The Blag Flag Expert wheelset from SUNRingle quite possibly represents the most complete mountain bike wheelset you can buy. With Stan’s Bead Socket Technology (BST) baked in and plenty of options like 15mm and 20mm through-axle configurations, just about the only thing you need to add is air (oh, and of course a tire). The result is a durable, fuss-free set-up that rides like a pure-bred stallion on the trail.

SUNRingle markets the Black Flag Expert as an XC/Trail wheelset so I decided to run these rugged wheels on my week-long Durango to Moab trip over the summer and I’ve been riding them ever since. Compared to the XC-specific wheels I typically ride, I felt virtually zero flex over rocky terrain and was relieved to hear nothing but silence when landing short drops. Twenty-eight Wheelsmith spokes and stiff, low-wall 24mm aluminum rims make this a strong wheel that may not be the lightest out there (1830 grams) but offers a great trade-off between high strength and low weight. (In the last two years alone I’ve destroyed two lightweight 29er wheels from two different manufacturers – and I’m not a heavy guy at all.)

The Black Flag Experts roll true right out of the box and on the trail the overall stiffness allowed me to pick my lines with surgical accuracy. These wheels also get a big boost from the thru-axle configurations available on the front wheel. I went with the 20mm version and I have to say I’m completely sold on the idea of a stiff front end.

One of the things that really got me excited about the Black Flag Expert wheelset is the inclusion of Stan’s next-generation BST which gives the rims a lower sidewall and shape that’s perfectly mated to your tire bead for a tighter tubeless seal. With the rim tape professionally applied and tire sealant and valve stems included, this is a great wheel for riders who are looking to go tubeless (or for those who are fed up with the hassle of converting a wheelset on their own). I have to admit I’m not the most experienced when it comes to tubeless tires (yet) and despite the fact, my installation went without a hitch using a standard floor pump. Stan’s/NoTubes.com is pretty much the gold standard in tubeless mountain bike tires so you can’t go wrong here.

I’ve experimented running these wheels both tubed and tubeless and with different tires and I have to say I haven’t run into any issues. The BST rims do make for a tight fit when running tires with tubes and at times I was frustrated with just how difficult some tires were to mount. But once I was able to get the tires on I really appreciated the tight fit these rims offered.

The SUNRingle hubs included on the Black Flag Expert wheels have held up well over 6 months of abuse thanks to the rugged aluminum shell and Cartridge Bearing system. The audible freehub “buzz” is sorta fun at first but to me the noise started getting a little old after a few rides. Even now I find myself clutching the back brake when I bring my bike inside after a night ride, careful not to wake anyone with the clicky rear wheel. The upshot is the freewheel pawl system offers decent engagement, though you won’t want to use these wheels for low speed trials or freeride maneuvers. For XC training and even racing, the freewheel offers good acceleration and response. The rotor mounts are solid and worked flawlessly with both Hayes and Avid brake set-ups.

The over-sized Black Flag graphics shown above may not be for everyone but the stickers can be removed for an all-black murdered-out look. Black spokes, black rims, and black hubs – these are the wheels Jay-Z would rock on his 29er. The wheels are also available with yellow rims if you’re feeling more like a leader.

The Black Flag Expert 29er wheels from SUNRingle ($480 MSRP) offer the complete package for XC and Trail riders looking for a stiff, durable wheelset that’s up for just about anything. The integrated Stan’s BST and high quality hubs make this a versatile wheelset that will keep spinning for years to come. Available in 29″ and 26″ versions.

Thanks to the folks at SUNRingle for providing the Black Flag Expert 29er wheels for review.

Not too long ago I did a write up about Sun Ringle and spoke with product manager Scott Boyd. Well I recently got a call from Scott and was stoked to hear that he was sending me a set of the new Charger Pro wheels to take for a spin.

The Sun Ringle Charger Pro wheels will be available for about $650 MSRP and should include just about every adapter you can think of (more on that later). The Charger Pro wheels are a total redesign from last year’s wheels starting with the Stan’s Notube rim profile which comes complete with rim strips, valves, and sealant so you can run these wheels tubeless if you want. The front wheel also comes with all the adapters that you will need: 20mm through axle, QR 15mm, and the QR 9mm. If that’s not enough you can also find the adapters and installation tools (sold seperately) to run 135 x 12mm or the new 142 x 12mm rear axle for just $20 each.

The new Charger Pro sports a beefy 28mm wide rim with a 22.8mm inner bead which is the perfect balance between high strength and low weight. With the new Stan’s licensed bead lock incorporated into the rim profile and the deep 23.5mm section width you’re looking at one very strong wheel that will take it all season after season. (My wheels have already spent a lot of time on my FR rig). The drop center rim with safety ridges aid in both tire installation and in keeping the tires in position when riding.

Red anodized aluminum spoke nipples from wheelsmith, forged from 7000 series aluminum, keep overall wheel weight low without loosing strength. Compared to other spoke nipples, these babies have been hammered into shape (others tend to be cut) which adds to the durability of the spoke nipple.

Of course the shining star here is the all new, 24 hole hub design that ensures no two spokes will ever come in contact with each other. The Charger Pro hub also features large bearings to support the wheel and can take any abuse you’re willing to give them. The bottom line is these hubs make the wheels stronger, smoother spinning, and longer lasting.

Swapping between axle sizes is a painless experience that nearly anyone can handle themselves. For the rear wheel adapter you’ll need to use the included tool to hold the axle as necessary for removal of the adapters.

Installing a set of ITS 909 DH tires was a piece of cake. I decided to try these tires with the Stan’s fluid and no tubes to see how well the Charger Pro would perform with a non-specific tubeless tire. Using an air compressor I had no problem inflating the tires to the proper pressure; if you don’t have an air compressor, a good quality floor pump will also do the trick (just takes a little extra work).

The great thing about these wheels other than the cool graphics, blood red hubs, and bone white rims is the support that comes along with the wheel. Everything you need is there for you: the Stan’s rim strips and valves, Stan’s fluid, and all the front axle adapters you might need. And for those who have a larger rear axle, the 12 x 135mm or 12 x 142mm axle adapters go for just 20 bucks including the tool!

Performance on the trail

On the trail I found the Charger Pro wheels to be stiff but not overly so. Some wheels that are on the market (particularly those that are mass produced) have a period of adjustment where you can hear the spokes creaking and settling in but I didn’t get that with the Charger Pros. From the second they were on the bike I didn’t hear a thing from them.

Taking the bikes into corners I got a good feel for the trail without a hint of wandering or wobble from the wheel. The wheel mass is low enough that it’s a cinch to change lines quickly but thanks to the strength of these wheels in combination with a larger volume tire you can blast over just about anything. The sturdiness of the rim took rock gardens like a champ without complaints and I was impressed with how straight the rim remained after repeated blows. The overall strength reminds me of a much heavier wheelset that I used not too long ago. The Charger Pro gets high marks for cool looks, decent weight, and toughness all in once package. Nice.

Although the Charger is marketed as an AM wheel, you could easily consider this for your freeriding days as well. Even if you’re not a freerider, these wheels should also fit the bill perfectly for fairly technical trail riding. The 24 spoke two-cross configuration is the perfect set-up for a wheel that will be changing direction frequently (read: high speed). Now if you’re a straight-line hucker that hits monster gaps (25 foot or larger) you may want to consider something a bit beefier like the ADD wheels from Sun Ringlé. But if you’re someone like myself that does hit the FR trails while keeping it to a sane level (drops 15′ foot or less with smooth transitions) then these should be right up there on your short list of high performance wheels.

Specs from Sun Ringlé:

• Stan’s No Tubes BST™ Tubeless Technology >>
• Premium Direct Pull Hubs with Japanese Precision Bearings
• Wheelsmith Double Butted Spokes
• Lightweight AM Wheel – 1699g / Pair
• Available in 29er
• Hubs are easily convertible to today’s axle standards – 20mm, 15mm and QR end caps included*
• Wheels include Stan’s No Tubes Yellow Sealing Tape, Sealant, and Valves*

I would like to thank the folks at Sun Ringlé for providing these wheels for testing and review.

We spoke with Denny Yunk at the Hayes group this morning about everything from wheels to bars to brakes. Here’s a short video clip with Denny talking about the new Black Flag and Charger wheelsets. We’ll try to upload more video throughout the day – stay tuned!

SUN-Ringlé has be around for a long time now but these days they’re delivering some especially sweet products. Recently the good folks down at SUN-Ringlé sent me perhaps one of their best kept secrets (pssstt – listen up weight weenies). At just 1421 grams for the set (including quick release skewers), the Black Flag Ceramic Diskis a super lightweight MTB wheel set, especially compared to similar Mavic and Easton sets that weigh 1550+ grams.

Looking at these wheels I got all goose-bumpy – well not literally but I don’t know how else to describe the feeling of unboxing such an artfully crafted wheel set. The build quality of the Black Flag wheels is incredible – the spoke line was dead straight (which contributes to a longer lasting wheel build) and all the spokes were tensioned precisely. Overall the Black Flag wheels have relatively high tension at the spokes (though not as high as others like the Easton XC-Ones) which sets the overall feel and performance characteristics of the wheels. Spinning the wheel in free air I could really see how smooth the ceramic bearings were and just how true this wheel set was right out of the box. Can you say butter?

Placing a set of XC tires on the Black Flags was bit of a chore, though that probably had something to do with my tire choice. Other than that installation was a snap – just bolted on my rotors (160mm front and 140mm rear) and a cassette and I was off to the trails.

Talk about lightweight! At first I was a little worried that the Blag Flag wheels were really a set of road wheels in disguise because they felt so light. On the XC trails I was floored at how much faster and how many taller gears I could push with these wheels and I found that I was riding the large front ring a whole lot more than on my typical training ride. Putting the power down, these wheels just went – the low rotational mass combined with the ceramic bearings make for a super fast rolling wheel set. For such a light set of wheels I was impressed by the amount of control these babies offered in tight, twisty turns. I found these wheels to be stiff enough to keep them pointed where I wanted without being so stiff that they knocked my teeth loose.

Overall the Sun-Ringle Black Flag Ceramic wheel set is great for its intended purpose – fast XC trail riding. While you won’t want to use these if you plan on hucking around, the Black Flag wheels are the perfect set to use for race day. If you’re on the heavier side of 180lb these wheels may not be a good fit but running a slightly higher volume tire (2.1″ vs. 1.95″) can give you some added protection against heavy hits. The Black Flags Ceramic wheels are certainly an impressive and lightweight XC wheelset – give them a try!

Cheers!

The Sun-Ringlé Black Flag Ceramic wheel set is sold at most great local bike shops for around $840 MSRP (some dealers may sell for less). Fortunately these wheels are not über-expensive, especially compared to wheel sets with MSRP’s over $1100 for essentially the same thing.

Specifications from Sun-Ringle:

• For XC race conditions
• Black anodized, welded Equalizer 21 rims – disc brake only
• Black anodized Dirty Flea hub set with sealed ceramic bearings
• Hole Count: Front 28 and rear 28
• Wheelsmith high performance spokes – black finish
• Wheelsmith alloy nipples – black ano
• New SUN-Ringle alloy QR with hollow chromoly axles
• 26″ – 559mm
• Weight: 1421g

SUNringlé has done it again, updating and improving the STR8 Track wheel set for those who like to spend time flying through the air as part of their regular riding routine. The STR8 Track wheel set (MSRP $560.00) is just as at home on tight rocky singletrack as it is landing 7 foot+ drops. Having been tested by extreme riders like Cedric Graica you can be sure these wheels can take on anything your trails can deliver. The STR8 Track wheels are not to be confused with a freeride wheel set which would be a little beefier, but for what these have been designed for (all-mountain, heavy trail use), they fit the bill nicely with room to play.

I decided to install these wheels on my 5.5 rig with a Manitou Minute 20mm front fork, and after torquing new disks and installing tires and a fresh cassette, I was off to the trails. For the test ride I stuck with my usual tires (Eskar S-works 2.3) since I already know how the tires behave and I can concentrate on the wheel itself. At 1984 grams per set these are just a touch lighter than the Mavic Crossline (2045g) wheel set I tested last month, however the STR8 Track wheels are 2mm wider and feel more rigid than the Mavic Set. The rigid feeling on these wheels is due to the 32 Wheelsmith DB14 double butted steel spokes plus a much welcomed wider and deeper rim.  Once you  get moving it’s hard to want to stop (even the camera man had a hard time catching me). These wheel are just too much fun!

A great thing I noticed while testing the STR8 Track wheels on the trail is the smoothness of the wheel set – they roll great and do not flex laterally even when tossed into a high G bank turn. Another welcomed attribute is the relatively quiet but positive engagement of the freehub. I have found these wheels light and responsive enough and they work well traveling over skinnies and obstacles without hesitating to change direction quickly. The lacing of the spokes results in great control while the optimized spoke tension helps take the edge off impact when take big hits.

Overall I have to say the SUNringlé STR8 Track wheels are worth every penny – hit your local bike shop and take a look at these, especially if you’re on the north side of 200lbs. Being at that weight myself, (with full gear and water) I know that finding a set of wheels that will withstand serious trail abuse can be difficult. But look no further, these fit the bill and at their cost you can afford a new set of your favorite rubber as well!

Now the Official information from SUNringlé:

Use: All Mountain / Disc
Front Hub: 32 Hole Sunringlé Jumping Flea (Black)
Rear Hub: 32 Hole Sunringlé Dirty Flea (Black)
Rim: Black anodized welded Equalizer, Width: 31mm Disk brake only
Spokes: Wheelsmith DB 14 double butted spokes – black finish
Nipples: Wheelsmith alloy black
Lacing: 3 Cross (Fr/ Rr)
Weight: 1984g

Cheers folks – and remember to keep the rubber side down! Avoid the big trees – they don’t move!