In my opinion wheels are the best upgrade you can do .Any rotational weight you can remove is key. You also don't need to spend a small fortune, just buying a middle of the road set that are pound's lighter is huge. You wont get all the same benefits of the $2000 set but not everyone can justify a set that's more than there bike cost.
@@bradvdb4136 for sure 👍 it’s hard to explain until you’ve rode a set of these Berd wheels. People will get thrown off by the price but after riding them I think they’re worth every penny. HUGE IMPROVEMENT! in my humble opinion
@@MTNMAX88 I kind of get what you’re saying. This was supposed to be a test of the cheap stock setup that comes on your bike versus an expensive upgrade.
@@JaredHoff the stock ones came tubeless ready. To compare wheels, you need to only compare wheels and not add any variables. But I enjoy your videos either way, so thank you for putting them out
Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. I'm not sure just how much faith I'd put in the warranty though, sure it's "lifetime" but that's the lifetime of the company, not your lifetime.
@@kip4135 Not sponsored. I get the polygon bikes sent to me for review. Big issue with those bikes is the heavy wheels. Berd sent me these wheels to demo for 30 days. No sponsor, no payments… I reached out and asked if they’d let me demo the wheels to see what they were all about.
Not worth it. $1800 difference for LESS THAN 2 pounds. Hey look at me, I'm selling these NEW rims made of balloons and 550 paracord for spokes. I'm selling my rims for $8,000!!! All suckers, I mean customers, will be given lifetime warranty.
Don’t knock them until you try them they definitely have a unique feeling that is wonderful and yes, they are very expensive but you can’t think like that. They will travel from bike to bike so look at it like an investment in comfort and durability. But to each is own, if you prefer to ride cheaper wheels, I totally understand.
Bro I have gone through so many hubs and wheels that I could have purchased these by now. You probably don't ride that hard and hit crazy features because the lifetime warranty alone is worth it.
@@George-Kliavkoff4Big12 and you will be spending more money on wheels in the next 5 years as well. I mean if you don't trash wheels and hubs then stick with what you have
@@rickywoods3101 you got a point if you call them an investment. Nothing wrong with that. I too like bombing down the chunk (I do it with my FS and HT) but don't see myself jumping canyon gaps or doing 30 ft drops off some spine at the next Red Bull Rampage event where I know I'll taco a rim. I'll stick to my Stans and my Hunts with Tannus inserts. I get the same way about pedals, too. Can't see spending $200 when $39 Chester's also get me up and down a mountain. Ha ha. Happy trails y'all. Really enjoyed the debate.
My opinion is that wheels definitely make a big difference on a bike. I personally wouldn’t or could never pay 2000 for a wheel set. The crash replacement is very valuable though. I would definitely go with a mid range wheel set. Most riders will never need a wheel set like BERD. But I can definitely appreciate the thought that went in to developing the BERD wheels. And yes, it’s not just about the weight. It’s about everything else the wheels offer.
I’m a huge fan of Berd spoke wheels. They really make a noticeable difference in how they feel, those spokes and the fact that they’re holding the rim true unilaterally is really significant. Personally I’ve chosen to get custom wheels from Berd with my choice of rims and hubs. The Onyx Vesper hubs have those hooked flanges, plus the instant engagement and silent coasting. Simply amazing!
@@hardmtnbiker agree 👍 I couldn’t believe how much of a difference these wheels made. I got a bunch of comments at the trail head as well. Definitely a head turner!
so for most people get better suspension before wheels. For hardtails get berd if you can. factory wheels are really good now for the most part. so upgrading wheels isn't a step one move like it was in the past. and we aren't getting wider anymore so even cheap wheels have 30mm ID, whereas back in the day they stuck 22-25mm rims because thats what old MTB ran. basically you have been able to spend $2000 on wheels for a while. enve, i9, reynolds, etc. berd wheels (which are we are one rims) being very light, tough, and compliant make them uniquely worth it depending on what you ride. it's like coil vs air, the answer depends on who you are. Berd wheels were heavenly on my hardtail but not as great on my FS bc the suspension is better at dampening. The wheels are still very light and tough. The use case in MTB for berd is more sensible than cx ray/ enve. It's also good to support USA business
my Newman GL30 Tough enduro wheel set alloy are 1660kg a set still a 100g lighter than these carbon wheels and absolutely solid! Been a massive surprise tbh the fade hubs are so nice and silent and good engagement im about 300 lbs all kitted up on them 9 month's and standing test of time up to now amd the anti ding rim protection, but with your standard alloy wheels being 35mm wide im wondering if its that whats giving you more the feedback through the wheels with the new ones being 30mm wide same as mine and just a perfect width! I got a 3yr crash and defect Warranty on mine these were actually my Standard wheel set on my new bike certainly not cheap but still half the price and lighter than the Berds, but I would like to try the berds for heavier riders see how much flex there is in them
Jared, I have a Polygon T8 and instead bought Hunt Proven wheel for about 1k, big difference on climbing and cornering, thank you for your informational video, keep it up.
I get it $2000 is a lot of money! And if you choose not to spend that amount on a set of rims, that is totally fine I understand but there’s a reason why these are award-winning spokes. The ride is unique. they have a lifetime warranty, which means that you will take them from bike to bike. i’m not trying to sell you on these rims, but I must say try them before you talk shit about them. I believe they have a money back program if you’re not satisfied in a certain amount of time. Some of these comments sound just like a bunch of people hating on something they have not tried. I see some of the same hate towards the. schwalbe radial tires and those are another great new product that most people have not given a chance. But hey, your opinion is your opinion. Good day.✌🏾
For me as long as the wheel is carbon. Have both. Really dont like aluminium wheels. But not the weight or feel. Have like 2000 dollar carbon wheelset and about 800 dollar aluminium wheelset from same brand. For me the worst part with aluminium is that they get out of true and wobly. Other than that the difference is a bit in vibration feel.
@@billyvancise8141 Alloy frame carbon wheels. But also depends on the allow wheels. I have a set of i9 EN300 alloy wheels that are amazing, but they cost $1650
Thanks! Trying to decide about YT Capra core 2vs3 only difference is carbon frame. Thinking of going alloy and getting carbon wheels with the bit of change left over!
@@billyvancise8141looks like the bikes have same suspension and similar spec. I also like the white colored Core 2. Id rather have a core 2 with carbon wheels in my humble opinion. But you’ll be happy either way.
@@JaredHoff I ordered mines with black spokes, but they shipped them to me with white spokes so I had them send me out the black paint and I could not be more satisfying. The white spokes are really white and they will not stay snow White, but you can simply use soap and water to wash them. Just like a fresh pair of white socks. They will never be the same after a few rides so my advice would be to pick a nice color that goes with your bike And paint them. Process is super simple. If you can brush your teeth, you can paint the spokes.
I definitely know that the stock Entity rims on my Polygon T8 was heavy. However, that was mainly due to the fact that they were a 35mm internal rim so it will be heavier and also the inner tubes. I swapped out the wheels and tires for a used set of DT swiss m1900 for $700 and set up tubless. it brought the weight down by about 2lbs which made a big difference and performed better. In my opinion It would be more cost effective to put that $2000 in the intial budget for a bike. Buying a better more expensive bike would be lighter and comes better spec'd. Cost of Colossus N9 and $2000 berd wheelset is more expensive than a YT Jeffsy core 4 or YT Cappra core 4. Both of these bikes way better than the N9 overall.
@@gaddobronx6740 I get what you’re saying and that’s always the question. Is it better to just buy more expensive bikes that already come with the parts on it? But that’s not the way it works most of the time. We buy what we can afford and then we upgrade overtime to fit our needs 🤷🏼♂️ YT does offer some good options though.
$1400 carbon wheels vs. $700 aluminum wheels might be a better comparison. I would 100% go for the $1400 wheels. They certainly ride better, and the added benefit of not having to true them, and knowing if you break them you can get a free replacement makes sense. Buy once, cry once. The $700 wheels won't last forever, so you'll probably be spending that $700 *twice* before the $1400 wheels break down. WeAreOne offers $1400 builds and they are amazing.
@@mikeburgh3956 heck yeah 👍 there are a lot of good options out there. Even the cheap Entity wheels that came on my bike will get you riding and having fun. Just not as much fun as the Berd LOL in my humble opinion
Those Berd wheels are good, but they are too expensive. That technology needs to be more affordable to go mainstream. I am supporting the brand, promotion of it... All graphics at but still, that's a cost of the complete bike, not the wheels. It needs to be less than a 1000$
I will always advocate for carbon wheels. I don’t care about the weight . Carbon wheels are as maintenance free as you can get . The spokes stay tight, the wheels can take abuse and the warranty with some of these companies is bar none. I’ve had a set of. We r one union wheels for almost 4 years and i ride a lot of rock gardens. And for me carbon wheels feel like they float over the chunk and maintain momentum better.
Thanks for the video. I went with the hawk 30x with the onyx classic hugs paired up with schwalbe albert radial tires this combination is magical I mean spectacular i’m hunting for bumps rocks roots. To me the ride is unmatched so comfortable and compliant and the berd company takes care of their customers. There was a slight issue with the rims when I purchased them berd made sure that I was more than satisfied. I’ll be a customer for life. I’m very happy.
Sorry bro, I did not use your affiliate link because I purchased the wheels before you initially released your video. Had I seen it first I would’ve used your link. Once again, thanks for the videos, man. I am a faithful watcher and will continue to be so keep up the good work.
@@1CHIVO it’s always good to have multiple options. Haven’t heard much about spinergy but they look like a descent wheel set. I was super impressed with these Berd wheels.
@@MsTatakai I get what you’re saying but it’s very cheap for MTB wheels. Especially ones that need to keep up with the abuse of that trail I rode, which I’m sure GoPro made look like a novice trail LOL
@@JaredHoff EN300s are known to be bulletproof and Hawk 30s are quite a bit lighter. But if I had to choose I’m going WAO Convergence… can find them on sale during Black Friday and they are insanely strong.
In my opinion wheels are the best upgrade you can do .Any rotational weight you can remove is key. You also don't need to spend a small fortune, just buying a middle of the road set that are pound's lighter is huge. You wont get all the same benefits of the $2000 set but not everyone can justify a set that's more than there bike cost.
@@bradvdb4136 for sure 👍 it’s hard to explain until you’ve rode a set of these Berd wheels. People will get thrown off by the price but after riding them I think they’re worth every penny. HUGE IMPROVEMENT! in my humble opinion
Comparing ride quality you needed to be tubeless on both. Otherwise, you’re not comparing the wheel. You’re comparing tubes vs tubeless.
@@MTNMAX88 I kind of get what you’re saying. This was supposed to be a test of the cheap stock setup that comes on your bike versus an expensive upgrade.
Nah not good enough. Do it again, otherwise its a waste of time. Same psi same tires and same rotors and same size too@JaredHoff
@@JaredHoff the stock ones came tubeless ready. To compare wheels, you need to only compare wheels and not add any variables. But I enjoy your videos either way, so thank you for putting them out
@@MTNMAX88 I’ll make sure the setups are better next time.
Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. I'm not sure just how much faith I'd put in the warranty though, sure it's "lifetime" but that's the lifetime of the company, not your lifetime.
@@davemcbeard true 👍
the best upgrade for me. Sadly also the most expensive, I dream so hard on a 1300 gram trail wheelset that rules. Cool to see the X!
@@jerryspeedbumps512 Love these X wheels.
This video feels more like a Berd commercial than a comparison to anything else. It has to be sponsored
No thx.
@@kip4135 Not sponsored. I get the polygon bikes sent to me for review. Big issue with those bikes is the heavy wheels. Berd sent me these wheels to demo for 30 days. No sponsor, no payments… I reached out and asked if they’d let me demo the wheels to see what they were all about.
Not worth it. $1800 difference for LESS THAN 2 pounds. Hey look at me, I'm selling these NEW rims made of balloons and 550 paracord for spokes. I'm selling my rims for $8,000!!! All suckers, I mean customers, will be given lifetime warranty.
Don’t knock them until you try them they definitely have a unique feeling that is wonderful and yes, they are very expensive but you can’t think like that. They will travel from bike to bike so look at it like an investment in comfort and durability. But to each is own, if you prefer to ride cheaper wheels, I totally understand.
Bro I have gone through so many hubs and wheels that I could have purchased these by now.
You probably don't ride that hard and hit crazy features because the lifetime warranty alone is worth it.
@@rickywoods3101 well no one can tell how to spend your money. I guess I'll always be 3 seconds behind you with heavy ol' clunky wheels
@@George-Kliavkoff4Big12 and you will be spending more money on wheels in the next 5 years as well. I mean if you don't trash wheels and hubs then stick with what you have
@@rickywoods3101 you got a point if you call them an investment. Nothing wrong with that. I too like bombing down the chunk (I do it with my FS and HT) but don't see myself jumping canyon gaps or doing 30 ft drops off some spine at the next Red Bull Rampage event where I know I'll taco a rim. I'll stick to my Stans and my Hunts with Tannus inserts. I get the same way about pedals, too. Can't see spending $200 when $39 Chester's also get me up and down a mountain. Ha ha. Happy trails y'all. Really enjoyed the debate.
My opinion is that wheels definitely make a big difference on a bike. I personally wouldn’t or could never pay 2000 for a wheel set. The crash replacement is very valuable though. I would definitely go with a mid range wheel set. Most riders will never need a wheel set like BERD. But I can definitely appreciate the thought that went in to developing the BERD wheels. And yes, it’s not just about the weight. It’s about everything else the wheels offer.
@@dirtyforksmtb for sure 👍
I’m a huge fan of Berd spoke wheels. They really make a noticeable difference in how they feel, those spokes and the fact that they’re holding the rim true unilaterally is really significant. Personally I’ve chosen to get custom wheels from Berd with my choice of rims and hubs. The Onyx Vesper hubs have those hooked flanges, plus the instant engagement and silent coasting. Simply amazing!
@@hardmtnbiker agree 👍 I couldn’t believe how much of a difference these wheels made. I got a bunch of comments at the trail head as well. Definitely a head turner!
so for most people get better suspension before wheels. For hardtails get berd if you can. factory wheels are really good now for the most part. so upgrading wheels isn't a step one move like it was in the past. and we aren't getting wider anymore so even cheap wheels have 30mm ID, whereas back in the day they stuck 22-25mm rims because thats what old MTB ran.
basically you have been able to spend $2000 on wheels for a while. enve, i9, reynolds, etc. berd wheels (which are we are one rims) being very light, tough, and compliant make them uniquely worth it depending on what you ride. it's like coil vs air, the answer depends on who you are. Berd wheels were heavenly on my hardtail but not as great on my FS bc the suspension is better at dampening. The wheels are still very light and tough. The use case in MTB for berd is more sensible than cx ray/ enve.
It's also good to support USA business
@@MrTrixton for sure 👍 well said.
my Newman GL30 Tough enduro wheel set alloy are 1660kg a set still a 100g lighter than these carbon wheels and absolutely solid! Been a massive surprise tbh the fade hubs are so nice and silent and good engagement im about 300 lbs all kitted up on them 9 month's and standing test of time up to now amd the anti ding rim protection, but with your standard alloy wheels being 35mm wide im wondering if its that whats giving you more the feedback through the wheels with the new ones being 30mm wide same as mine and just a perfect width! I got a 3yr crash and defect Warranty on mine these were actually my Standard wheel set on my new bike certainly not cheap but still half the price and lighter than the Berds, but I would like to try the berds for heavier riders see how much flex there is in them
@@Emtbtoday awesome man. A good wheelset makes such a big impact
Jared, I have a Polygon T8 and instead bought Hunt Proven wheel for about 1k, big difference on climbing and cornering, thank you for your informational video, keep it up.
@@ramonbarreras9714 I want to try out the hunt proven carbon wheels next
I get it $2000 is a lot of money! And if you choose not to spend that amount on a set of rims, that is totally fine I understand but there’s a reason why these are award-winning spokes. The ride is unique. they have a lifetime warranty, which means that you will take them from bike to bike. i’m not trying to sell you on these rims, but I must say try them before you talk shit about them. I believe they have a money back program if you’re not satisfied in a certain amount of time. Some of these comments sound just like a bunch of people hating on something they have not tried. I see some of the same hate towards the. schwalbe radial tires and those are another great new product that most people have not given a chance. But hey, your opinion is your opinion. Good day.✌🏾
Word 👍
For me as long as the wheel is carbon. Have both. Really dont like aluminium wheels. But not the weight or feel. Have like 2000 dollar carbon wheelset and about 800 dollar aluminium wheelset from same brand. For me the worst part with aluminium is that they get out of true and wobly. Other than that the difference is a bit in vibration feel.
@@Stockfish1511 good points
It would be nice if you compared a top of the line or at least a better set of aluminum wheels
@@geraldh.6686 I can do that 👍
I love this channel and your freedom of speech. Hell yes, need more people like you in the MTB reviewer world 👍👍🇺🇸
@@anthracitemafia thank you! That comment really helps keep me motivated. Much appreciated!
1.73 kg for the set of wheels is heavy compared to the 1600 grams I have for 850 euros.
@@Silverripples are the 1600 gram wheels DH racing rated? You have to compare wheels that are rated for enduro and downhill riding NOT xc wheels.
Wheels look great! If you had to choose between going carbon frame alloy wheels , or alloy frame carbon wheels which would go with !?
@@billyvancise8141 Alloy frame carbon wheels. But also depends on the allow wheels. I have a set of i9 EN300 alloy wheels that are amazing, but they cost $1650
Thanks! Trying to decide about YT Capra core 2vs3 only difference is carbon frame. Thinking of going alloy and getting carbon wheels with the bit of change left over!
@@billyvancise8141looks like the bikes have same suspension and similar spec. I also like the white colored Core 2. Id rather have a core 2 with carbon wheels in my humble opinion. But you’ll be happy either way.
@@JaredHoff thanks for the input!
Great job on this one!!
@@TheRickysee thank you 👍
What happens to those pretty white spokes when you ride through mud....... They turn the same color as the mud! No thank you!
@@barrettwalker5294 I didn’t do a mud test 🤷🏼♂️
You can paint them any color you want and the paint works really well if you apply it correctly
@@block-du9md ever heard of issues with them getting stained with mud? I’ve never heard anyone say that but didn’t test it.
@@JaredHoff I ordered mines with black spokes, but they shipped them to me with white spokes so I had them send me out the black paint and I could not be more satisfying. The white spokes are really white and they will not stay snow White, but you can simply use soap and water to wash them. Just like a fresh pair of white socks. They will never be the same after a few rides so my advice would be to pick a nice color that goes with your bike And paint them. Process is super simple. If you can brush your teeth, you can paint the spokes.
@@block-du9md thanks for the info 👍
I definitely know that the stock Entity rims on my Polygon T8 was heavy. However, that was mainly due to the fact that they were a 35mm internal rim so it will be heavier and also the inner tubes.
I swapped out the wheels and tires for a used set of DT swiss m1900 for $700 and set up tubless. it brought the weight down by about 2lbs which made a big difference and performed better.
In my opinion It would be more cost effective to put that $2000 in the intial budget for a bike. Buying a better more expensive bike would be lighter and comes better spec'd.
Cost of Colossus N9 and $2000 berd wheelset is more expensive than a YT Jeffsy core 4 or YT Cappra core 4. Both of these bikes way better than the N9 overall.
@@gaddobronx6740 I get what you’re saying and that’s always the question. Is it better to just buy more expensive bikes that already come with the parts on it?
But that’s not the way it works most of the time. We buy what we can afford and then we upgrade overtime to fit our needs 🤷🏼♂️ YT does offer some good options though.
Carbon wheels are trash for mtb. Too stiff.
@@Mezonator656 definitely not true. You have to ride these to understand.
@JaredHoff True. I own a pair of Roval. Aluminum wheels are better for DH mountain biking.
@@Mezonator656 I don’t own a DH bike so I’ll take your word for it 👍 On my trail and enduro bikes,,, these wheels are amazing though.
$1400 carbon wheels vs. $700 aluminum wheels might be a better comparison. I would 100% go for the $1400 wheels. They certainly ride better, and the added benefit of not having to true them, and knowing if you break them you can get a free replacement makes sense. Buy once, cry once. The $700 wheels won't last forever, so you'll probably be spending that $700 *twice* before the $1400 wheels break down. WeAreOne offers $1400 builds and they are amazing.
@@BlacqueJacqueShellacque_ buy once cry once. Berd partnered with WeAreOne on these Berd HAWK30X rims. They’re amazing!
I could never afford 2k wheels. So I got Spanks!! I love the hex drive. Lightweight & strong wheels.
@@mikeburgh3956 heck yeah 👍 there are a lot of good options out there. Even the cheap Entity wheels that came on my bike will get you riding and having fun. Just not as much fun as the Berd LOL in my humble opinion
Those Berd wheels are good, but they are too expensive.
That technology needs to be more affordable to go mainstream.
I am supporting the brand, promotion of it... All graphics at but still, that's a cost of the complete bike, not the wheels. It needs to be less than a 1000$
@@IvanPrskalo We all wish prices could get that low. The price is comparable to other carbon wheels but I get what you’re saying.
Can us mere mortals go in the middle with some hunt trail wides? :D I want speed, but also I'm big and got bills to pay ;)
@@JeffPedlow yes 👍 Hunt also make a Proven Carbon wheel. I want to test that out…
Nice review apart from "damping" not "dampening" =)
@@Scott.Hadley always mess something up LOL hit record and loose your mind ha ha
I will always advocate for carbon wheels. I don’t care about the weight . Carbon wheels are as maintenance free as you can get . The spokes stay tight, the wheels can take abuse and the warranty with some of these companies is bar none. I’ve had a set of. We r one union wheels for almost 4 years and i ride a lot of rock gardens. And for me carbon wheels feel like they float over the chunk and maintain momentum better.
@@jmard24 For sure! Floating over the chunk is exactly what I was feeling with these wheels.
As long as the company doesn't go under...
Thanks for the video. I went with the hawk 30x with the onyx classic hugs paired up with schwalbe albert radial tires this combination is magical I mean spectacular i’m hunting for bumps rocks roots. To me the ride is unmatched so comfortable and compliant and the berd company takes care of their customers. There was a slight issue with the rims when I purchased them berd made sure that I was more than satisfied. I’ll be a customer for life. I’m very happy.
Sorry bro, I did not use your affiliate link because I purchased the wheels before you initially released your video. Had I seen it first I would’ve used your link. Once again, thanks for the videos, man. I am a faithful watcher and will continue to be so keep up the good work.
@@block-du9md heck yeah 👍 glad to hear about the amazing customer service form Berd. That’s what it’s all about
SPINERGY half price of berd same tech if not better wonder if all that berd media $ paying out
@@1CHIVO it’s always good to have multiple options. Haven’t heard much about spinergy but they look like a descent wheel set. I was super impressed with these Berd wheels.
fun fact, 200 dollars it ain't cheap mate... daaaayum
@@MsTatakai I get what you’re saying but it’s very cheap for MTB wheels. Especially ones that need to keep up with the abuse of that trail I rode, which I’m sure GoPro made look like a novice trail LOL
@@JaredHoff yeah, true true on that!
What happened to that orange Fox fork??
@@Iggy52 I still have it. It’s on my Polygon T9… Do you need a DH Bike at the Bike Park?
ua-cam.com/video/Lo7UL5afD58/v-deo.html
False dichotomy. Wouldn't rider either one of those wheel sets, regardless of the price.
@@andremtb480 what would you ride then?
WAO Convergence, DT Swiss EX1700 or i9 EN300. Lighter isn’t always better.
@@andremtb480 EN300s are pretty light for an allow set.
@@JaredHoff EN300s are known to be bulletproof and Hawk 30s are quite a bit lighter. But if I had to choose I’m going WAO Convergence… can find them on sale during Black Friday and they are insanely strong.
@@andremtb480 These are the new HAWK30X enduro and DH wheels. Pretty new but supposed to be twice as strong as the regular HAWK30 trail bike wheels.