Vittoria is known for its great road and mountain bike tires. They recently sent us a solid wheel set at a fine price point—the all-mountain Deamions—and it was a bit of a pleasant surprise (we don’t get out much). Excited to try them out, we lashed them to our Canfield Riot test bike and thwacked them around the bike trails of Big Sky, Montana this summer.
Specs
The Deamions, introduced for the 2105 model year, hold up well. Ryan Dunfee photo.
- $649 for the set.
- 1,750g (810g front 940g rear) weight.
- Asymmetric 28 mm (21.5 mm internal) width.
- Rim securely supports tires up to about 2.3".
- Vittoria custom AP hub has 28 butted, straight-pull spokes.
- 10 degree engagement.
- Centerlock (convertible to 6-bolt) or 6-bolt disc mount.
- Patented Speedlock rim-bed profile makes mounting easier.
Build
Yes, we ran Vittoria rims with Maxxis tires. We can all get along. Ryan Dunfee photo.
The Deamion checks all the right boxes: straight pull spokes, asymmetrical rim design, decent if not fabulous hub engagement, good weight for aluminum all-mountain wheels, and a reasonable price.
Solid straight pull spokes, no j-bend failure. Ryan Dunfee photo.
Noteworthy is the Speedlock internal rim shape. I don’t think I’ve seen this anywhere else. According to Vittoria, it not only helps tire retention but also makes mounting and inflating tubeless tires easier.
Note the internal ridge on the inside left of the rim. Vittoria photo.
Even if Speedlock only accomplishes making tubeless easier to work with, it’s clever and well worth it. On most rims, some tires go on easy, some tires not so much—even when you’ve removed the valve core and are using a compressor. So this is a nice touch.
They have a cool decal pattern too. Ryan Dunfee photo.
The Deamion rims are not a hookless design, there’s a bead rim, which is why a 28mm external only gets you a 21.5mm internal width. Though the actual tire bead sits inboard of the rim bead once seated. If you’re looking for a trendy 30mm internal rim, this isn’t it. But it supports a normal sized tire just fine.
21.5mm from bead hook to bead hook.Vittoria illustration.
They’ve got a bit of vertical flex, as all aluminum rims do. Though they are laterally stiffer than they would be without the asymmetric design.
The 2.5mm offset from center balances spoke angles on left and right sides and also equalizes spoke-lacing angles, further aiding stability.
Any color you want, as long as it's black. Vittoria photo.
The 10 degrees of engagement from the custom hubs is pretty standard, quicker than some—not as quick as i 9's, but they're also less than half the price of those types of wheels.
The Ride
1750g for a set of 29er wheels spin up pretty quick. Ryan Dunfee photo.
On the short time we rode them, they were great. We had a nice, wide Maxxis DHF on the front and Maxxis IKON on the rear. They held the tires on there with no burping at any pressure, even when we ran them a bit lower than recommended.
Testing the Deamions lateral flex on the Canfield Riot. Ryan Dunfee photo.
The IKON tire was a little out-gunned by both the bike and wheel at a predominantly lift-access area, but not tragically, so if you prefer a low-profile tire, it'll work.
The Bottom Line
Vittoria makes a smooth-rolling front hub. Ryan Dufee photo.
The Deamion struck a nice balance between vertical flex and lateral stiffness. The rim design does seem to keep the weight down, the wheel was lighter than the older stock Canfield wheels that came on the bike, so they spun up and climbed great.
Because the tracks at Big Sky were so speedy and fast, we never really needed crazy ratcheting prowess from the hubs, but 10 degrees felt normal. In fact, for the price point, it's just a hair ahead of the curve. We never felt we lacked engagement.
The Deamions do stick out as a great value for $650, as they certainly feel like they're worth a bit more than that. If you're in the market for a solid aluminum wheel at that price, and don't need a crazy-wide rim, check them out.
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About The Author
stash member Gunnar Waldman
Editor-at-Large, IMBA instructor and east-coaster. Raced Trans-Savoie in France, SoCal Enduro and Endurance in Temecula and is psyched for all the great new races in the east. Article Ideas: gunnar.waldman@tetongravity.com
Saba SEO
October 20th, 2016
Just awesome bike I have ever seen in my life.
Thank You