"Are those carbon rims?" This question was often heard wherever one was confronted with the rather inconspicuous ZTR Valor carbon wheelset has been seen. It was only on closer inspection, the obligatory knocking sound test and - of course - pedalling that any doubts were quickly dispelled.
Maximum rigidity sacrificed for comfort
No Tubes mounting is quick and easy - the tyres jump directly into the rim flange of the hookless rim and then sit securely. The 1340 gram lightweight carbon round tyres convert the power directly and accelerate rapidly. The bearings of the Stan's 3.30Ti hubs run very smoothly and thus contribute to the great mileage. Thanks to the lightweight rims, changing direction on tight courses, as in various cross-country races, was a lot of fun and easy. The radial stiffness has deliberately not been maximised by the manufacturer. This is because the ZTR Valor wheels offer significantly greater comfort than the carbon wheels of the competition. But let there be no misunderstanding: the lateral stiffness is completely sufficient and by no means soft. The rims are beautifully finished and look discreet thanks to their matt finish. In practice, the round spokes, which taper from 1.8 to 1.5 millimetres, proved to be quite resistant and were able to withstand more than one branch without tearing out. The carbon rims are also very robust and easily coped with unavoidable punctures and stone chips during the seven-day Andalucia Bike Race, the bike marathon in Riva or the extremely tough four-day MTB Trilogy in the Czech Republic. Only a few small chips in the paintwork bear witness to continuous off-road use.
4500 kilometres in tough continuous off-road use
However, the tested version with QR15 thru axle at the front and 9 mm quick-release axle at the rear can also be easily converted to other axles using the appropriate adapters. It is a pity, however, that the adapters fall off very easily when removing the wheel, leaving the bearings exposed. A slightly tighter fit would be desirable. The scope of delivery also includes lightweight 9 mm quick-release levers, but these have become somewhat more difficult to operate over time due to the clamping mechanism.
Test summary of the No Tubes ZTR Valor
After almost a year of hard continuous use with almost 4500 kilometres of off-road riding, tough stage races and long bike marathons, the final verdict is good: The NoTubes ZTR Valor Carbon 29 are very robust and impress with a high level of comfort combined with very good stiffness and acceleration. The bearings all run smoothly, only the concentricity of the rear wheel has suffered minimally. In addition, the freehub body loosened after around 3800 kilometres and had to be retightened. Only the axle adapters and the quick release have potential for improvement. A small drawback: shortly before the end of the endurance test, a spoke on the rear wheel broke - without any external influence. Fortunately, replacement spokes are included with the No Tubes ZTR Valor Carbon 29.
Advantages: Comfort, stiffness, weight, finish
Disadvantages: Quick release, axle adapter too smooth-running
Price: 1899 Euro
Weight: 1340g (without quick release, with No Tubes rim tape and valves)
Inner width/outer width of the rim: 21.3 mm/26.4 mm
Weight restriction: 104 kg
Spokes: 24 front/28 rear
Distribution: Sport Import GmbH, www.sportimport.de
