Altamont Ceramic Review by Red Kite Prayer

Red Kite Prayer reviewed our Altamont Ceramic coated wheelset and had some great things to say about the wheels and the coating on the brake track.

Take a look: More Power, No Disc: Boyd Altamont Wheels

The wheels I’ve been riding have 24 spokes front and 28-spokes rear. Boyd reports these wheels have a weight of 1555 grams; I got 1657g on my scale before removing the rim strips and 10-sp. washer. I chose this spoke count because I wanted wheels that would remain stiff in tough conditions without undue flex in cornering. Had I gone to a 20-spoke front, 24-spoke rear, I’d only have saved 40g. And for those with more mass than I possess, going to 28 front/32 rear has only a 55g penalty.

The stainless steel, black-anodized spokes are bladed, making them faster aerodynamically, not to mention easier to true.

The hubs roll on sealed bearings—two in front and two in rear, plus two more in the six-pawl, 5-degree engagement freehub. The rims, at only 30mm of depth, aren’t particularly aerodynamic, but because they have an inner width of 20mm, they do make great wheels for larger-width tires.

Buying a set of wheels from Boyd is one of the rare joys in online shopping. They communicate clearly that they include rim strips, skewers and the Swisstop BXP brake pads that give maximum bite on the ceramic rims. With Boyd’s Ready 2 Ride package, you can add a pair of tires ($150) or a cassette ($70-75) so that when you open the box, you have a set of wheels ready to install on your bike.

Take a look: More Power, No Disc: Boyd Altamont Wheels

Also, subscribe to the Paceline Podcast. It’s a good one.