility), which let them pull a whopping 50g out of it. In the rear is their latest Vault hub, which has a wicked fast 3º engagement thanks to 120 points of engagement and six offset, individually sprung pawls that engage three at a time.
Spokes are Sapim Laser, 28 per wheel, laced 3x, and all are the same length on both sides of the wheel, front and rear, making it easy to fix any broken ones with the five included spares. Retail is $1,599 for the set ($775 front, $825 rear).
They’re available now and are covered by Race Face’s 2-year Carbon Confidence no-fault guarantee. Need something bigger, wider and tougher? Check out the recently introduced R36 wheels for enduro and all-mountain riding.
