DSC04725-denizmerdano graham reynolds wheels
Wheelset Review

Reynolds Blacklabel Enduro Carbon Wheelset

Photos Deniz Merdano, Graham Driedger (where noted)
Reading time

In 2016, Reynolds released the Blacklabel Enduro wheelset, right around the time the carbon-wheeled arms race ratcheted skyward. Reynolds holds 70 years of carbon manufacturing experience under their belt so building an enduro and DH-specific wheelset, prioritizing strength and low weight. was in their wheelhouse.

During this time, many other brands manufactured light and strong carbon wheels, but reports of overly stiff ride characteristics (lack of compliance) sent engineers back to the drawing board, to revise carbon layup and rim profiles for a less jarring experience. My suspicion is that Reynolds deciphered the compliance/ride quality code early on, which may explain why the Blacklabel Enduro wheelset still spins today.

It seems the enduro race field is split 50/50 between running carbon and alloy wheels. Carbon is insanely strong and provides great riding characteristics, but once damaged, they are as good as dead. Alloy is far more forgiving in terms of failure and repair. A rim replacement (following EWS rules) commands a 5 min time penalty or DNF. With that in mind, The Pivot Factory Racing team piloted the Blacklabel Enduro wheelset through the entire 2022 EWS season without a single wheel failure.* Impressive. Let's dive in and see what's going on with these wheels.

*Some teams that run carbon wheels replace them before every event for a little insurance since, unlike aluminum, it's impossible to tell if a carbon rim is near failure. - Ed.

Blacklabel 289/287

Reynolds sent a Blacklabel 289 Enduro front (29") and 287 (27.5") rear to build a mullet/mixed wheelset. Individual wheels aren't available directly through the Reynolds website, but retailers should be able to order a mixed wheel setup through the Reynolds distributor. To be clear, the 289 and 287 setup is the same, minus the obvious rear wheel size.

It's worth noting how burly these wheels are. From what I can tell, differences between the Blacklabel Enduro and DH is that Enduro employs 28 spokes with alloy nipples, while the DH version uses 32 spokes and brass nipples. The DH version shares the same rim, though it's purported to be built with Impact Dispersion Matrix (IDM), a resin and carbon layup which deadens impacts.

From the outside of the wheel working inward, let's start with talking about the MR5 rim. The Mountain Rim 5 denotes five aspects of the rim using varied thickness of carbon layup; the spoke face, nipple bed, sidewall, tire channel and rim bead. This balances thicker zones for impact/stress protection and thinner areas for weight reduction and flex pattern tuning.

deniz merdano graham reynolds black label wheels

Off camber lines stick well as moderate compliance is afforded by the Blacklabel Enduro wheelset

The rim has a deep profile (29mm) and is noticeably asymmetric, allowing spoke tension to stay even between sides, which theoretically leads to a stronger wheel. The outer width is 34mm, with internal width coming in at 28mm. The beautiful raw carbon forms a hookless bead for the tire. Rim tape was flawlessly applied from factory.

The 28 bladed Sapim CX-Ray spokes tie the wheel together in a near-silent, bougie aero fashion. Sapim claims the CX-Ray is one of the strongest spokes on the market, while being nearly as light as titanium. Laced in a 3 cross straight pull configuration, the bladed spokes eliminate the common stress riser of J bend spokes. The stiffness of the MD5 rim combined with high tensile strength of bladed spokes makes me feel relatively confident of the 28H configuration, and gives some compliance over a 32H in the ride feel department.

Some straight-pull offset wheelsets use the same spoke length on either side, easing in spoke replacement. The Blacklabel Enduro wheels sport a 2mm length difference per side on the front wheel, 1mm on the rear - which some wheelbuilders may accept as fine for interchangeability. The deep-dish profile of the MD5 rim may handle the extra spoke length and not compromise rim tape integrity. Nonetheless, It's a good idea to order some spare spokes of the longer length and chuck them in the toolbox, in the event of a broken spoke. Bladed straight pull spokes of a precise length could also be hard to find on a road trip, or away from your LBS. Reynolds excellent tech manual allows quick access to spoke dimensions, amongst other technical information.

The hubs are interesting, as Reynolds commissioned Industry 9 to build a Hydra with a proprietary shell in a straight pull/centerlock setup. It looks like a skinnier shelled I9 Hydra without the threads in the spoke holes. It's still a Hydra though, spinning smoothly and singing proudly with 690 points of engagement. Riders can facilitate any cassette standard, as XD, Microspline and HG freehub bodies are available.

In the event of a rim breaking, Reynolds Blacklabel wheels (and all Reynolds carbon wheels) are covered by a limited lifetime warranty. Within the first two years of ownership, all wheel components (other than hub/rim tape) will be replaced and re-laced by Reynolds at no cost to the consumer. After two years, the rim will still be replaced for free, minus consumables (spokes/nipples/labour). All hub warranty issues would presumably be taken care of by Industry 9.

These burly enduro hoops weigh in at 1740g, with rim tape and a little dirt I wasn't able to scrub off. Blacklabel Enduro advertised weight is 1735g for the 29", and 1660g for the 27.5, on paper averaging 1698g for the mixed pair. A 42g discrepancy northward isn't huge, and I'm okay with that - I'll skip an extra beer after the ride (yeah right!).

Setup

I'm not too hard on wheels, and for the past few years, alloy hoops have lived on my test rig. They're at least 50% through their life cycle. Since the Blacklabel Enduro wheelset arrived at the dawn of 2023, I've been trying my best to thrash the hell out of them. They've barely winced.

Unboxing the wheels, it's immediately apparent that Reynolds quality control is tight. The carbon rim is flawlessly finished, the anodized black bladed spokes silently scream aero coefficency. The custom Reynolds/I9 Hydra hubset spin like the top in Inception. Black decals adorn the raw carbon are stealthy and unobtrusive. Valve stems are supplied, but I replaced them with ubiquitous green Cushcore valves as I run inserts frequently. An offset valve washer would be a welcome addition to what arrives in the box, and were sourced at a local bike shop to the tune of $1 each.

Most enduro tires are optimized for 30mm internal width - and I can't say I noticed any difference in tire profile with the 28mm internal rim width. I mounted up Specialized Butcher T9 Gravity tires with slight coaxing from a tire lever, which inflated quickly and held air without issue.

I picked up some Ibis Ashima centerlock adaptors, and was surprised by how tight the tolerance is between splines - likely good as leverage from a 220mm/200mm rotor setup is high. This is my first centerlock setup, and while I'm slightly opposed to the idea due to the ubiquity of a 6 bolt setup, the adaptor allows the best of both worlds without using a dedicated centerlock rotor - which could be hard to find while on a road trip, etc.

Reynolds 29 Enduro Set

Subdued graphics are easier on the eyes compared to the last time we tested the Blacklabel Enduro wheels. A sum of their individual primo parts, Reynolds used the MTB equivalent of gold, frankincense and myrrh on these.

Ride Impressions

A few mechanical/consumable issues presented themselves within the first few rides. I'll knock on wood while typing this but I had my first flat in years after impacting a shitty, toothy rock on the exit of a slab. The tire deflated instantaneously, with an audible crack. I thought I torched the rim, but there was zero sign of damage and it remained perfectly true. I also destroyed a spoke, or maybe the spoke destroyed a stick in a kamikaze manner - who knows. The alloy nipple stayed put so spoke replacement was easy.

Initially, ride quality felt very firm, but the traction was afforded more by the tread, vs. casing deforming at lower pressures. Tire pressure variables aside, I felt the increase in lateral wheel stiffness immediately. My long-term test rig is a Rocky Mountain Altitude C70 and the rear end stiffness is not flexy but not overly stiff, either. The rear wheel became easier to precisely place. Hitting a familiar trail with newly refreshed bermed corners, the wheels load up eagerly and snap out the exit, accelerating toward the next golden dirt catch. I've not heard the spokes whine through g-outs or in corners.

Precise line choice is paramount to succeeding through the tech-gnar of spicier Shore trails, which the Blacklabel Enduro imparts with high confidence. Grip on off-camber lines is immediate. I feared the high profile of the rim could lend to a harsh ride quality, but that's not been the case so far. Trail chatter is slightly more noticeable than a lower pressure/alloy wheel setup. I can convince myself the sprightly wheels keep inertia moving forward with less deflection and energy sap from rollers and janky compressions. They make me want to try lily-padding every trail feature, and ride with more spark - though I'm sure it won't be long until I get spanked with that attitude.

DSC04739-denizmerdano graham reynolds wheels

Durability has been flawless. The rims have stayed straight as an arrow, even after a nasty rear case, feeling the suspension completely bottom out with a sickening crack. They show zero signs of damage, or loose spokes.

I9 Hydra's 690 points of engagement are welcomed on techy climbs and ratcheting over flat jank. I've been shuttling a lot too, and I wonder if the high engagement pluses outweigh the extra pedal kickback, which I have felt to a small degree. It'll be interesting to return to a lower engagement hub and see how ye olde test mule Altitude reacts. Out of the box, the Enduro bearings in the Hydra are silky smooth and seemingly turn! Turn! Turn! (RIP Crosby) forever!

Conclusion

Reynolds has built a top-tier carbon wheelset with nary an expense spared. It's been around in various size and hub iterations for nearly seven years. Since then, there's been much innovation in carbon compliance and longevity. The Blacklabel Enduro is a strong-ass, precise & light race-worthy wheelset. They live in the higher price zone at $2350 CAD, but there's not much left to be desired on these hoops, despite having standardised spokes, and a 6-bolt rotor mount on my wish list.

With routine tensioning, servicing bearings, and maintaining centerlock torque values, the Reynolds Blacklabel Enduro wheelsetshould spin straight for quite a long time.

Gdreej
Graham Driedger

Age - 38

Height - 182cm/6ft

Weight - 92kg/205lb

Ape Index - 1.035

Inseam - 32"/81cm

Mountain: Seymour

Bar Width - 780-800mm

Preferred Reach - 475-500mm

Related Stories

Trending on NSMB

Comments

craw
+14 4Runner1 Ryan Walters trioofchaos Gage Lejay doodersonmcbroseph Andy Eunson Jerry Willows Graham Driedger Chad K Curveball bishopsmike Adrian White ohio Pepe

It's an uphill battle for any company trying to sell wheels like this at these prices when We Are One exists.

Reply

rwalters
+1 Graham Driedger

This.

Reply

niels@nsmb.com
+1 ohio

On the other hand, premium pricing strategy seems to be pretty successful in the bike industry.

Given that Reynolds introduced these wheels in 2016 and is still selling them unchanged at this price level, they may be coasting downhill to the bank instead.

Reply

AndrewMajor
+3 Cr4w bishopsmike ohio

These wheels have been updated since 2016, they use Hydra hubs where previously they used Torch hubs. Rim wise, as Graham noted in his review, they may have landed on the right carbon rim formula of compliance and durability ages ago. I’d certainly agree with his assessment.

Hayes Bicycle Group - who own Reynolds wheels - have an excellent track record of not pursuing change for change sake that I think is quite refreshing. Here I’m thinking of the Dorado, Dominion brakes, the TPC damper on my R7, and Reynolds wheels.

One interesting note from my past experiences- and I beat the sh*t out of the Black Label rims I tested - is that Reynolds was the only carbon rim company I could find who weren’t at all concerned about me running Schwalbe ProCore inserts with their rims.

Reply

niels@nsmb.com
+2 Timer Curveball

I think we sort of agree?

My point was that Reynolds is not "trying to sell wheels like this at these prices", they have been successfully selling them at these prices for a while so their return on investment must be pretty good by now. Hence coasting instead of uphill battle.

Reply

AndrewMajor
+2 Timer Andy Eunson

I only don't agree with the notion that it's "coasting" when a company is making something great and sticks with it. Is King Ti Cage coasting? Are Renthal handlebars coasting? 

It's like the chef at my favourite local Sushi place. He has been making the same food for the entirety of the, almost, two-decades I've lived on the North Shore. He's even raised the prices a number of times. Is he coasting? I'd say not. The product is awesome.

------

Reynolds' is still buying all the materials, making rims, and assembling wheels (and have updated hub spec), and they still have a design & engineering team they're paying to develop products. Sure, they've paid off any molds by now but as a per-rim cost, my understanding is that machining molds is a small portion of costs. 

This is where the bike industry is at by and large. Marginal improvements, sometimes, and lots of industrial design and marketing. And it's not new - how much have rear shocks really improved since Cane Creek released the CCDB Coil in 2005 (2005!!!)? I maintain that the Ohlins RXF 34 from 2016 stands up to any fork on market today. Etc. 

I like that some companies aren't trying to reinvent the wheel constantly. 

------

This isn't a dig on We Are One in any way. I like their story, their products, and the fact they're made in BC. 

I could do with a lot less fanboyism, especially in discussions of 'value' when we're talking about premium luxury products, especially ones that are essentially the same price in an apple:apple comparison.

Reply

niels@nsmb.com
+1 gman3000

Oh but I don't see coasting as something negative, if you've already put in the effort to get up to speed it's just efficiency.

rwalters
+2 Jerry Willows Curveball Pepe Peter Appleton

So, if I've got my history correct, these rims were introduced in 2016, before WAO had produced a single rim.

Fast forward 7 years, and you can make the argument that WAO are beating many (most) of the carbon wheel manufacturers at most meaningful metrics you could think of. You can get a WAO Union wheelset with 1/1 hubs for $1400 CAD. That is absurdly good value. I'd argue the 1/1 hub is a better choice than the Hydra for hard chargers anyway. You can get the latest and greatest Convergence wheels on Hydra hubs with Maxxis tires for $2000 CAD. And they're made in Kamloops. Oh, but you don't get the straight-pull bladed spokes that break and are hard to find replacements for. Oh, damn.....

Also, maybe amortized over 7 years, a carbon mold might look cheap on paper, but having made some myself, no Canadian or Asian manufacturer considers a carbon mold "inexpensive".

"Fanboyism"? Maybe. Value? Absolutely. As a machinist who's spent over two decades making everything from DH mountain bikes to particle accelerators, I am absolutely a fan of what WAO have achieved.

AndrewMajor
0

@Ryan Walters, I'd humbly ask that you take a step back and re-read my comments in this thread. I'm not criticizing your people* at We Are One or their excellent products. I'm also not saying - as I noted to Jerry Willows - that Industry Nine 1/1 hubs aren't an excellent MUSA option or that anyone needs bladed spokes.

I am saying that Reynolds' carbon rims perform very well (ride quality and durability) and in an apple:apple comparison with the same hubs and spokes considered, We Are One is not slaughtering them on 'value' as many commenters seem to think.

I am in no way trying to influence anyones' purchasing decision away from We Are One if that is your concern. I'm just asking folks to make a more critical consideration when discussing the relative values of luxury mountain bike products.

------

*EDIT: I have replaced 'boys' with 'people' here, this was a clear error on my part and I apologize for any offense.

rwalters
0

@Andrew - Contrary to what you may believe, I have no “boys” at WAO. I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean. Enlighten me!

Also, I’d imagine that the hard working women at WAO might find your “boys” comment offensive. I kinda do.

AndrewMajor
+4 bishopsmike Ryan Walters Andy Eunson ohio

@Ryan Walters, that is a very valid point. All the folks I've met from We Are One, plus all the company's design and management team & all their all-Canadian Enduro team racers that I've seen featured in media, are white dudes, so I clearly, and unintentionally, internalized that image of the company. I know that there are women who work there so that's absolutely on me and I will edit my post.

I apologize for the offense.

monsieurgage
0 Ryan Walters Curveball Andrew Major Shoreboy

WR1 is $1000.00 less.  Why would I ever consider this as an option?  Local BC handmade wheels/rims with life time replacement, amazing durability and fantastic ride quality for less.

If I ever get a bike with these wheels as stock I will happily sell them new as tear offs and take the cool 1G as a discount.

Reply

AndrewMajor
+1 Shoreboy

We Are One wheels are less expensive but it’s not close to 1K in an apples:apples comparison using I9 Hydra hubs.

Reply

shoreboy
+2 Andrew Major Timer

Don't forget they are also using CX-Ray spokes on the Reynolds. That's another $300 right there.

Reply

AndrewMajor
+1 Andy Eunson

Thanks! I thought We Are One was using CX-Ray as well on their Hydra wheels but I see it’s the Race, so yeah that’s another big cost difference - whether it’s an advantage or not.

Reply

andy-eunson
0

This comment has been removed.

andy-eunson
0

My We Are One wheels use Sapim race spokes. The Noble wheels on the wife’s bike use Sapim CXRay. Those are bladed which I guess are preferred for straight pull hubs. And technically you can’t anodize steel. I believe the black coating is a black oxide. I could be wrong but I think it’s merely an aesthetic thing. Anodized aluminum on the other hand puts a thin hard layer on the surface. Colour can be added during process.

AndrewMajor
0

@Andy, I believe We Are One previously offered nipple-colour options and spoke upgrade options with many wheels. Now such custom builds are the purview of their dealers.

That's correct re. anodizing vs. oxide coating.

monsieurgage
+2 Andy Eunson Ryan Walters

Do you need straight pull 400 dollar spokes?  So unnecessary.  Again, why?

Reply

rwalters
0

No, you don’t. It’s marketing wank. And Graham broke one of those fancy spokes in relatively short order. No thanks.

Gdreej
+1 Andrew Major

No, of course you don’t need those spokes. But, they’re part of the wheelset. It’s not a custom order, so I ran what came on them. Have I cursed to replace them? Not really, I just ordered a bunch.

There’s many wheels running proprietary-ish spokes, which would be hard to replace if one didn’t have a litany of bike shops (and their distributors locally) to aid in quick replacement. 

@Ryan, I don’t think it’s marketing wank about their strength & fatigue life over regular butted spokes (straight pull or not). Yeah I broke a spoke, but a stick in the spokes on a loam frothing group ride would thrash any spoke. I bet I break less spokes than your NOBLs over the course of the year with the Enduros.

rwalters
0

For the record, I think I may have broken 1 maybe 2 spokes over the course of 5+ years on NOBLs. I did manage to break a rear rim in that time too. All things considered, I’m very happy with that record.

LoamtoHome
+1 Ryan Walters

I personally would never spend the extra $ on Hydra hubs.  The 1/1 hubs are better than the Hydras if you like suspension performance over technical climbing.  I've had mine for 2.5 yrs without a hiccup or any servicing.  #nobrainer

Reply

AndrewMajor
+1 bishopsmike

That's great, Jerry. I personally love the 1/1 hub as well and think they're an excellent value in a MUSA product. 

What relevance does that have to the expectation of an apples:apples cost comparison?

------

You can tell the difference in how a 0-0.52° and a 0-4° hub engagement affects your suspension performance?

Reply

monsieurgage
0

Onyx fixed the issue with their Vesper hubs slipping, so if you want instant and silent then I would try them.

WR1 with custom Onyx hubs v. Reynold is apples to apples and why not go WR1.

rwalters
+1 Jerry Willows

Yes. Well, at the very least, I can definitely tell the difference between 20 and 0.52

Gdreej
0

@Gage Wright, you run Onyx classic hubs. There's a documented difference in durability between the Vesper and classic, particularly for heavy guys, as a few I know have torched the Vesper quickly. 

Current WAO Convergence/Onyx wheels + Sapim CX-Ray spokes would be an apples:apples comparison.

xy9ine
+4 Ryan Walters Niels van Kampenhout Andy Eunson Curveball

low engagement hubs are the new hot thing

Reply

4Runner1
0

Agreed. I’ve had 1.5 years on my 1/1 hubs now. Still like new.

Reply

monsieurgage
-1 bishopsmike

Andrew is correct.

The price from WR1 was for the 1/1 hubs, add another 400 for the hydra.  still cheaper with WR1.  So why buy these Andrew?

Reply

AndrewMajor
+5 Niels van Kampenhout Graham Driedger Jerry Willows Curveball bishopsmike

I don't have any vested interest in what carbon wheels any rider buys, but I think if folks are going to make bold statements about comparative values it behooves them to at least acknowledge where indirect comparisons exist.

------

I'd be quite happy with 1/1 hubs and Sapim Race spokes but these parts cost significantly less than Hydra hubs and Sapim CX-Ray spokes and that's reflected in the price of Reynolds' carbon wheels.

In an apple:apple comparison (CX-Ray/Hydra) it would appear that Reynolds and We Are One are valuing their contributions (rims/assembly) at approximately the same amount. Personally, between the two options, while I've had great experiences with Reynold's wheels, I'd buy We Are One rims as the fact they're made in BC adds significant value for me.

That doesn't mean that for someone else Reynolds' wheels shouldn't be the more appealing purchase and specifically, that doesn't mean that they're innately of any worse value comparatively.

Reply

pete@nsmb.com
+1 Niels van Kampenhout

Gage: you'd be surprised to learn that only 20% of NSMB readers are Canadian (38% are American). So for for 80% of our readers, WAO wheels aren't made in their country. Lots of Americans may opt for Reynolds as an American company even if the rims aren't made domestically.

Look around a bit wider. Also, life would be so boring if everyone ran the exact same wheels. Or frame. Or suspension. Or tires. Let's embrace the fact that people have varied reasons for making purchase decisions - there is very rarely, if ever, an undisputed winner in the gear wars.

Don't forget that if you're ordering your wheels direct - ie. as an American ordering from WAO - you're looking at shipping, duties and taxes. It changes the formula for people that don't live in the same country as the company they're ordering from (if it's a direct sale).

Reply

Gdreej
+4 Curveball bishopsmike Gage Lejay ohio

Niels, Without question it's hard to compete against We Are One with top-tier wheel pricing. 

Here's some current wheel prices:

Reynolds Blacklabel Enduro Carbon: 2375 CAD (1722.10 USD)

Chris King MTN30: $2805 USD

ENVE M7: $2550 USD 

I9 315 Enduro Carbon: $2380 USD

Reserve 30 HD Hydra: $2199 USD 

Revel Co RW30/Hydra: $2200 USD

WAO Convergence 30/Hydra: $1999 CAD ($1449 USD)

Average price of Hydra hubs + Carbon wheels = $2186.44 USD, which equates to an average of $3014 CAD.

Reply

niels@nsmb.com
0

No doubt. If I was looking to buy carbon wheels I'd probably be looking at WAO myself.

My comment was made purely from a business point of view. With most high-end gear you can argue that there is a comparable but lower priced alternative out there. See the comments on many of our reviews. Yet these premium priced products exist and a lot of them are quite successful.

If all the wheels you listed have a similar spec and are of comparable ride quality and durability, why are some priced higher than others? Perhaps because they target a different market segment that is prepared to pay a premium for some sort of perceived added value. That perceived added value could be the brand's reputation, whether the wheels are made domestically or not (Reynolds are Made in USA (EDIT: Designed in USA, Made in Asia), there are a lot more Americans than Canadians, for them that may have added value over Made in Kamloops), or simply the higher price itself ("Look, I can afford more expensive wheels than you!"). Premium pricing strategy is a real thing.

Personally I prefer the feel of aluminum rims which conveniently are a lot less expensive, so to me all these carbon wheels look ridiculously expensive! ;-)

Reply

rwalters
+1 Niels van Kampenhout

Pretty sure Reynolds manufactures their rims in Asia. Design and prototyping in US.

Reply

niels@nsmb.com
0

Looks like you are right, my mistake. I edited my comment.

For my point it doesn't really matter.

Reply

just6979
0

Why is the DH rim "purported" to have IDM? Do you not trust them?

Reply

Please log in to leave a comment.