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Submitted by
Tony
a Downhiller
from Tucson, AZ USA
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Fantasy Island | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | Extremely LIGHTWEIGHT! Strong for narrow rim width | | Weaknesses: | non-eyeleted | | Similar Products Used: | Sunringle, Alex, Bontrager, Mavic, Vuelta | | Bike Setup: | Home-built hardtail | | Bottom Line: | I always build my own wheels as I can then only blame myself for failure.
Wheel setup:
XTR Hubs
DT Competition Spokes (14/15/14)
Allow nipples
Lunarlight tubes (95g)
Kevlar folding tire (26x1.9)
I actually went against the norm and used allow nipples to see If I can get super feather-weight wheel built. So far so good. I ride hardpack XC and have YET to put a spoke wrench to them. Yea!!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ridge
a Cross-Country Rider
from connecticut
Date Reviewed: December 7, 1999 | | Favoriate Trail: |
wilton woods | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
I beam is the smartest design brought to market outside of the OCR system.
Built over ten pairs without one failure.
only need to true once-period. you don't need eyelets if center of rim is reinfoced by center beam. | | Weaknesses: |
eyelets would make it easier to obtain high spoke tension. | | Similar Products Used: |
mavic 217,517,221,222,231,223
sun cr17,ryhno,ryhno lite, etc.... | | Bike Setup: |
always radial in front with very stiff hub and usually radial non drive and 3x drive in rear.
hard tail, soft tail | | Bottom Line: | you can't beat them for strength/weight ratio. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
todd
a Weekend Warrior
from wash dc
Date Reviewed: April 30, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Light, tough, durable | | Weaknesses: |
Narrow, should use brass nipples due to grommetless eyelets. (All due to light weight) | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavics, Bontrager, Sun | | Bike Setup: |
Heckler, Kona Explosif | | Bottom Line: | First time wheel build, and I've abused these rims for close to a year without having to true them much. Brakes feel stronger on wider rims, but that's the price to be paid for such a light rim. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dave larson
a cross-country rider
from minneapolis,mn
Date Reviewed: December 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
i build a lot of wheels and these rims are great. for the guy who weights 200 lbs i would not recommend them, but put him on speedmasters or at least lace the rear wheel with 14 gauge straight spokes. i have 2 sets of powerbeams and they rule. i used to live in flagstaff, az where the trails are brutal and your rims' worst nightmare, they stand up! | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a racer
from Bloomington
Date Reviewed: September 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a friend who trashed one of his PowerBeams but I've had no problems at all with mine. Front is laced to C King, rear to a WTB New Paradigm... it was my first wheelbuild ever and I've been riding the set for 18 months now and have never had to true the front and only trued the rear twice. Could be the hubs, could be the rims, could be the wheelbuild (not likely), or could be my riding style... but these rims have been wonderful to me. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tigger
a cross-country rider
from marin, ca
Date Reviewed: August 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Yo, road kill. Yeah, you.... ummm, perhaps it was the wheel build that caused yer probs, 'cuz I've been beating on power beams for years in all kinds of conditions; extreme XC, DH, DS and the local stairs, and have NEVER toasted one. Eventually the sidewalls wear out from braking, but hey, my hair falls out from old age. Sorry that you crashed, but I have reason to doubt the integrity of your wheel build rather than the rim. All of my buds ride PB's and the also awesome speedmasters (and all kinds of choice WTB goodies too) and we've not had rolled any like you describe.
Anywhoo, these rims rule. Build 'em up well, and they'll last you a lifetime. Far mo'bettah than those silly ass Mavic hoops. remember, it's a good wheel builder with good rims that'll get you where you wanna go. ask gravy! cinco vegetales para mi. t-eye-gg-e-rrr.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Road Kill
a weekend warrior
from Newbury Park, California
Date Reviewed: July 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I own a 1997 Proflex Animal, a Downhill bike. I purchased it from Supergo in May 1997. The rims came as stock on the bike. I have 300 crosscountry miles on the bike and had it serviced less than 100 miles ago. I weigh 220 lbs.
Traveling to the trail on an asphalt road the rear tire folded turning left at 20 MPH. The rim and spokes were inspected just prior to the ride and was true. I am very discouraged with a $1800 medical bill, two broken fingers, bruised hip socket and more road rash than I can remember. I've owned dozens of bikes all of less quality than this bike and never had such a failure. I could justify the failure if I hit something but to go into a turn and the next thing I know I'm finger painting with my blood on the pavement and wondering what went wrong.
HOW CAN A RIM FAIL ON ASPHALT WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING? | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shaun Wetzstein
a weekend warrior
from Rochester, MN
Date Reviewed: June 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I ride pretty hard and have a set of these on a freeride bike. I have to true then almost every time I ride. I hit a rock last year and put a huge hop in the front rim. Hade it rebuilt. I wasted a my back PowerBeam in Moab this year. Didn't get it rebuilt.I finally stopped wasting money on those rims and bought a pair of Cane Creek Crono Aero Heat wheels. They absolutely rock! If you are a heavy rider of ride really hard or both, check these out. I have some pretty hard miles on them and the front is still perfect and the back is almost perfect.I weigh 180 pounds and am hard on equipment. If you are lighter and/or a less aggressive rider the PowerBeam will probably work good for you. For me they didn't stand up so well to my abuse so I give them 3 stars because they are still good rims. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a cross-country rider
from Central Pa. USA
Date Reviewed: February 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have these rims Fr./Bk. on XT hubs. I weigh 190, and they are laced w/15-
16ga.spokes. I tacoed the front, 2nd ride. The build Co.replaced it, and
re-laced w/14ga.spokes. The back is still 15/16's and I've had no major
problems since, but they go out of true easily and frequently. Maybe
they're for lighter riders? Mavic 217's on 14 ga.next time...... | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a cross-country rider
from Lawrence, KS & WPB, FL
Date Reviewed: February 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had these rims front and rear for 1.5 years and they have held up great. (I weigh 165 lbs.) They are light and responsive. The front is laced to 15/16 db spokes and a TNT Ti hub; the rear has 15ga DT spokes and a Hugi hub. The wheelset has required very little work. My only complaint is the lack of eyelets for the spokes, but the rim does have a thicker profile at the spokes. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
G
a cross-country rider
from USA
Date Reviewed: January 17, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
If there was any rim I would but this one would be it. It kicks ass.
Pretty light also. Everyone should own a set of these. Only the best
bikes should have these on. They are also not too expensive. Wtb rules I
also like there headset it rocks also, Get wtb powerbeams. NIng NIng NIng NIng | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sheila Eaheart
a racer
from VA
Date Reviewed: January 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
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