IN BRIEF
Boyd Cycling is launching the Bracken Trail, an aluminium MTB wheelset listed at €840 on the brand’s own shop and available immediately. Bikerumor reports a weight of 2,060 grams a pair, a heat-treated 6061 alloy rim fitted with a reverse hook meant to absorb botched landings, and spokes whose reinforced elbow gains 30% in tensile strength. The Sixtus hubs claim 0.5-degree engagement thanks to a 102-tooth ratchet ring and six offset pawls. Bikerumor notes that Boyd did not supply it with the full set of specifications.
| Price | €840 a pair on the Boyd shop (€360 front / €480 rear) |
| Weight | 2,060 g a pair |
| Rim | Heat-treated 6061 alloy, reverse hook |
| Spokes | Reinforced elbow, + 30% tensile strength |
| Hubs | Boyd Sixtus, 102-tooth ratchet, six offset pawls |
| Engagement | 0.5 degree claimed |
| Standards | Boost only, 6-bolt disc |
| Front axles | Swappable end caps, 15 and 20 mm |
| Availability | Immediate |
Boyd Cycling is launching the Bracken Trail, an aluminium mountain bike wheelset announced at €840 for 2,060 grams. The American brand owns up to what its wheels are for: its reinforced spokes should, it says, allow for « even more questionable behaviour ».
Bracken Trail wheels at €840 a pair
« The Bracken Trail wheels sell for $800 / €820 / £700 a pair and are available now », Bikerumor writes. Boyd Cycling’s own shop, viewed from France, nevertheless shows €840 a pair — €360 for the front wheel and €480 for the rear — which is €20 more than the price relayed by the outlet.
On weight, « with gravity hubs, tough rims and beefed-up spokes, the Bracken Trail wheels weigh 2,060 grams a pair », the outlet reports. Boyd positions the product itself: these wheels were designed « for our friends who ride trail in a more playful way » and « stay very nimble, while taking the abuse from the roughest riders ».
A rim designed for botched landings
The rim profile is the central argument. According to Bikerumor, « Boyd says the Bracken Trail rim features an all-new heat-treated 6061 alloy extrusion, with a reverse hook on the leading edge to provide high impact resistance during those less-than-graceful landings ».
The spokes follow the same logic. « According to Boyd, the new spokes feature a reinforced elbow that increases tensile strength by 30%, “allowing for even more questionable behaviour” », the outlet continues. The claimed reinforcement therefore applies to the elbow, not to the body of the spoke.
Hubs with near-instant engagement
The third element concerns the in-house hubs. With « a 102-tooth ratchet ring and six offset pawls that engage separately, the Sixtus delivers near-instantaneous 0.5-degree engagement », Bikerumor writes. On technical singletrack, that reduced dead angle translates into a more immediate pick-up after a caught pedal stroke.
On compatibility, the outlet specifies that « the Sixtus hubs are available in Boost spacing only, with a 6-bolt disc interface and swappable end caps allowing a switch from a 15 to a 20 mm front axle ».
One reservation remains over the rest of the spec sheet. Bikerumor itself indicates that « the brand did not provide us with all the details » on part of the spec sheet. The official page clears up the essentials: it is titled « Bracken Trail 29er », gives a wheel size of « 700c/29er » and offers Shimano HG, Shimano Microspline and SRAM XD freehub bodies. The official page does, on the other hand, list the mixed configuration as coming soon, in 650b.
