While simple in name and construction, Silt’s Enduro Alloy wheelset punches well above its weight, providing superb performance for less than many of its rivals. It’s reliable and strong, blending a somewhat compliant ride character – and it’s not all that heavy. However, it would benefit from improved sealing around the freehub to reduce maintenance even further.
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Silt Enduro Alloy wheelset – Technical details
Silt’s Enduro Alloy wheelset uses welded, hardened 6069 alloy rims, chosen for strength. The spokes are asymmetric in design to achieve even spoke tensions, and the rim bed is ramped to aid tubeless tyre installation. The rim is 30mm wide internally and 35mm wide externally.
The front uses 28 Sapim D-Light J-bend spokes in a two-cross layout with 32 spokes at the rear. Those spokes are secured thanks to Sapim Secure lock brass nipples.
At the freehub, Silt’s not pulling any punches as this wheelset uses the tried and tested single-disc ratchet drive system, similar to what you’ll see used throughout DT Swiss’s range and newly seen on systems from ENVE. The hubs roll on TPI stainless steel bearings with sealed cartridge bearings featuring a single contact seal towards the outer facing surfaces. There’s also one non-contact seal to increase rolling speed.
The Silt Enduro Alloy wheelset comes in Boost and Standard hub spacing, and quick-release adapters can be purchased aftermarket. The wheels are available with SRAM XD, Microspline, and HD freehub bodies and can be bought in 29-inch, mullet, and 650-b sets as well as single wheels. The hubs only use six-bolt rotor mounts.
Silt says that the 29-inch wheelset pictured here tips the scale at 1,968g whereas the offices’ trust Park Tool scale states a weight of 1,890g.
Silt Enduro Alloy wheelset – Performance
During my three-month test period with the Silt Enduro Alloy wheels, I’ve mainly ridden natural trails throughout the worst of the UK’s autumn and winter.
When I pulled the wheels out of the box, I saw a small, nearly three- to four-inch area where the anodising had rubbed away at the very tip of the bead. It’s a minor shame, and the mark was quickly hidden after a tyre had been installed. When I chatted with the guys at Silt about this, I was told that this would be replaced under warranty and that it’s unlikely something like this would slip through QC.
First-time tubeless installation was a doddle, however, a combination of the asymmetric spoke layout and rim tape deformation did throw up a curveball when inflating a second set of tyres. After the rim tape had expanded into the spoke holes, as they would under pressure, there was space left between the tape and the tyre for air to escape, stopping the tyre from seating in place. This can happen with asymmetric spoke layouts, and WTB, for example, combats this with the rim strip, however, Silt’s particular spoke arrangement exaggerates this.
Once fitted to the bike, there was a small break-in period during which the spokes would ping and pop before settling. After that, the wheels ran smoothly and, for the most part, silently throughout the test.
They feel smooth in the way in which they roll but also in ride character. Being burly enduro wheels, you would expect some harshness that comes as a result of the all-out strength that’s built in but I was very impressed with the level of compliance that Silt had achieved. The Enduro Alloy wheelset capably absorbs vibrations and, on an enduro-spec wheelset, this is a benefit as it reduces arm pump and fatigue.
Although compliant, there’s good stiffness present. It’s not carbon-level harshness but the wheels are laterally stiff enough to provide a direct feel under heavy cornering loads. This also boosts confidence, knowing that the wheels aren’t going to fold underneath.
The freehub engagement on the Enduro Alloy wheel is certainly nothing to sniff at, especially for a wheelset of this price. There is some free play before the hub engages but it’s quick enough, and whatever lag is present isn’t game-ending. However, it must be said that my wheelset did pick up a creaking when under pedalling loads.
Such a creak can occur on XD hubs, so I took it apart which is easy enough, only requiring a couple of tools to undo the end caps and I found that the hub ratchets were pretty grubby. After a quick clean and re-lube, the wheels ran quietly. Given that I hadn’t been riding the wheels for long, it was a bit of a disappointment that dirt had crept in so quickly, so customers may have to keep on top of freehub maintenance. Although, Silt has said that the freehub is undergoing constant development and improvement. Hopefully, this will be solved going forward.
That said, these wheels can put up with a beating. I’ve experienced the heavy twang of bottoming out the tyre against the rim only to be surprised that the rims come out unscathed. They’ve picked up the odd scratch, but that’s totally to be expected.
Silt Enduro Alloy wheelset – Verdict
Despite some QC qualms and freehub noise, Silt’s Enduro Alloy wheelset poses cracking value for money at £380.
DT Swiss’s M 1900 Spline 29in wheelset is known for its performance-to-value ratio but the Silts have it beaten. Performance is just as good, weight is comparable too with the DT Swiss coming in at a claimed 1,894g per pair however the Enduro Alloys are certainly stronger.
We can’t talk value wheelsets without touching on Hunt, and the Enduro Wide wheelset is priced at £549. It’s more of a spend and a weightier wheelset but its hub does provide faster engagement.
Silt’s Enduro Alloy wheelset packs the durability and ride feel expected of wheelsets well north of its modest asking price. While I did experience some quality control issues, the performance you get for the money exceeds expectations.
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