Santa Cruz, California-based Praxis Works got their start making bottom brackets, but over the past few years their component line has exploded. They’re now producing cassettes, chainrings, cranks, and as we found out at Sea Otter, they’ve added wheels and chainguides to the mix.
Wheels
Praxis was showing two brand-new wheelsets, one carbon (C32) and one aluminum (AL24). The C32s are 32mm wide internally, feature an asymmetrical design for even spoke tension, and use DT Swiss 350 hubs with Star Ratchet internals. Praxis rates these for trail and all-mountain use. Weights for the wheelsets are 1,726g for the 29″, and 1,628g for the 27.5″. Retail for both sizes is $1,800.
The alloy A24 wheels are also rated for trail use, but are narrower at 24mm internally, which should make them suitable for narrower XC tires or even ‘cross. Hub internals are DT Swiss as well, but the more affordable 370s which use three pawls instead of the Star Ratchet internals. The A24s are only available in 29″ available in both 27.5″ and 29″, with a weight of 1,798g for the 29″ pair. Retail is $700.
Chainguides
While narrow/wide chainrings and clutch derailleurs have gone a long ways towards eliminating dropped chains, they aren’t 100% secure. Many riders–and racers, especially–are opting to run minimalist guides for a bit more insurance. There is certainly no shortage of options, as chainguides have been experiencing a resurgence over the last year. Praxis Works’ new offering looks to be a well-thought-out, lightweight, and affordable ($45) option.
Two sizes of the guides are available: one for rings in the 26-32T range, and one that covers a broader range from 26-38T. Praxis went with the widely-used ISCG 05 mounting standard. The guide takes only a 4mm Allen wrench to install and adjust. Since the top of the guide is open and slightly flared, there’s no need to use shims, and you don’t have to break the chain or split the guide to install. If you’ve ever had to fiddle with tiny shims to get a guide aligned, this is welcome news.
Weight, including the hardware, is 38g. That’s roughly the equivalent of 43 mosquito farts.
Cranks
Praxis was also showing their new carbon crankset called Lyft. They use a 30mm spindle and the arms are hollow. Weight for a crankset with a 30T ring is a feathery 454g, not including a bottom bracket. That makes them significantly lighter than SRAM’s XX1 and Shimano’s XTR. The newest Race Face Next SL G4 cranks are just a hair lighter at 430g with a 32T ring.
Even at that crazy-low weight, Praxis says they’re up to some proper thrashing out on the trail. They will offer a slightly beefed-up version later this year for folks that are willing to trade a few grams for a bit more strength.
Praxis will offer crank arm lengths of 170 and 175mm. Retail is $500 (BB is extra) and they’ll be available this summer.
Last updated on 04/25/2016 at 12:52pm MDT.
