Stan's NoTubes Flow MK3 Wheelset
(discontinued)

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Discontinued
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International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.

1 member reviews

A Strong Contender in 2016, Outclassed in 2021
Rating:
The Good
- Reasonable Price
- Fairly Strong
- Adequate Engagement
- Competitive Weight
- Comfortable yet Laterally Stiff
The Bad
- Rear Hub Reliability Issues
- Not Immune to Dents and Cracks
Overall Review:

A set of Stan's Flow MK3 wheels arrived as standard on my Niner JET9 RDO 3.5 years ago. Since then I've put over 2,500 mountain miles on them, riding everything from hardpack XC trails, to steep enduro runs, and even some of the tougher lines at Snowshoe and other bike parks.

The Rim:

The front wheel is still true and dent-free. As with most wheelsets, the issues I had were all with the rear wheel. In 2019, I put a sizeable dent in the rear rim, which cause a small crack, making the rim no longer airtight. A healthy amount of epoxy got me back out on the trail though.

The epoxied dent

Since then I've put 6 "splinter" style dings in the rim, where it didn't deform much, but seemed to fracture, kind of like carbon. 

Rim splinters

The rim is pretty out of true, and since the nipples are clogged with sealant, the spokes like to twist when re-tensioning, rather than tighten. Basically, it's not going to be straight again. However, it's still fairly round, and does the job a rim is supposed to. I'd say the strength is on par with the much lighter DT XM481. From my personal experience, the Flow MK3 is stronger than WTB's previous gen (discontinued ~2020) i-series rims, but slightly weaker than i9's Enduro 305 alloy rims or my riding buddies' much beloved Spank 350s. 

The Hub:

About two years in, the original Stan's Neo's freehub that came on the bike was trashed from engaging sideways. In hindsight this was likely due to the beginnings of the hub axle failure, and I wish I had made a warranty claim. Almost exactly a year later, the hub failed catastrophically. The rear hub axle cracked completely through and damaged another $80 freehub in the process. My warranty had just expired, so I had to shell out for replacement parts (including a third freehub) out of my own pocket again.

Broken axle

The other half

 Currently, I'm on my third freehub and an upgraded steel axle. I was on the cusp on getting a new hub, but wanted to give the Neo one more chance before I wrote it off. I've been riding this setup for 6 months now, and recently inspected the axle and freehub. I'm happy to report that there was no visible damage/cracks on either component. I'll keep a close watch and report back if anything interesting happens. On a positive note, the front hub is doing fine.

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Specifications

Product
Stan's NoTubes Flow MK3 Wheelset
Riding Type
Enduro / All-Mountain
Trail
Wheel Size
26"
27.5" (650b)
29"
27.5+
29+
Other: 26+
Rim Material
Aluminum
Rim
• 6069 aluminum alloy
• Bead Socket Technology (BST)
• WideRight design optimized for 2.35"-2.8" tires
• 32.3mm external width, 16.1mm depth
• Rim weight: 459g (26"), 480g (27.5"), 527g (29")
Inner Rim Width
29mm
Hole Count
32 front and rear
Tubeless Compatible
Yes
Rear Hub
Stan's NoTubes Neo, CNC machined shell, Durasync freehub; Shimano HG, Shimano MICRO SPLINE, or SRAM XD driver
Rear Axle
10mm QR x 135mm
12mm x 142mm
12mm x 148mm (Boost)
12mm x 150mm
12mm x 157mm
Front Hub
Stan's NoTubes Neo, CNC machined shell
Front Axle
9mm QR x 100mm
15mm x 100mm
15mm x 110mm (Boost)
20mm x 110mm
Other: Lefty SL, Lefty Supermax, and SRAM Predictive Steering
Disc Mount Type
6 Bolt
Spokes
Sapim Force Black, 2.0/1.7/1.8mm
Nipples
Sapim Secure Lock alloy
Colors
Black
Weight
26": 3 lb 13.3 oz (1,739 g)
27.5": 3 lb 15.3 oz (1,794 g)
29": 4 lb 3.2 oz (1,905 g)
Miscellaneous
• Maximum rider weight: 250lbs (113kg)
• Max Pressure: 37psi (2.4" tire), 26psi (2.8" tire)
• Includes pre-installed 30mm tubeless tape and 35mm Presta valves
• 1-year crash replacement policy
• 2-year warranty for rims against manufacturing defects
• 3-year warranty for Stan's hubs against manufacturing defects
Price
$679.00
More Info
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Where To Buy
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
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