Just Riding Along Ravine mountain bike wheelset review
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Just Riding Along Ravine mountain bike wheelset review

JRA’s new affordable wheels are aimed at trail and enduro riding

Our rating

4.5

460.00

Our Media

Published: January 30, 2024 at 3:00 pm

Our review
Well-priced and light wheels with predictable and reliable performance

Pros:

Smooth-feeling; accurate steering; solid tyre seat; affordable; lightweight; plenty of hub, spoke and other options

Cons:

No 27.5in version

Designed for trail and enduro riding, Just Riding Along’s (JRA) Ravine aluminium wheelset is the brand's newest offering, promising to combine low weight with robust strength.

Available in multiple configurations, the set I tested (29in, 32 spokes, XD freehub, six-bolt disc pattern, Boost 110x15mm front, Boost 148x12mm rear) weighs 1,790g and costs £460.

Pinned and welded 6069 aluminium asymmetric rims are laced to 54-point engagement hubs using Sapim D-Light spokes.

On the trail, the Ravine wheels have a well-damped, muted feel.

Like the best mountain bike wheels, their performance is unobtrusive. They steer accurately, don’t feel harsh and tyres remain well seated in high-load turns.

The hub is quiet and its engagement feels as quick as the DT Swiss 350.

They’re one of the lighter and more affordable aluminium options on the market, which will be appealing to many.

Just Riding Along Ravine wheelset details and specifications

Just Riding Along Ravine mountain bike wheelset
The alloy Ravine rims feel great on the trail. Our Media

Using an asymmetrical design – where the nipple eyelets are off-centre – JRA’s Ravine rims have a reinforced sidewall and spoke bed.

The brand claims this makes them its “toughest lightweight aluminium trail and enduro rim”.

They’re only available in a 29in incarnation, but 28 and 32-spoke versions are offered.

Internally, they’re 30mm wide (measured and claimed). The rim bed is 9mm deep (measured), but externally they’re 20mm deep (measured). They have a hooked, rather than flat, sidewall design.

JRA says each rim has a 200kg weight limit.

Just Riding Along Ravine mountain bike wheelset
Tyres seat well on the rims. Our Media

The 54 engagement-point freehubs can be swapped out easily and all designs are available to buy (SRAM XD and XDR, Shimano HG and Microspline, and Campagnolo 13-speed).

Coming pre-taped from the factory, the Ravine rims are tubeless-ready. JRA says the rims are suitable for 2.25 to 2.5in-wide tyres.

My set of test wheels weighs 1,790g. The front is 830g, while the rear with XD freehub is 960g.

How we tested | mountain bike wheels

Alex rode the same test loop time and time again to find the strengths and weaknesses of each of these trail-focused wheels.

The loop took in a huge variety of terrain types, from typical, winding UK trail-centre climbs and descents to natural off-piste and high-speed bike-park style runs. Some wheels were quick to show their character, while others needed extensive riding to define their feel.

Tested on a Marin Rift Zone XR – an archetypal modern trail bike – Alex used the same Maxxis Assegai EXO 29x2.5in tyres on each set, inflated to the same 25psi front, 27psi rear pressures.

Weighing 74kg wet, Alex isn’t particularly heavy, but he rides hard and is well known for breaking all manner of bike parts, wheels included.

Wheels on test

Just Riding Along Ravine wheelset performance

Just Riding Along Ravine mountain bike wheelset
Neither too deep nor too wide, the JRAs hit a sweet spot of flex and accuracy. Our Media

Setup and tubeless inflation

Thanks to a deep rim bed, tyres are very easy to install on the JRAs. With the tyre’s bead centred, tyre levers aren’t needed to fit them.

The tyre and rim fit well together, with no bagginess or large gaps to fill. This makes inflation quick and easy.

Impressively, using just a low-volume track pump, the tyre was fully seated and sealed once the pressure gauge read only 5psi, and it didn’t lose air during the test period.

On-trail feel

The Ravines feel responsive down the trail and not only because of their light weight. Their build contributes to this; they feel poppy but not twangy.

When loaded in a turn, they don’t flex and then spring back to their original shape. Instead, their deformation is controlled; they hold their shape until you release pressure to switch direction or straighten up.

Not only does this improve control and grip, but it also contributes to a comfortable ride.

Just Riding Along Ravine mountain bike wheelset
JRA's hubs are basic compared to Industry Nine's Hydra, but they perform well. Our Media

Thankfully, there’s no steering vagueness; the steering axis doesn’t deviate when the front wheel is loaded up in a turn.

In this respect, the wheels’ performance fades into the background, but this dependability is a massive compliment; the JRA Ravines are surprise-free.

They’re very quiet too. Hurtle through a rock garden or land unsympathetically and no spoke noise is emitted. Neither did the rims dong at bottom-out, bolstering their discreet performance.

It’s the same story with the hub; it’s relatively quiet and engagement is quick enough, feeling similar to DT’s 350. People who have ridden Industry Nine’s Hydra may pine for quicker engagement, but for most it’ll be fine.

The common 30mm width means a 2.5in tyre blows up fairly round, giving good, predictable transitional grip.

In high cornering loads, even a lightweight EXO casing tyre remained well seated to the hook, not burping or losing air.

Some carcass deformation is present, but it’s no worse on the Ravines than others on the market.

How do the Just Riding Along Ravine wheels compare to the Mavic Crossmax SL and Hope Fortus 30 SC Pro 5?

Mavic Crossmax XL 29 Wheelset for mountain bikes
Mavic's Crossmax XL 29-1 is heavier and more expensive than the JRA wheel. Our Media

Standing toe-to-toe with Mavic’s Crossmax SL 29 (£530) and Hope’s Fortus 30 SC Pro 5 (£500), the JRAs are both lighter by 220g and 430g respectively, and cheaper in like-for-like configurations.

On the trail, the Hopes have a similar damped feel, but lack any agility or playfulness. The Pro 5 hub, however, feels better than JRA’s offering.

Against the flexy and undamped Crossmax SL wheels, the Ravines are calm and collected, and emit way less spoke and rim noise on harder landings.

Given the choice, I’d go for the JRA if I was prioritising weight saving and the Hope if I wanted outright strength. Only lighter riders will appreciate the flexy feel of the Mavics.

Just Riding Along Ravine wheelset bottom line

Just Riding Along Ravine mountain bike wheelset
Their finish is robust. Our Media

A low weight and affordable asking price, combined with no-surprises performance, make the JRA Ravines favourite wheels for many mountain bikers.

If you’re in the market for a set of forgiving and predictable aluminium wheels that don’t cost the earth, these are a very safe bet.

Product

Brand justridingalong
Price 460.00 GBP
Weight 1790.0000, GRAM (29") -

Features

br_rimMaterial aluminium
br_tubelessCompatibility tubeless_ready
br_wheelSize 29in_700c
br_brakeTypeSimple disc
br_spokes Sapim D-Light
br_rimDepth 20mm
br_rimInternalWidth 30mm
Features Front: 830g (110x15 Boost, 6 bolt disc)

Rear: 960g (148x12 Boost, XD Driver, 6 bolt disc)

Internal rim depth: 9mm

External rim width: 34mm

Sidewall width: 2mm
br_spokeCountRear 32
br_spokeCountFront 32