The guys over at Hayes showed us the new SUNringlé Black Flag Pro SL and Charger Pro SL wheels this summer, where we learned that they’re not only lighter than the non-SL comrades, but stiffer and faster, too.
To pull off that magic, they used a stronger alloy on the rims combined with taller rim profiles. The new metal let them use less material to save weight, and the extra height give them better lateral stiffness. There’s a small tradeoff in that they’re about 1mm narrower, though. BF’s are 23mm and Chargers are 27mm, making the latter their all-mountain option while the BF’s are more XC and light trail ready.
They also shaved material from the hubs, and gave them 50% faster engagement on the inside. Weights, pricing and more pics after the break…
Above, the Black Flag Pro SL rear hub. Below, the Charger Pro SL front hub. Both wheels come with end caps for all popular axle standards in the box. The rims use Stan’s NoTubes bead socket and come with their yellow rim tape preinstalled and a bottle of sealant in the box. They’re laced up with Wheelsmith bladed spokes, which also contribute to the wheels’ overall stiffness.
WEIGHTS & PRICES
- Charger Pro SL 26″ – 1550g – $899.99
- Charger Pro SL 29″ – 1700g – $924.99
- Black Flag Pro SL 26″ – 1450g – $899.99
- Black Flag Pro SL 29″ – 1600g – $924.99
650B/27.5″ wheels will come soon, but no official date is announced. Still no word on that carbon fiber rimmed prototype wheelset we saw, though.
“Riders count on us to provide a quality wheel that can still take a beating,” said Scott Boyd, SUNringlé product manager. “Our new SL series offers race worthy wheels that are competitive in terms of weight, but also have the durability that’s expected from our brand.”
We beat up on the regular Black Flag Pro wheels a couple years ago and really liked them, especially for the price. Daniel’s been running them since they’re still in darn near perfect condition. So, we’re looking forward to our test set, which should be here by the end of the year!
