If you're looking for a well-engineered, feature-packed set of hoops, the Shimano wheels lineup is very tough to beat across all pricepoints. Although Shimano have always had a reputation for building solid wheels for road and MTB, they have set out to redefine their range in order to encompass the high performance and precision engineering that all of their components are renowned for. The latest high-end Shimano mountain bike wheels utilise wider rims, 24 straight pull spokes, thru-axle compatibility, faster engaging hubs and a more conventional lacing pattern that may not have the bling of other brands, but focuses on performance and reliability.
Overall, the new Shimano wheelset range is now stiffer, lighter, stronger and easier to maintain.

 

Rims

Sharing the same profile as the 2012 Shimano XT Race wheels, the XTR model gets the 19mm internal width that is perfect for tyres between 2.0 - 2.25" wide. This wider rim profile may not be quite as light as some of the skinnier options available on the market, but Shimano made the call that rim stiffness and tyre stability were too important to the overall ride quality to be sacrificed. The Scandium alloy employed for the XTR wheels drops rotational weight from the wheelset to allow for faster acceleration and more responsive handling. The little UST logo on the rims denotes the certification Shimano went through to setup the XTR wheels tubeless, and the foolproof UST design is without doubt the most reliable system available. You can still setup the wheels with standard tyres & tubes, though we would recommend doing the XTR wheels justice with a UST or tubeless ready tyre to reap the benefits of reduced rolling resistance and improved traction that a tubeless setup brings.

 

Spokes

While Shimano could have gone all-out with crazy spoke designs and unobtanium materials for the spokes, the XTR wheels actually feature standard stainless steel straight-pull spokes. While perhaps a little boring, the double butted (2.0-1.5-2.0) spokes allow for very high tension on the rim and their standard 2-cross lacing pattern provides a stiffer build over radial designs. If you look closely, you'll also be able to see that none of the spokes actually touch each other, reducing any potential flex or weak points along the entire spoke length, whilst also being easier to true and tension. Alloy nipples keep rotational weight down and like all Shimano components, are easy to source along with the spokes should you have any mishaps out on the trail.

 

Hubs

While sharing a similar aesthetic to the XT hubs, the XTR takes all of Shimano's engineering and technology put into its mountain bike hubs and puts it on steroids. The Titanium freehub body is super trick and reduces weight over steel options, though is much more durable than alloy freehub bodies used on other lightweight hubs. Although the hubs aren't a huge amount lighter than the XT's, they do feature high-precision Angular Contact bearings with polished bearing races, for incredibly smooth rolling resistance. Some folk love to bash the cup and cone design used on Shimano hubs, though chances are their experience lies with the cheaper models. As it stands, you are unlikely to find anything that is as easy to maintain as the XTR hubs, and we love the ability to adjust out any side-to-side play that can otherwise plague other brands cartridge bearing hubs. The intricate sealing on the hub end caps goes a long way to keeping crud out, though a couple of cone spanners is all you need to pull them apart to clean them out. The oversized 7075-T6 alloy axles keep everything stout and solid, and like all high-end Shimano hubs, they feature the Centrelock spline for use with Centrelock rotors, or 6-Bolt rotors when used with adapters.

  

The Shimano XT M785 Wheelset Features: