Test / MTB / Components: The Crankbrothers brand was founded in Laguna Beach in 1997 and is best known for its iconic pedals, whose design is reminiscent of a kitchen whisk. With great function and simple design, the pedals have conquered the globe and Crankbrothers has been able to develop into a well-respected brand with various product lines such as compact travel tools, dropper posts, pumps and other accessories. Impellers have developed into an important product line in recent years, where Crankbrothers repeatedly stands out from the crowd with their own solutions. This also applies to the current Synthesis XCT 11 wheels, which are at the forefront of the cross-country/trail range.
Crankbrothers Synthesis XCT 11: The concept behind it
The Crankbrothers Synthesis XCT 11 are aimed at cross country and trail riders. With the Synthesis wheel line, the combination of front wheel and rear wheel is considered as an overall concept and the specific components are designed according to the different requirements. The front wheel is designed to be a little softer and more flexible, making it a little easier to handle. Influences from the ground are easily absorbed by the wheel and relieve the driver, since the front is easier to control. In rough corners, light impacts are better absorbed and the front wheel remains easier to control. In order to enable a "softer" impeller, only 28 spokes are used here. In addition to the slightly softer wheel, the rim at the front is wider with an inner width of 26,5 mm. As a result, tires at the front come out wider and rounder from the rim. This increases the volume of the tire and the contact area, which should improve steering behavior and provide more damping.
With 32 spokes, the rear wheel gets four more spokes, making the wheel stiffer. As a result, peak loads are better absorbed and the impeller remains stable even at high speeds. In terms of propulsion, too, the forces are better transmitted with a stiffer wheel. The rim at the rear is 24,5 mm inside, two millimeters narrower than at the front. This narrows the tire profile at the rear and should ensure better rolling characteristics and more grip.
Our colleague Chris has already dealt extensively with the concept and the enduro version of the wheels:
components: Test: Crankbrothers Synthesis – reinventing the wheel?
News / Test: With the Crankbrothers Synthesis, the cult manufacturer from California is introducing a new series of wheels with carbon rims, where many things are done differently than before. There are three different series for different driver types and areas of use. We have already tested the bikes with the unusual concept in the E11 Enduro variant. Crankbrothers wheels […]
Crankbrothers Synthesis XCT 11: The Composition
As described above, Crankbrothers carbon rims specially adapted to the requirements are installed on the front and rear wheels. The construction is reinforced at the spoke holes and is said to be particularly robust at this critical point. The workmanship appears to be of high quality, the design is pleasantly reserved. Top: The US manufacturer grants a lifetime guarantee on the rims.
So far we have mainly talked about the rims. For the hubs, Crankbrothers has drawn on the expertise of a real cult and traditional manufacturer. The heart of the top variant is formed by hubs from Industry Nine. The Hydra Hub has already made a name for itself with many bikers thanks to its smooth running and robustness. The hubs are manufactured entirely at Industry Nine in the USA, with the manufacturing process starting with the raw aluminum. The freewheel body of the rear wheel hubs is revolutionary. With 6 pawls and 690 detent points, a detent angle of only 0,52° is achieved. This also ensures the unmistakable, loud and high buzzing sound of the freewheel.
The connection between Crankbrothers rims and the Hydra hubs is made by Sapim CX-Ray bladed spokes with aluminum nipples. They have proven themselves over the years as light and robust spokes. All together on the scales, this should result in 1.519 grams according to the manufacturer. On our scales it was 1.568 grams, but with a Shimano Micro Spline freewheel. Ideal weight for the XC/Trail area, especially since the wheel is a bit more well thought out than most of the competition.
When reading the compilation you will have already noticed that no cheap parts have been installed here. This is also reflected in the overall price. With 2.399 euros you are already moving in the premium class.
How does the concept fare on the trail?
Of course, we were curious to see whether the concept could also be felt on the trail. The wheels were mounted on our Ibis Ripley test bike with 180 mm Shimano brake discs and 2,35″ Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires. The tubeless mounting of the tires worked without any problems and we got everything sealed right away and without any mess. The decision to install identical tires at the front and rear was a conscious one. So we wanted to determine how the different rims affect the tires. After putting it on, you could already see that the tire at the rear came out of the rim a little narrower and rounder. The tire looks a bit bulkier at the front. Even if two millimeters of rim width doesn't sound like much - here you can already see and feel a clear difference.
The low weight was immediately noticeable in the first meters. With the light Nobby Nic trail tires, the wheels accelerated well and made the bike very lively. If you've had enough of accelerating and you let the freewheel engage, a nervous swarm of wasps immediately seems to be chasing you. The six pawls with 690 locking points make a lot of noise and have occasionally replaced the bell on busy cycle paths. The freewheel from Industry Nine was not only convincing acoustically. The freewheel on the Crankbrothers wheels seemed almost digital and the way to locking was hardly noticeable. So far I have rarely paid attention to the engagement angle of freewheels, but when switching to "conventional" freewheels, the difference was clearly noticeable, because here you never had the feeling of stepping into emptiness.
Soft front wheel? Stiff rear wheel? Can you confirm that on the trail? Definitely in terms of feeling. Sometimes I was already on carbon wheels, which were really uncomfortably stiff at the front, which not only affects comfort but also arm pump. Here the Synthesis XCT 11 wheel felt more like an aluminum wheel, but without being spongy. The impeller at the rear was almost a bit stubborn, which was compensated for with less air at the rear. Here the rim could have been a bit wider at the back. With air pressure below 1,4 bar and a light Nobby Nic carcass, the 2,35″ tire tended to buckle a little. Otherwise we could not find any abnormalities on the wheelset.
Conclusion
Great concept and finest materials. The Crankbrothers Synthesis XCT 11 wheelset is a high-end wheelset made from beech. Light, beautiful and composed of the finest parts, the Industry Nine hubs in particular are outstanding. Unfortunately, the price of just under 2.400 euros is also high-end.
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