Tested: 8150 Carbon Wheels

A new company by the name of “8150” in Vail, Colorado, are assembling wheels using an all-new method of spoke-lacing theory for carbon rims that challenges modern convention. Implementing forward-thinking techniques in the construction of their wheels, former World Cup downhill racer and “wheel guru” Jamas Stiber calls the process “Force Specific Lacing,” and it’s patented.

Why create a new way of building a wheel? The introduction of disc brakes on bicycles created new demands on the wheel, and 8150 feels wheel technology has yet to catch up. Now, the wheel requires its spokes to be tugged and pulled during braking, an issue traditional wheel-building techniques have not properly addressed. Many riders with experience on carbon wheelsets have developed an opinion about compliance wants versus stiffness needs. Diehard Vital readers will identify similar discussions of physics from our recent Crankbrothers Synthesis wheel review, and although there are similarities in both company's ideas, they are very different at the same time — let’s dig in.

We’ve spent over a year-and-a-half testing these wheels, so this article will likely make you think about wheel construction in a whole new way. Whether you build wheels or not, you’re going to be intrigued by the nerdist’s rocket science behind this brand. We tested the 8150 wheels against a “standard” carbon wheelset on the same bike to explore the differences of 8150’s “Truth Lacing” method and here’s what we found.

Highlights

Availability: 27.5” and 29”

Rim: Hookless profile, high modulus T700 carbon, UD finish, 32-hole, 3mm offset drilled to offset dish; Enduro front rim and DH rear rim for most advanced riders

Rim Dimensions: 36mm internal width, 42mm external width, 23.5mm height

Rim Weight: 460 grams (+/-20g)

Hubs: DT Swiss 350 (Axle: Standard or BOOST)

Spokes: DT Swiss Competition, Competition Race and Alpine III

Nipples: DT Swiss ProLock

MSRP: $1,500 USD (Industry Nine hubs available with up-charge)

Technologies

Power Management Efficiency (PME): Lacing spokes according to their respective acceleration versus braking forces. Decreasing lean angle on brake-pull spokes and selective flange placement help decrease brake deflection.

Leverage Balance Dynamics (LBD): Mixing three different spoke sizes and types with a strategic blend of brass and aluminum nipples to create a more balanced wheelset that lessens spoke-on-spoke friction, and increases the woven wheels’ capacity for shock absorption.

Vertical Compliance: Possessing a stiff carbon rim with an ability to “egg” under massive forces and resist breakage.

Initial Impressions

The 8150 wheels are visually different than other carbon offerings on the market. Beefy yet svelte, the bladed spokes up front are instantly noticed when mixed with other varying sizes of spokes. The alternating aluminum and brass nipples are made apparent in different colors to help identify the physical demands in action. And the unique, raised, and squared areas around where the spokes protrude from the rim are easily noticed, yet not entirely dissimilar to Santa Cruz’s new house rim.

When physically feeling for spoke tension — like strumming a guitar with your fingers — we were very intrigued that the overall tension was much lower than typical and Stiber claims that’s a big part of the physics, allowing the wheel to flex where it can, yet be firm where it’s needed. Coincidentally, this is the simplest way to explain how these wheels felt in reality.

On the trail, the 8150 wheels are noticeably more compliant overall than other carbon sets we’ve tested, but still provide the desired stiffness and speed. When slamming into large rocks, we found the wheels to give rather than deflect, which helped riders hold their line at high speeds. The width of the rims created a solid tire profile that resisted roll under sharp direction changes in turns and provided a large footprint to assist traction.

During rapid deceleration, we experienced less deflection compared to a carbon wheel of “typical” construction and the chatter in braking bumps seemed to decrease, as well. The front also felt more compliant when pushing hard into corners, with less roll and inspiring confidence.

The rear felt more reliable in gnarly terrain, chunder and technical areas than a carbon wheelset with standard construction — Stiber attributes this to the compliance within the lacing technology. It’s a reassuring feeling to have the stiffness in place without allowing the wheel to get too chaotic as many stiff, carbon rims typically can be in the rougher sections of trail.

Technology

Stiber and 8150 began by dissecting every force applied to the wheel, measuring the forces applied under braking, acceleration, and including lateral inputs. Discovering that certain spokes receive braking force, which applies more stress than the spokes that receive drive propulsion forces. Sounds simple enough, but what does this mean? It means that lacing an entire wheel with the same spokes would not be optimal. If a wheel has 32 spokes, then 16 are responsible for propelling the bike when pressure is applied to the cranks and the other 16 handle slowing the bike when the brakes are applied. Additionally, of the 16 spokes that help decelerate the bike there are eight spokes occupying the side of the drivetrain and the other eight are on the side of the rotor.

The unique 8150 wheel-build acknowledges these stress requirements and combat the physical demands by utilizing differently sized spokes for the acceleration versus braking forces, referring to this method of lacing as “PME: Power Management Efficiency.”

Furthermore, Stiber recognized that if the wheel is not symmetrical, then physics will try its damnedest to center itself. Depending on the way you look at it, either the hub tries to center itself in the rim or the rim is trying to center itself over the hub — this phenomenon creates what we know as brake force deflection. Stiber’s method of solving this issue is to decrease the brake-pull spokes’ lean angle from the hub flange to the rim. The placement of the brake-pull spokes, and the side (inside or outside) of the flange these J-pull spokes exit determine the amount of leverage exuded by the brake-pull spokes.

Another major component is referred to as “LBD: Leverage Balance Dynamics.” This is where 8150 employs bladed spokes with round spokes of a smaller size that are woven over larger diameter spokes in a strategic blend, which attempts to solve two issues at the same time. First, by decreasing the diameter of one spoke at the point where two spokes cross, the thin-bladed spoke now has less of a tensile strength advantage over the other spoke at this junction. Therefore, it can be strung like a piece of thread against the opposing round spoke which lessens friction at the interface and creates a more-balanced, tighter tension against the non-dished side of the wheel. Second, at the point of contact the flat spoke slides with less friction against the round spoke, and exploits the shock absorption ability of the woven wheel.

Now to the rim ingredient of this unique wheel-build. As a huge fan of ACS Z-Rims from old school BMX days, Stiber brings into service a rim with a soft, vertical compliance, identified as 8150’s “Tensile Strength Compression Aspect Ratio,” an idea conceived from Z-Rim’s flexible nylon material construction that you could put the rims in the freezer to straighten them up!

Stiber had a hunch that some of the current carbon rim profiles were adversely affecting the vertical compliance and making the rims simply too stiff — an important realization because when the world decided to make rims out of carbon, the goal was to make them as stiff as aluminum or stiffer. To defend the current standard of carbon rim manufacturing, which was actually achieved — but as it turns out a softer, more flexible rim can allow a softer lace, and a more compliant ride. Striber’s assumption is that when the rim can flex and become more egg-shaped during heavy strikes, it stands a better chance of surviving longer.

The final concept Stiber applied for a better wheel: Eliminating the “light bulb” shape of the tire’s profile. By widening the rim, 8150 chose a 36mm internal width with 3mm of drilled offset to better accommodate today’s enduro and downhill standard 2.3- to 2.5-inch tire size. The tire experiences much less roll when leaned over in a turn, allowing lower air pressure and increased traction.

Things That Could Be Improved

We had zero complaints about these wheels, minus being able to explain all of their design features and benefits quickly and concisely to fellow trail users. Although not necessarily a possible improvement, having to carry three replacement spokes as backup if a spoke breaks should be seen as a minor downside.

What's The Bottom Line?

The 8150 wheelset is HAND-built to be stiff where they need to be, yet still give where necessary. This elasticity is where compliance occurs, which is true of our recent Crankbrothers review, as well, so the two companies may have discovered a unique, new quality.

As far as dependability is concerned, we’ve had no issues with the wheels thus far and have only needed to make minor tension adjustments over the several hundred miles they’ve endured.

The real question: Do these radical theories work? We can say, “100-percent, yes.” The 8150 wheelset is different than any we’ve reviewed. They proved stiff where it mattered and supple for traction in corners. The most noticeable difference between other carbon wheelsets is the 8150’s lack of deflection and ability to hold a straight line through the rockiest zones. If you are a rider of discerning taste, and a finite feel for detail, 8150 has the ability to tailor a wheelset to your exact preferences and demands with a unique, hand-built product.

Visit www.8150wheels.com for more details.

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About The Reviewer

Matt Swenson - Age: 35 // Years Riding: 28 // Height: 5'11" (1.80m) // Weight: 160 pounds (72.57kg)

I’m a ColoRADo native who’s been shredding bikes since the age of two and my life revolves around two wheels. I currently own a bike and outdoor shop, as well as run logistics, timing and operations for multiple race series across the country — previous employment includes work in orthopedic surgery, as well as time associated with Winter Park Resort. I have also spent several years building and judging slopestyle events like the GoPro (previously Teva) Games, Colorado Freeride Festival, and Crankworx among others. I grew up in bike shops working as a mechanic, so I’ve always been a nerd when it comes to bike components and technologies. I’m a former downhill and motocross racer who cut his teeth riding BMX and pioneering sketchy wood features as a child. These days I enjoy the bike park, trail riding, skatepark and dirt jump sessions with my wife and pup Enzo. I'm can typically be found shredding Trestle Bike Park in the summer during my off-time, so hit me up for a lap! "Hold the throttle wide open ‘til you see God...then brake."

Photos by Seth Beckton and Carl Frey