Race Face Era SL Wheelset Review: Downcountry Specific – Spencer Harding | The Radavist | A group of individuals who share a love of cycling and the outdoors.

Spencer Harding got his hands on Race Face’s latest Era SL wheelset ahead of its release today. Splitting the difference between an XC wheel’s quest for weight savings and an enduro wheel’s bombproof durability, the Era SL threads the needle in the downcountry category. Spencer may have proclaimed that downcountry is dead, but maybe he was wrong. Check out his thoughts and details on this tweener category wheelset below…

Race Face Era SL Quick Hits

Rim Weight: 385g per rim
Wheelset Weight: 1530g (6-bolt, tape/valves excluded)
Rim Depth: 22 mm
Internal Width: 29 mm
Tire Width Compatibility: Up to 2.6”
Wheel Size: 29″ only
Spoke Count: 28 front and rear
Hub Engagement: 3° with six-pawl, 60-tooth drive ring
Hub Options: Microspline, XD, HG
Axle Compatibility: Front – 15x110mm | Rear – 12x148mm and 12x157mm (6B only)
Rider Weight Limit: 130kg system weight
Intended Use: Trail, up to 140mm travel – Use Category 4 (Trail)
Hookless
Separate layup for front and rear rims
Lifetime warranty
Not eMTB rated
MSRP: $1,649.98 USD / $2198.00 CAD / $2949 AUD / 1748 EUR

Threading the Needle of Weight Vs. Durability

At the press camp for the release of these wheelsets, I saw the Race Face talking heads hyping up the need for “downcountry” oriented products. As most riders fall outside the intense focus of XC and the burly necessities of Enduro/DH, they would be better served in this middle category, especially because short-travel bikes have gotten really good in the last few years. With a separate layup for front and rear rims and a hookless design, Race Face was able to allocate material when needed and save weight efficiently. The rims are slightly narrower than the standard 30 mm, which has become all but ubiquitous in the mountain bike realm. I can imagine the smaller rim helping to save weight without sacrificing much in the way of rim width and tire profile.

Vault Hubs

The Era SL wheelset uses Race Face’s tried and true Vault hubset. Both hubs have a conical taper giving the hubs their distinctive silhouette. This allows for larger bearings on both hubs and a larger engagement ring on the rear hub. The rear hub has a 60-tooth drive ring and a six-pawl interface with the drive ring in alternating groups of 3 three to create 3° engagement. While some I9 or Onyx riders might turn their noses up at 3° engagement, it’s more than fine for all but the gnarliest rock crawling.

Even while prioritizing weight savings, Race Face uses a hub with a 6-bolt disc rotor mount. Praise be! I truly abhor centerlock rotors. As it turns out, RF will be releasing a centerlock version in the fall to save 50 grams if that is crucial to you.

In another surprising twist in the modern high-end hub world, Race Face offers an HG driver for their Vault hubs. If you’re like me and love Shimano’s Deore XT Linkglide, this is a big plus. If you want to swap out that freehub body, the Vault hubs also feature a tool-less disassembly for ease of repair and service.

They also remind me of the cult classic Chub hubs from the fixed gear days of yore, and that’s pretty sweet.

Lateral Compliance

The new Era SL rims claim an 8.7% improved lateral compliance over previous generations of Era rims. When I asked what exactly this meant and how it was measured, Race Face responded that the new rims required the aforementioned 8.7% less force to move the same distance laterally than the previous rims. How far was that distance? Race Face did not elaborate. I find these claims to be more important in their intent than in quantifiable numbers. What really matters is that Race Face set out to make a more compliant rim; the numbers are just marketing jargon.

Lateral compliance is helpful for deflection in rocky and bumpy situations. In such situations, the rims flex and absorb some of the trail chatter, keeping you on your line and less fatigued. Over the years, we have seen many manufacturers pivot toward more compliant rims, and for good reason, especially with early carbon rims being known for their very stiff ride quality.

Lifetime Warranty

With so many carbon MTB wheelsets being similar these days – 28-30mm rim width, 28 spokes, and weighing roughly 1500-1600 grams – what sets the Era SL wheels apart? It’s worth mentioning their lifetime warranty. I would argue that buying a new carbon wheelset is as much about its durability and warranty as it is about weight. Now, “lifetime” means different things to different companies.

Race Face is going to stand behind their product for the foreseeable life of the product. I’ve seen some brands pin that time around 8-10 years, as the “lifetime” of the product. All this to say, if you break your Race Face Era SL wheelset in any way while riding, Race Face will replace it. I usually hope to test such warranties in my reviews, but the rims have held up quite well to my local rock gardens.

Wrapping Up

Race Face has iterated on its Era wheelset line by dropping weight and improving compliance while retaining easy hub service and a great warranty. A carbon MTB wheelset is frickin’ sweet and a pivotal upgrade that can make a huge difference in how your bike rides. Such an upgrade can be a large investment, and knowing Race Face commits to its warranty should be encouraging. If you are looking for an upgrade to your downcountry bike, the Race Face Era SL wheels might just be for you.