Tenet Coven AL Wheelset

Aluminum wheels with lifetime warranties are so hot right now. A trend kicked off by Reserve that others have followed, it's a beautiful reality being able to hammer your wheels, and when they don't hold air, you can get a replacement. Tenet joined this conversation in May when they successfully ran a Kickstarter campaign for their new Coven alloy wheels. Before, they only made a stem, handlebar, flat pedals and grips. A truly rider-owned brand that doesn't waste time making components just for the sake of it, the Coven piqued a lot of riders' interest—32-spoke count, a strategically reinforced rim profile, welded seams, and $698 for a set. 

We've been digging the resurgence of aluminum wheels. They're cheaper than carbon and less likely to spectacularly explode. The lifetime warranties are a nice cherry on top, too. Since we've ridden most of the wheels in this category, we wanted to see how the Covens compared, and most importantly, if they could take a beating.

Highlights

• Intended use: e-bike, enduro, downhill, freeride
• 6069-T6 Aluminum rim with a hookless bead
• Asymmetric rim with a 3mm offset
• 30mm inner width
• Welded seams
• Spoke count: 32
• 29" front wheel | 27.5 or 29" rear wheel
• Industry Nine 1/1 hubs
• 15x110 Boost front | 12x148 Boost rear hub spacing
• Colors: Onyx or Silver
• Lifetime warranty
• Weight (mixed wheelset): 2,132g | Rim only: 29" - 606g | 27.5" - 574g
• MSRP: Wheelset - $698 USD | Rim - $119 USD

Overview

Tenet aimed to check all the boxes for a burly alloy wheelset with the Coven: a high-end finish and build quality, a bombproof rim design, and a budget-friendly MSRP. The box that was left unchecked was lightweight—the wheels are content with packing on some extra grams in the name of durability. Still, they're competitive with other alloy wheels when it comes to weight and value:

• DT Swiss EX 1900 - $657 w/ DT Swiss 370 hubs | 2,100g (no lifetime warranty)
• Tenet Coven - $698 w/ i9 1/1 hubs | 2,132g
• Reserve 30|HD Aluminum - $699 w/ DT Swiss 350 DEG hubs | 1,960g
• HUNT Enduro V3 - $749 w/ H_Ratchet XL hubs | 2,096g (no lifetime warranty)
• Crankbrothers Synthesis Enduro 2.0 - $959.98 w/ i9 1/1 hubs | 2,033g
• Roval Traverse Alloy - $949.98 w/ DT Swiss 350 hubs | 1,904g
• DT Swiss E 1700 - $1,100 w/ 350 ratchet hubs | 1,878g (no lifetime warranty)

Most of the decisions made around the Coven's rim design were aimed at maximizing strength. They're made from 6069-T6 aluminum, which has high impact and fatigue strength. The seam is welded instead of sleeved to create a stronger, air-tight junction, and the rim is finished with a polished logo that's masked before a final media blasting. 

The rim profile is asymmetrical with a 3mm spoke offset to even out spoke tension and help the wheels stay true longer. The spoke bed is also thicker to reduce cracking around the nipple or spokes pulling through. Internal rim width is a standard 30mm, while the height sits at a shallower 20mm to give the rim some vertical compliance. The external rim width is 34.8mm due to a thicker, 2.4mm sidewall meant to help combat dents and pinch flats.  

Tenet sells dual 29-inch or mixed wheelsets that come with Industry Nine's solid, mid-tier 1/1 hubs. They don't offer à la carte wheels or 27.5-inch front wheels. You can buy a rim only in either wheel size though. You can also order mixed-match colors if you can't decide between Onyx black or Silver. Wheelsets come taped with valve stems of your color choice, and you can pick between an HG, MS, or XD freehub.  Finally, decal kits are sold separately for $10 in 15 different colors.

Is it Really a Lifetime Warranty?

Lifetime warranty gets thrown around a lot nowadays, so what should you expect if you buy these wheels and end up decimating a rim? Per Tenet's warranty page:

• Dented rim and holding air: crash replacement
• Dented rim, not holding air: warranty
• Cracked rim bead: warranty
• Seam separation: warranty
• Crack at spoke hole: warranty

It will cost you a $30 flat-rate shipping fee to get a replacement rim, and you will have to cover the cost/effort to get a new wheel built. The warranty is non-transferable from the first owner. The crash replacement program gives you a one-time 30% off discount if you break a rim by any means other than riding, if you just want a new rim because yours is haggard, or if you are the second owner of a used wheelset. This discount offer is valid for the lifetime of all wheels. 

On The Trail

My partner Lauren tested the Covens. She's lighter than most of our testers, but she's also in a more progressive stage of riding. Line choice might not always be the most precise, but the commitment is high. The timing of Covens' arrival coincided with her exploding a Specialized Traverse HD rear wheel. A carbon wheel that is quite indestructible. That was enough to qualify her as a Vital wheel tester.

All testing ensued with 19-20psi in the front and 20-22psi in the rear and a Maxxis EXO+ casing up front and a DH or DoubleDown casing in the rear. A DoubleDown or similar casing front and rear would be another complementary setup on an all-mountain or enduro bike for a heavier rider.

The wheels are supposed to come with valve stems, and ours probably did. I didn't realize until I was putting this review together that this was the case. When I set up our test wheels, I didn't see any valves, so I popped in some silver Cush Core valves that matched well. 

Stiffness & Compliance

Tenet doesn't go super deep into the feel they were after with the Covens. Making them bombproof seems to have been priority over compliance. Lauren came from riding a Roval Traverse HD rear and Crankbrothers Synthesis Carbon front wheel. Two wheels with front- and rear-specific anatomy. I figured she might experience more feedback from the Coven front wheel due to its higher spoke count and narrower profile. Nada. She never noticed any wheel deflection and enjoyed how solid and responsive they rode. Maybe it was the PTSD of breaking her first wheel, but not having to sweat ramming into rocks or greasing jumps was more valuable than having the smoothest ride quality. 

I tossed the wheels on my bike for a few rides. Compared to the carbon DT Swiss EXC 1200 wheels I've been on for months, the Coven's were definitely stiffer. The front wheel, especially. It took a few runs to adjust to their sturdiness. While not the most cOmPliAnT wheels I've ridden, their stiffness felt acceptable considering the price point and intended use. It's all about expectations. The Coven's are meant to be ridden hard, and with that comes a bit less comfort.

Do They Dent?

Nope. At least not yet. Acquiring a dent feels like the litmus test for deeming an alloy rim worthy. That, and do the spokes come loose. Neither of which has happened with the Covens. I beared witness to a few egregious lines. Rocks were wacked, jumps were cased. But the rims show no proof. Two months into testing, the Covens have survived enough impacts to deem them suitable for the most aggressive riders or trails. Happy hucking.

The lifetime warranty is also a sweet safety net. No one plans to use it, but it feels better knowing you have it. I wouldn't buy any wheels without a lifetime warranty at this point. The Covens are dent-free thus far, and I truly believe they'll roll strong for the long haul. But adding the ability to replace a rim for $30 if the day comes makes them extra sweet.

What's The Bottom Line? 

Tenet set out to make an indestructible aluminum wheelset, and that's exactly what they accomplished. Their Coven wheels can withstand plenty of impacts without denting or losing tension. This resilience comes at the cost of some extra weight and less comfort, but for aggressive riders who need reliable wheels, the durability, price, and warranty greatly outweigh these factors.

Score Breakdown

• Ride Quality: 3.5
• Durability: 5
• Hub Performance: 4.5
• Weight: 4
• Value: 4.5
• Overall Score:  4.3

(Scores out of 5)