It is no surprise that at The Manual we are big fans of Forge+Bond products. I had the privilege of spending time on the Forge+Bond 30AM wheelset and was incredibly impressed. I rode them on an aluminum and carbon fiber mountain bike and was blown away by the lateral stiffness and vertical compliance.
We were surprised, however, when Forge+Bond released a new wheel series, the Shift Series, offering Forge+Bond quality but at a fraction of the price.
Forge+Bond’s Swift Series could set new standards
The F+B 30AM wheelset was the best set of wheels I’ve put on a mountain bike. They soaked up trail vibrations, were stiff in corners, and are covered by a lifetime warranty. If you break one, Forge+Bond will send you a new wheel after you send yours back to be recycled. The recyclability comes from the way the wheels are manufactured.
Forge+Bond breaks away from traditional carbon fiber methods, where epoxy binds the carbon fiber layers together. Instead, Forge+Bond utilizes FUSIONFIBER,
“a carbon fiber material that uses long-chain nylon polymers as the bonding agent instead of the brittle epoxies that are found in traditional carbon fiber products. FUSIONFIBER products are stronger and more durable than those made with traditional epoxy-based carbon fiber. This is due to the microscopic flexing in the FUSIONFIBER material, which allows the wheels to radially dissipate shock throughout the rim, resulting in a smoother rider with much higher impact resistance.”
And Forge+Bond’s claims are accurate—the wheels ride exceptionally well. However, this exceptional mountain bike wheelset came at a high price.
With the release of Forge+Bond’s Swift Series, everything that made Forge+Bond’s wheelsets so good is now available for nearly $1,000 less. How? Forge+Bond says the savings are due to their new in-house hub.
Previously, customers were allowed to choose between two high-quality hub brands—Industry Nine and DT Swiss. But don’t be fooled. This is no sloppy, cheap proprietary hub. The lightweight, aluminum body hub features 162 points of engagement—incredibly high engagement for “in-house” components.
The same wheel quality, the same ride quality, and the same warranty with a new high-engagement hub—nearly half the price.
Where to buy the Forge+Bond Swift Series
As of February 6th, you can purchase the new Swift Series wheelset through Forge+Bond’s website. You must choose which freehub driver you need — either SRAM XD or Shimano’s Microspline. The new hub is also only offered in a 6-bolt rotor design.
Forge+Bond’s Core Series of wheels has a wheelset for different disciplines of mountain biking—the 30EMs for enduro riding, 30AMs for trail, and 25XCs for cross-country. Forge+Bond also has the 25GR, their gravel wheelset.
The new Shift Series mimics this lineup, minus the gravel option. Whether you’re looking for a wheel that can take the hard hits of enduro, something to spin up fast for cross-country, or just an all-around trail wheel, Forge+Bond delivers impressive quality at an exceptionally reasonable price.
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