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Santa Cruz Reserve 30 Carbon Wheelset Review

A quality carbon mountain bike wheelset that is backed by a lifetime warranty
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Santa Cruz Reserve 30 Carbon Wheelset Review
Price:  $1,599 List
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Manufacturer:   Santa Cruz
By Jeremy Benson, Pat Donahue, Joshua Hutchens  ⋅  Nov 22, 2018
83
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#6 of 9
  • Ride Quality - 35% 10.0
  • Freehub Engagement - 20% 6.0
  • Weight - 25% 7.0
  • Durability - 20% 9.0

Our Verdict

People really took notice when Reserve started producing their moderately priced carbon wheels and backing them with a lifetime warranty. In the short time that the Reserve 30 Carbon wheels have been on the market, they have quickly earned a reputation for being durable and high quality. As carbon fiber wheels designed for aggressive trail riding are concerned they are relatively lightweight, certainly lighter than the comparable alloy models in this test. They are stiff but not harsh, offering precise handling and just enough lateral flex to remain comfortable in all situations. Despite some serious abuse on some of the roughest trails imaginable, they have also proven to be as durable as their marketing suggests. Our biggest gripe is the 10-degree engagement of the DT 350 hub. We feel this level of freehub engagement performance is sub-par for a wheelset in this price range.
REASONS TO BUY
Lifetime warranty
Good ride quality
Durable rims
Stiff
REASONS TO AVOID
Freehub engagement could be better
Expensive

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Top Pick Award
Best for Traction and Comfort
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Alloy Mountain Bike Wheels
 Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck Alloy
Price $1,599 ListCheck Price at REI
Compare at 2 sellers
$950.00 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers
$965 List
$320.00 at REI
$449 List
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line Backed by a lifetime warranty, this is a high quality and durable carbon wheelsetThese wheels break the mold and provide unrivaled, traction, damping, and rider comfortThese are easily the highest performance alloy wheels we've ever testedSnappy and quick, these wheels help you put the power to the trailThese wheels perform better than their price might suggest, we found them to be capable and durable
Rating Categories Santa Cruz Reserve... Zipp 3Zero Moto Industry Nine Endur... Stan's Flow MK4 Hunt Trail Wide MTB
Ride Quality (35%)
10.0
10.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
Freehub Engagement (20%)
6.0
9.0
10.0
9.0
7.0
Weight (25%)
7.0
6.0
7.0
7.0
8.0
Durability (20%)
9.0
9.0
7.0
8.0
7.0
Specs Santa Cruz Reserve... Zipp 3Zero Moto Industry Nine Endur... Stan's Flow MK4 Hunt Trail Wide MTB
Weight Per Wheelset 1,832g 2011g 1,895g 1919g 1869g
Available Wheel Sizes 27.5", 29" 27.5", 29" 27.5", 29" 27.5", 29" 27.5", 29"
Available Axle Spacing Boost Boost Boost, non-Boost, Super Boost 157 12 x 142, Boost, Super Boost Boost, Super Boost
Available Freehub Body Options SRAM XD, MicroSpline SRAM XD, Shimano Shimano HG, SRAM XD, MicroSpline Shimano HG, Shimano Micrspline, SRAM XD Shimano HG, Shimano Micrspline, SRAM XD
Rim Inner Dimension 30mm 30mm 30.5mm 30mm 30mm
Rim Outer Dimension 36.4mm 37.5mm 34.1mm 33.6mm 34.5mm
Offset 4mm 2.5mm 0mm 3mm 0mm
Spoke Count 28 32 28 32 28
Brake Rotor Attachment 6-bolt 6-bolt 6-bolt 6-bolt, Center Lock 6-bolt, Center Lock
Freehub P.O.E 10-degree 2.7-degree 0.52-degree 1.66-degree 5-degree
Warranty Policy Lifetime Lifetime 2-year 5-year hub, 3-year rim, and 1-year crash replacement 3-years against material or workmanship defects

Our Analysis and Test Results

Reserve wheels is an offshoot of Santa Cruz Bicycles and they only make carbon rims and complete wheelsets. They really upped the ante when they first brought the Reserve Carbon wheels to market, offering them at competitive prices and with a lifetime warranty. The market has been forced to respond as a result, and now we see more carbon fiber wheels being offered at more reasonable prices and with better warranties. Additionally, Reserve has helped to bust the durability myths surrounding carbon wheels through their product testing, marketing, and especially a video featuring Danny MacAskill trying to destroy his wheels. Do they live up to all the hype? Read on to find out.

Performance Comparison


santa cruz reserve 30 carbon wheelset - the santa cruz reserve wheels have a reputation for being awesome...
The Santa Cruz Reserve wheels have a reputation for being awesome because they are.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Product Specifications


The Reserve 30 Carbon wheels have a unique rim design intended to improve both their ride quality and durability. The rims have an all-carbon construction with a 36.4mm external and a 30mm internal rim width that is in line with modern trends and recommended for tires from 2.3" up to 2.6" widths. The rims are made with a 4mm offset that is intended to optimize bracing angles, help improve balanced spoke tension and enhance wheel stiffness. The bead flanges are hookless, allowing for a thicker and more consistent bead wall which is meant to pair well with modern tire designs and improve the durability of the rim bead. In an effort to further enhance the durability of the rims they have also incorporated a square-shaped reinforcement around each spoke hole. Santa Cruz claims this visible spoke hole reinforcement helps reduce failure of the rim at this interface and helps improve quality control.

The base model Reserve 30 Carbon wheels we tested come with DT 350 hubs. DT Swiss is known primarily for their wheels and hubs, and the 350 hubs have a proven and reliable design. The freehub employs a 3 pawl system paired with a 36 tooth drive ring that equates to a 10-degree engagement. The hubs and wheels are connected by 28 j-bend spokes front and rear that are arranged in a 3-cross pattern. Reserve chose DT Swiss Competition Race double-butted spokes and Sapim Alloy Secure Lock nipples for their construction. They currently come in Boost spacing only and have a standard 6-bolt brake rotor mount.

santa cruz reserve 30 carbon wheelset - the dt 350 hub has a proven track record and a history of reliability.
The DT 350 hub has a proven track record and a history of reliability.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The wheels have a non-descript matte carbon finish with just 2 small decals, one around the valve stem and one on the opposite side of the wheel. They come with tubeless rim tape and valve stems installed. The rims are also backed by a lifetime warranty.

Ride Quality


In the past few years, it seems like wheel manufacturers have figured out that riders want the lightweight and precise feel of carbon fiber, but they don't want to feel like they're getting beat up or deflected by an over-stiff wheel the entire time they're riding. Gone are the days of all carbon wheels feeling stiff to the point of harshness, and this is reflected in the ride quality of wheels like the Reserve 30 Carbon. They have a stable and confident feel with just enough give that you don't get bounced around or feel too much trail feedback up through the handlebar.

santa cruz reserve 30 carbon wheelset - riding your bike is the easy part, focusing on each wheel's...
Riding your bike is the easy part, focusing on each wheel's performance characteristics while you're riding is another story.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The Reserve 30 Carbon wheels have a 30mm internal rim width that pairs really well with 2.3" to 2.6" wide modern trail tires. This width allows the user to run lower tire pressure with a greater air volume and effectively get more traction and suspension out of your tires. Like many carbon wheel manufacturers including the Race Face Next R31 and the Reynolds TR 309 S, Santa Cruz has settled on 28 spokes for both the front and rear wheel. In general, more spokes means more stiffness and durability, but in the case of carbon wheels, it seems like they are backing off the spoke count slightly with the goal of decreasing the stiffness slightly. This spoke count seems to achieve that goal, as the Reserve wheels don't feel harsh at all while still feeling stable and stiff in most situations.

Freehub Engagement


The one place where the Reserve 30 Carbon wheels were outperformed is in the freehub engagement. The DT350 hubs that came on our test pair roll very smooth and fast and have a history of reliability. That said, the freehub has a 3 pawl system paired with a 36 tooth drive ring that results in 10-degree engagement. Ten-degree engagement is fine if you've never experienced something better. On a premium set of carbon wheels, however, we would expect a higher performance freehub, like the 5-degree engagement, found on the Reynolds TR 309 S, or the 3-degree engagement of the Race Face Next R31, both of which cost slightly less.

santa cruz reserve 30 carbon wheelset - the 10-degree engagement of the freehub is one place where we were a...
The 10-degree engagement of the freehub is one place where we were a little let down by the Santa Cruz wheels. It works, but its outclassed by the competition here.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Weight


At our wheelset weigh in the Reserve 30 Carbon tipped the scales at 1,832g. Considering their durability and ride quality, we feel this is a respectable weight. They aren't the lightest wheels by any means, but unless you compare them side-by-side with the lighter wheelsets you'd never know. They weigh 34g less than the Roval Traverse Carbon, the heaviest carbon model in the test, but 94g more than the Reynolds TR 309 S, one of the lightest models.

santa cruz reserve 30 carbon wheelset - we found the santa cruz reserve 30 carbon wheels in the 29" wheel...
We found the Santa Cruz Reserve 30 Carbon wheels in the 29" wheel size to weigh 1,832g including tubeless rim tape and valve stems.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Durability


It would seem that Reserve is quite confident in the durability of their carbon rims based on the fact that they were the first to offer a lifetime warranty on what was previously considered to be a somewhat fragile product. It took years of testing and product development, but any brand that backs their products with that type of warranty is pretty darn sure they can handle just about anything. To further drive the point home they even made a video featuring trials rider and mountain bike legend, Danny MacAskill, doing his best to break them while stunting around with super-low tire pressures and eventually with no tires.

santa cruz reserve 30 carbon wheelset - go ahead, break 'em. santa cruz dares you. if you do, they will...
Go ahead, break 'em. Santa Cruz dares you. If you do, they will replace the rims for free and in a hurry.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

During testing, we also found the Reserve 30 Carbon wheels to be unflappable. These wheels saw action on the steepest rockiest technical rides from the Lake Tahoe area to Finale Ligure in Italy. After hundreds of miles of serious use and abuse, we are really impressed with how well they've held up. Despite repeated rim-outs, flat landings, and terrible line choices there is no consequential damage to speak of. We experienced no broken spokes, the rim beads have no cracks or dings, the wheel hasn't even been knocked out of true. The only wear the rims show is some very minor scratching from contact with trail debris during normal riding.

santa cruz reserve 30 carbon wheelset - the spoke hole reinforcements are clearly visible on the reserve...
The spoke hole reinforcements are clearly visible on the Reserve Carbon rims.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Like most modern carbon mountain bike rims, Santa Cruz has made the Reserve with a hookless rim bead. This simplifies the process and allows for a more consistent carbon layup and a thicker and more durable rim bead. Additionally, they identified the spoke holes as another failure point and designed their rims with visible spoke hole reinforcements. Not only do these reinforcements strengthen the holes, but the fact that they are visible helps with quality control and ensuring the holes are drilled in exactly the right spot. While the DT350 hubs don't have the best engagement, we have no complaints about their durability, plus they have an excellent reputation for reliability.

Value


When the Reserve 30 Carbon wheels hit the market they definitely came in at a lower price point than most people were used to for a carbon wheelset. In the short period of time since then, several other brands have followed suit and the cost of getting a premium wheelset isn't quite as high as it used to be. That said, the Reserve 30 Carbon wheels are among the most expensive in this test at retail.

While you can get slightly less expensive carbon wheels that offer a similar level of performance, we do still feel that the ride quality, durability, and lifetime warranty of the Reserve wheels still makes them a pretty good value. At this price, however, our testers were a little disappointed in the sub-par freehub engagement compared to the other top performers. The 3-degree engagement delivered by the Race Face and the 5-degree engagement of the Reynolds wheels feels far superior. You can upgrade the star ratchet inside the DT 350's freehub to improve the engagement for around $100, increasing the cost of these already relatively expensive wheels. Again, the freehub engagement isn't a total deal-breaker, we just have high expectations at this price.

santa cruz reserve 30 carbon wheelset - the reserve 30 carbon is an excellent wheelset with a great...
The Reserve 30 Carbon is an excellent wheelset with a great warranty. If you've been on the fence about carbon wheels, this is your excuse to give them a shot.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Conclusion


The Reserve 30 Carbon is an impressive wheelset from Santa Cruz. They've managed to make a highly durable product that is backed with confidence by a lifetime warranty. Ride quality is top-notch, with a stiff and precise feel that remains compliant enough to avoid being harsh. Our only gripe with these wheels is the 10-degree freehub engagement which we feel slightly decreases the performance of these otherwise high quality and super durable wheels. Assuming you can look past the freehub engagement, you will likely enjoy the rest of their performance attributes and get your money's worth thanks to their durability and excellent warranty.

Jeremy Benson, Pat Donahue, Joshua Hutchens