WTB started it, Mavic flipped it round and now Vittoria is the latest tyre manufacturer to bring out a wheel to match its rubber. The new Deamions offer impressively tough trail competition for a lot of the established brands too.
The 21.5mm internal/28mm external rim width gives decent support and stability for up to 2.35in tyres, although it won’t blow them up any bigger than normal like a wider rim will. The scooped ‘Speedlock’ rim profile is pre-taped for very quick and easy tubeless inflation though, and they stayed sealed even when we were properly squirming the treads round at low pressure in turns.
We’ve had no problems with burping or denting even on another set that did a two week tour in the Alps with a proper descending animal. Steering is predictably obedient and the 28 straight pull spokes set into the low flange AP hubs are still true and well tensioned after multiple smoking rotor stops and suspension bottomed drops, so they’re more than tough enough for aggro trail use.
That makes the 1,750g (810g front 940g rear) weight perfectly acceptable. Ten-degree pick up on the freehub keeps them feeling keen on the bike, too.
