SUN RINGLÉ DUROC 50 PLUS TEST

SUN RINGLÉ DUROC 50 PLUS

Budget-Friendly Plus Wheels

M2Ringle1 Over the past couple years plus-size wheels and tires have caught on like wildfire. Simply take a look at some of the industry’s major bicycle manufacturers, such as Specialized, Pivot and Santa Cruz, who now advertise their workhorse bikes as plus-sized compatible. So, with so many riders dabbling in the mid-fat market, Sun Ringlé saw an opportunity to produce a new line of plus-size-specific wheels offering great performance in a budget-friendly package. Sun Ringlé, in the hunt for a clever name for its newest creation, drew inspiration from the Duroc pig, which just so happens to be the oldest domestic pig breed in America. Considering the porky nature of plus- sized tires, Sun Ringlé knew it had found the perfect name.

Tech Features:

The Duroc wheelset comes in 29+ or 27.5+ diameters, as well as 40-millimeter or 50-millimeter widths. Our test wheelset was the 27.5+ version, with an outer width of 50 millimeters and an inner width of 46 millimeters. The wheels come with pre-installed tubeless rim tape and a pair of tube- less-ready valves for easy setup. Also included in the box is an XD driver for SRAM cassettes and a standard free hub for Shimano. The wheels are compatible with Boost 148×12 and 142×12 rear axles, as well as Boost 110×15 front axles. The Durocs are built with STR (Sun Ringlé Tubeless Ready) rims and are laced to SRX hubs with straight-pull, double-butted spokes. Our wheelset had 28 spokes, front and rear, and weighed 2150 grams. The Duroc wheelsets are available at your local dealer for $600.

M2Ringle2 Big hoops: The Duroc wheelset balances value and performance, making them a great option for riders seeking an additional wheelset for their plus-size-compatible rigs or as a budget-friendly wheelset for their current plus-size bikes.

Field Test Results:

Installing the Duroc wheelset on our test bike was a straight forward process. We swapped the standard free-hub body for an XD driver, which required the use of a 15-millimeter cone wrench and the edge of a second cone wrench to keep the axle from spinning. With the wheelset installed, we took to the trails. The SRX hubs felt smooth and offered relatively quick engagement that never disappointed our riders, even when they had to “ratchet” their way up steep and technical climbs. When coasting down the trail, testers found these hubs to be quite loud, but it only annoyed the other riders in the group, as our testers loved hearing the precise engagement buzzing as they shredded down the trail. Of course, some riders will prefer a quieter and stealthier engagement system.

The Duroc rims had a pleasantly stiff feel to them, and the wide 50-millimeter width gave our plus-size tires a large profile. Our test riders had no problem running tire pressures in the low 20s, resulting in ground-hugging traction. The Durocs stood up to the abuse of small jumps and drops, leading us to believe that these wheels would be a good fit for a plus-size trail or enduro rig.

At 2150 grams for the complete wheelset, the Durocs aren’t the lightest plus-sized wheels on the market, but for only $600, they could be a great secondary set. They would be ideal for the rider who has a 29er that’s also compatible with 27.5+ wheels who wants to try going big without breaking the bank. They could also be used as a budget-friendly wheelset for the fully committed plus-bike rider. Bottom line: this is an affordable wheelset with performance that exceeds its price tag.

Hits

• Great value
• Good performance

Misses

• Not the lightest wheels we’ve tested

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