The FSA Afterburner wheels caught our attention when we first encountered them at the Sea Otter Classic this spring. With an internal rim width of 27mm, they’re wider than the widths that we previously were seeing as the “standard” but a bit narrower than the 30mm IDs we’re seeing from many other manufacturers.
We’ve enjoyed riding wide rims with big tires and the resulting traction in turns, but wider rims result in heavier wheels. FSA chose a middle path, splitting the difference between wide and narrow, and they’ve pulled off impressive specs. Afterburner WideR models come in at a listed weight of 1640g for 27.5/650b and 1720g for 29″ wheels.
I attempted to verify the claimed weight with my Feedback Sports scale, and with three tries, received three slightly different readings ranging from 1720 to 1800g. (close enough) With weights that minimal, you might expect the wheelset to come in at more than the asking price of $629. Assuming they hold up under aggressive riding, FSA has assembled an impressive package that competes with carbon wheels at a fraction of the sticker price.
The website copy on Full Speed Ahead’s page describes the wheels as an “ideal upgrade for fast mountain, cyclocross, and gravel bikes”. That was exactly the sort of wheelset I had in mind to try on several of the bikes in the Bermstyle quiver, which include the Evil Following and several racey hardtails. (Kona Raijin and Kona Rove CX/ Gravel bike)
Specs
- Tubeless compatible kit includes hubcaps for 135mm QR and 142mm
- Hand built
- Compatible with cyclocross and gravel bikes
- Shimano or XD freehub options (we’re running Shimano)
- 24 Hole, straight pull double-butted spokes, brass nipples
Although the Afterburner is available in both Boost 148 and 142 spacing, we held off at least one more season before shifting the fleet to Boost space for a simple reason: compatibility. The beauty of the 142/ 135 hub standard means full compatibility with XC hardtails and cyclocross bikes, which allows experimentation with different setups. My plan: run these wheels on both my trail mountain bikes as well as on my cross-country hardtail and drop bar road/adventure bike.
The Afterburner WideR wheels use a hookless bead system for lighter weight, improved durability and easier tire installation. As I’ve had quite the season of dinging and flat spotting rear rims this year, I turned to Clayton at WTB for tire recommendations to pair with the WiderR wheels, and he dispatched a set of tires suitable for Pacific Northwest trail conditions.
On the trail
I first started riding these wheels in the 2017 season, and over the course of a few seasons, I have run them extensively on both my Kona Honzo Carbon hardtail and my Kona Rove Titanium adventure bike.
With most trail bikes now standardizing at a 30mm internal width rim, I have found the sweet spot for these wheels to be utilized in aggressive XC MTB and gravel use. Though my first install was with more aggressive WTB trail tires, I’ve mostly paired them with cross-country or gravel tires. They’re not as light as race wheels, but the rims have proved to be durable, holding up to a considerable amount of abuse. With some basic truing stand time and maintenance, they’re still rolling straight.
With the ability to convert the wheels to 9mm, it is simple to convert them for use with my Kona Rove. They were a great match for this bike, and I’ve logged some good rides with this setup.
I’m a bit less impressed with the rear hub. In the first few months of riding, it developed play. Attempting to adjust it didn’t address the problem either. FSA came through, though, sending me a replacement rear axle.
Unfortunately, my issues continued. Sometime later, on a longer multisurface ride, I broke a rear spoke, taking the rear wheel out of commission. Not wanting to deal with the pain of the repair and having to retape the wheel, it sat in the back corner of the garage for a season or two. I eventually sourced a replacement spoke for the repair, detensioned and retensioned the wheel, and set it all back up.
On the first ride back on the road, I broke another spoke. While the rim is still in good shape and usable, it appears the wheel will require a full rebuild with all new spokes to be reliable. One of these days I’ll get around to it. (the front wheel is still in rotation as needed)
Full Speed Ahead Afterburner Wider Wheelset lists for $629. Learn more at Fullspeedahead.com