Spank bill the Oozy-26 Evo as a wheelset aimed at the enduro/all-mountain rider and cover all bases by offering them in the three current wheel sizes (incidentally, the ‘26’ in their title refers to the outside width of the rim, not the wheel diameter). With the proliferation of long-travel 29ers and their stupendous capability, there’s a definite need for strong yet light wheels that can take the sort of punishment harder riding can dish out, so we got some of the bigger wheels in to test.

These wheels can most certainly take the punishment. The EVO Dynamal 6000-series alloy rims are constructed from a single piece of material, sleeved and bonded, which ensures their strength. The rims have Spank’s own Oohbah profile, with an inverted tube well to increase stiffness while keeping the weight down, and the BeadNip offers a very secure seating for the tyre bead, with a pronounced hook shape that the bead nestles and locks into, essentially.

WIth a set of Geax Gato 2.3in tyres fitted, the 26mm rim, with an inner width of 21.5mm, sets the tyre up nice and wide, which gives a very planted feel with the sidewall offering the necessary support.

The rims are laced, via 28 straight pull spokes front and rear, to smart looking SSL (Single Spoke Length) flanged hubs. They house Japanese-made bearings, two up front and four in the rear. They stayed smooth during the test period with no noticeable degradation in performance. At the rear wheel is a Super-Lite CNC Optimized alloy freehub, which produces speedy engagement and has, like the bearings, been working smoothly throughout the time I’ve been riding them.

Both hubs feature removable adaptors so you can fit your choice of axle end caps. The rear came 142x12mm but I quickly swapped to regular QR 135mm, and the front hub was set-up for 15mm bolt-thru, regular quick release end caps were supplied in the bag. Both hubs have standard 6-bolt disc mounts.

Weight on my scales was 835g for the front and 956g for the rear, combining to give a 1,791g complete weight. That’s a few grams lighter than their quoted 1,800g weight, perhaps on account of switching the rear hub end caps. Taken on its own, they’re certainly not the lightest 29er wheelset on the market, but for the riding they’re intended for it’s actually pretty good.

I’ve been putting them through loads of regular rides recently, from my local Surrey Hills to the rocky Peak District, and they’ve coped just fine. There were a few noises from the spokes during the first ride as they bedded in, after which they were fine and I didn’t hear another pip from them. Importantly, I’ve been thrashing them with really quite low tyre pressures and they have stood up brilliantly. The wheels are still true, the rims don’t show any dings, all very reassuring.

Through the corners they’re not the stiffest alloy wheelset I’ve tested, not compared to the expensive Mavic Crossmax ST anyway, but they are solidly built and can handle the big impacts. Their weight doesn’t impact too negatively on speed either, though if you’re cross country riding there are more suitable wheels available.. I liked the wide rim, which seats the bigger tyres very nicely, giving them a wide volume. The bead stays locked securely into the unique rim design. I didn’t run them tubeless, opting to use inner tubes on account of testing different tyres (once you’ve gone through the faff of adding sealant, you don’t want to be changing tyres too regularly) and didn’t experience any issues.

They ticked all the boxes then, setting themselves up as candidates for any long travel 29er with hard-hitting riding intentions. Based on these, we can presume the 26in and 27.5in versions will be just as good. Which just leaves the price, perhaps the most appealing part of the package. Because at £359.99 they’re stonking good value for money.

Verdict

A high performance wheelset with a solid build and rim design, with an attractive price to match. I’m really impressed with these wheels, they’re a solid package.

Pros

Solid and strong
Great price

Cons

Not the lightest

Price: £359.99
More information: Spank Oozy Evo wheelset

What Spank says:

Weight (F/R): 1650g (26″), 1690g (27.5/650b), 1800g (29″)

Rims

Oozy 26AL EVO Dynamal Alloy Rims (420g/rim 26″)
26mm outer width / 21.5mm inner width / 28H

Rear: 9/10-Speed 12mm x 142mm

28H Straightpull
Standard QR Rear Hub Adapter Kit Incl.
Japanese Bearing Upgrade
Super-Lite CNC Optimized Alloy Freehub Body
Oversized SSL (Single Spoke Length) Flange Design
6 Bolt Disc Mount

Front: 15mm x 100mm O.L.D.

Standard QR Front Hub Adapter Incl.
Japanese Bearing Upgrade
Oversized SSL Flange Design (adaptable to 20mm)
6 Bolt Disc Mount

Hand built and trued 

3 Cross Lacing
Sandvik T302 Triple Butted 2.2/1.8/2.0 SP Spokes
Alloy Nipples

Colours 

Polished Black/Black, Polished Silver/Silver
10x135mm and 112x135mm rear adapters available separately
Front Hub 20mm adapters available separately