Review – Stan’s NoTubes Iron Cross Pro Wheelset

Review – Stan’s NoTubes Iron Cross Pro Wheelset

If you’re going to make a change or upgrade to your bike, the best place to make it is the wheels. A good quality pair of wheels will generally be lighter, both statically and dynamically, and be stiffer. The static mass has an immediate effect on the manoeuvrability of the bike and its ability to climb, but the rotating mass is even more important, both for climbing and for acceleration. This paired with added stiffness will change the whole feel of the bike, from potentially sluggish and slow handling into a fire-breathing, full on racing machine.

I’ve ridden Stan’s wheels for a number of years, having a pair of Stan’s rims laced to some DT Swiss hubs back when riding and racing a 26” MTB. Those wheels took a lot of abuse and just kept on going for over 3 years. All the while being super easy to set up tubeless, and very light to boot. For that reason I never overlook Stan’s offerings when choosing a new wheelset. In a world where ‘if it ain’t carbon, it ain’t fast’, Stan’s aluminium rims are at the cutting edge of what this material can still offer, and as a Mechanical Engineer I can fully appreciate that not everything has to be carbon!

I took delivery of my new cross wheels during the second week in December. So I’ve had a fair amount of time on the original wheels to compare against. At 1430g the new Iron Cross Pro wheels are light, something that you notice straight away when removing them from the box. The stiffness is difficult to gauge without some kind of lab test, but this would be felt once the wheels were fitted. Something else I noted was how wide the rim is. At 20mm internal, the rim is right up there with the latest thinking of wider rims supporting the tyre better and allowing it to work more effectively.

Fitting tyres was simple, and I would be running tubes to start with at least. There doesn’t seem to be that many tubeless cross tyres out there just yet. But my intention is to actually try these wheels on the 29er with some MTB tyres tubeless at a later date. The freehub body is aluminium, and Stan’s recommend the use of an aluminium hubbed cassette to avoid damage to the spline on the freehub. As the Tiagra cassette is fully steel, I will have to get a new cassette. Other than that, the quick release levers are super light Ti/Carbon affairs on the Pro wheelset, and they tighten reassuringly unlike some other lightweight offerings, something that cannot be overlooked on a disc equipped bike these days. The wheels come pre-fitted with sealing tape, and a pair of valves in lovely anodised red.

After fitting and taking the bike for a spin the low weight is immediately evident. The wheels did not feel super stiff in comparison to the original wheelset, which is perhaps a reflection on the quality of the OEM wheels rather than the Stan’s wheels being soft. A standing acceleration however is now met with an impressive forward surge, with no lag or immediate flex. The handling has been effected most by the lower weight, and turning is sharp and responsive. The big difference is in the change of direction, this being much faster now. Great for tight and twisty cyclocross courses.

The first longer ride on the wheels allowed me to really test them and adjust to the feel of the bike again. So far the wheels are quiet, stiff, light and look great. I will perhaps update later once I’ve put some miles in to see how the bearings stand up to a Swedish winter!