Reynolds Dean carbon fat bike wheels review
A set of carbon wheels such as the Reynolds Dean is arguably the No. 1 upgrade for a fat bike (click to enlarge).
Editor’s Note: This article is part of the Mtbr Ultimate Guide to winter mountain biking, fat bikes, gear, apparel, lights and trainers. We are taking a deep dive into all manner of cold weather mountain bike gear, with round-ups and reviews of fat bikes, tires, wheels, apparel, trainers, lights and more. To see all the articles, head over to our Winter Guide Hub Page.
Lowdown: Reynolds Dean Carbon Fat Bike Wheel
Clearly Reynolds’ new Dean carbon fiber fat bikes wheels are not for everyone. Indeed, the $2650 price tag is more than many would-be fat bikers are willing to pay for a complete bike. But if you’re looking for the ultimate fat bike component upgrade, addressing rotating weight is the obvious starting point. Strip away wheel heft and most fat bikes would be relatively light hardtails. But the standard bulky mass of rim, tube and tire often turns them into lumbering 30-plus-pound beasts, which is fat biking critic’s No. 1 piece of I-told-you-so ammunition. Swap on a set of chichi carbon wheels, though, and that pop shot misses its target. The question here is whether or not the Reynolds Dean are the right chichi wheels for you? Read our full review below to find out.
| Rim width: 76mm internal/80mm external | Rotor attachement: 6 bolt |
| Rim depth: 28mm | Decal options: blue, yellow, white |
| Rim construction: Double wall carbon | Weight: 2150 grams |
| Rim profile: Hookless bead | Warranty: Two year limited |
| Spokes: DT Swiss Competition, 32 front/rear | Price: $2650 |
| Hubs: Industry Nine 3-degree engagement 6 pawl |
Rating:  4-out-of-5 (if money is no object) |
| Spacing: 12×177 or 12×197 rear, 15×150 front |
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Review: Reynolds Dean Carbon Fat Bike Wheel
While it’s short sighted to always default to the weight question when talking fat bikes, it’s also hard to ignore. There’s no way around the fact that many of these big wheeled rigs are pigs. And that’s why swapping on a set of high-zoot carbon wheels is such an attractive proposition. While the composite hoop upgrade gain on standard mountain bikes is measured in grams, you can shave several pounds by switching from alloy rimmed wheels with tubed tires to carbon wrapped with tubeless rubber.
Our primary testing grounds were the snowy roads and trails in and around Crested Butte, Colorado, and the Gunnison National Forest (click to enlarge).
Indeed, Robbie Squire, recent winner of the inaugural fat bike world championships, said his bike shed a full three pounds when he ditched the stock set-up on his Pivot LES Fat in favor of a pair of Reynolds Dean wheels shod with a Surly Lou tire in back and 45NRTH Dillinger 5 up front (both tubeless).
The Pivot LES Fat fat bike of (unofficial) fat bike world champion Robbie Squire, complete with a set of Reynolds Dean wheels (click to enlarge).
Of course, Squire is a sponsored pro (he races on the road for the Holowesko-Citadel Racing) with industry connections. The bet here is he paid nothing for those wheels. You, on the other hand, will have to shell out $2650 plus another couple hundred bucks for tires. So should you? That’s a tough question to answer without knowing your tax bracket or fat biking intentions. What we will say is that the Reynolds Dean ticks a lot of important boxes, affordability not being one of them.
Continue to page 2 for more of our Reynolds Dean carbon fat bike wheels review »
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