Forge+Bond 25 XC Wheelset Review – Carbon Upgrade Time?

Forge+Bond is the wheel brand of Utah-based CSS Composites, who also manufactures OEM wheels for several other brands. With roots in the aviation industry, F+B uses a unique thermoplastic carbon that’s more durable, sustainable and easier to work with than traditional carbon fiber. After almost a year in the hopper, the Forge+Bond 25 XC Wheelset has delivered modern cross-country performance in a unique package.

Forge+Bond 25 XC Wheelset Features:

• FusionFiber thermoplastic carbon construction
• Hookless design for increased impact resistance
• 25mm internal width is tubeless-ready out of the box (31.4mm outer)
• 25mm depth
• DT Swiss 240 hubs, as tested (15×110 and 12×148)
• NSX design adds material where needed, reduces it where it isn’t
• No rider weight limit
• Lifetime warranty with 60-day money-back guarantee
• Rims are made in USA and assembled in their Utah facility
• Weight: 1455 grams (stated), 1515 grams (actual, with valves and tape)
• MSRP: $1899 – $2199 (tested)

Easy setup

The cross-country discipline has evolved over the past 10 years to become more aggressive and technical than ever. As a result, cross-country bikes and components have had to keep up with the trends. Head angles have slackened and wheelsets have evolved to become more and more durable while still prioritizing rolling efficiency and quick spin-up. Forge+Bond has this crowd covered with their F+B 25 XC Wheelset. While the internal width remains relatively narrow — even for cross-country use, the FusionFiber construction and hookless design allows these wheels to ride with added comfort.

In the past year, I’ve installed and ridden the F+B 25 XC wheelset on both the Canyon Neuron AL 6 and the Trek Supercaliber SL 9.7 Gen 2. Additionally, I’ve also installed two sets of tires in my testing: Bontrager XR3 Team Issue 2.4 and WTB Ranger 2.4.

Both sets of tires were easy to install and seat without tools or special pumps. I just poured in about 4oz of sealant, popped the bead on and inflated them with my trusty old floor pump. Nothing special beyond that was needed and I was up and running. Sometimes the tubeless tape can get damaged when changing tires, but it has remained intact and reliable — holding air perfectly. As someone who swaps tires regularly, I have really appreciated that. The DT Swiss 240 hubs are the lightest configuration available and offer their legendary reliability. The rear hub features their latest Ratchet EXP design with fast and reliable engagement and a pleasant-sounding freehub whirr.

The F+B 25 XC rims feature a hookless bead. And, if you haven’t heard, there is some debate around the tire retention of hookless road wheels, but there is less hubbub surrounding hookless mountain bike wheels. For either application, I don’t have major concerns and have found the F+B 25 XC’s to securely hold 2.4″ tires under all the conditions I’ve thrown their way. And, if you’re wondering, the only difference between the F+B 25 XC and 25 GR wheelsets are the hubs and hub spacing for road or MTB applications.

Upgrading from factory alloy wheels

We all dream of adding a set of fast, carbon wheels to our road and mountain bikes. On the road side, the differences between alloy and carbon wheels can be dramatic. But, for mountain bikes, upgrading to carbon wheels isn’t quite as cut-and-dried. Since both bikes I used for testing were originally spec’d with capable alloy wheels, I’ll do my best to highlight what it’s like to go from alloy to carbon wheels on a $6000 XC race bike and a $2000 alloy trail bike.

The Canyon Neuron AL 6 features the durable, but chunky DT Swiss AM LN 370 wheelset. With a 30mm internal width, they did offer a fuller tire and the whole Neuron AL 6 package is quite astounding for the money. Dropping the Forge+Bond 25 XC’s on there with Bontrager XR3 2.4’s took about 650 grams (1.4 lbs) from the overall bike weight. When compared to the Trek Supercaliber SL 9.7, the savings over the stock Bontrager wheels was a more modest 350 grams (0.8 lbs). On either bike, the weight difference is noticeable on the scale and on the trail.

Weight differences aside, I did notice a smoother ride, thanks to the FusionFiber material, which allows more vertical compliance while remaining laterally stiff. Both of the alloy wheelsets on these bikes cost around $500, while the F+B 25 XC, as spec’d will set you back $2199. The economics of that decision are entirely up to you, but let’s go through the performance of these wheels so you can determine for yourself.

Podium wins, new KOM’s and PR’s? Nah.

I’m not going to blow smoke by telling you that a wheelset alone will suddenly boost your performance like Lance Armstrong. And, don’t believe anyone who sells you that kind of BS. Your engine remains the same, but there are some notable differences I can detect when comparing the F+B 25 XC from the two stock wheelsets above.

The first is the quick engagement due to the DT Swiss hubs. If you’re going to shell out for these wheels, you might as well go with the DT Swiss 240’s because they are legendary and deliver quick and agile response to any adjustments in pedal position. And, they are super easy to work on. Any shop can help you out and parts are readily available. I have Industry Nine hubs on the Forge+Bond CR 45 and like them a lot for road, but DT Swiss 240’s are the bee’s knees in hubs.

Arguably the biggest reason to upgrade to these wheels for me is the durability factor. It’s honestly only a matter of time before you get a ding in the sidewall of those cheap alloy wheels. Every single alloy mountain bike wheelset I’ve owned has suffered the same fate. Most recently, the Fulcrum Red Zone 3 wheelset I dinged up rolling through a rock garden. That same rock garden has now been ridden 20+ times at breakneck speed on the F+B 25 XC’s without as much as a scratch. I’m riding 1-2 psi less air than the stock alloy wheels and I’m even more confident in their durability. I have compressed the tire completely to the rim on a few occasions and they look and perform like brand new.

Absolutely, you will notice the lighter weight of these wheels. It makes the bike more agile and responsive. However, sometimes that’s not as desirable as you might think. On the Canyon Neuron AL, I felt like the bike handled more naturally with the stock wheels and noticed a touch more front-end wander with the F+B 25 XC and Bontrager XR3 tires. To offset that, I swapped out those tires for a set of WTB Ranger 2.4’s. A little extra weight and more aggressive tread seemed to calm things down on both test bikes. Reducing weight is great, but there is such a thing as too light, believe it or not.

I can’t leave out the improved ride quality that FusionFiber wheels provide. Earlier this year, I reviewed the Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37V wheelset (made by CSS Composites) and am still enamored by their chatter-reducing ride quality. Admittedly, that can be felt more readily on a road or gravel bike than it can on a full-suspension mountain bike. But, my finely-tuned senses can tell the difference these hoops make. It’s subtle and desirable for someone like me who appreciates every bit of smoothness my body can get.

The biggest bummer with these wheels is the relatively narrow internal width. Modern XC wheelsets are now featuring 28-30mm internal widths, which better supports 2.4″ tires, like I’ve been running. While the wheels themselves are laterally-stiff, I did notice a little bit more tire flex than I would have if these were a few millimeters wider inside.

Lastly, I’m being nit-picky, but the Forge+Bond stickers are easy to get damaged. I’m surprised they don’t use the permanent logo application that they did on the Bontrager wheels. I’d be fine with the blue stickers getting damaged if the rims also had subtle black-on-black branding.

Details: I’m 5’11” and 175 lbs and I set these wheelsets up with 4-5 oz of sealant and ran them at 23 psi front and 26 psi rear. 

Buy Now: Available from Forge+Bond