Darkhorse Wheels

[Mokgaga'a mmakubela!]

maybe DH should say something re mixed reviews about DH wheels 

[@ndy]

I've been a set of 60/80 DH wheels with the ceramic hubs for nearly three years and I'm extremely happy with them. The service at the time of purchase was excellent.

 

A friend of mine also bought a set and damaged his rim which was replaced no questions asked.

[Popit]

I have a set of Prime wheels (28mm) . 

I absolutely love them . They are my training wheels so get used a lot .

 

Now that CRC are no longer using Skynet , these wheels are well worth bringing in .

I have the staright pull spokes on the upgraded hub . Was about 1K more for that option  .

Total landed here with all duties was about 10K .

[Iwan Kemp]

I'm looking for a set of 50mm carbon road wheels. Does anyone have any experience with Darkhorse. They seem like the only reasonably priced wheels available locally.

 

More options here: https://positivesportssolutions.co.za/product-category/wheels/road-wheels/

[DieselnDust]

I'm looking for a set of 50mm carbon road wheels. Does anyone have any experience with Darkhorse. They seem like the only reasonably priced wheels available locally.

 

 

Why do want a set of 50mm carbon wheels? Is it to look the business as you gaze at your reflection in the shop windows of Claremont Main road or is there a particular benefit you think you get from them?

 

I agree that spending ENVE/ZIPP kind of money on aero wheels is square in the golfer mentality arena and that the Chinese generic wheels offer much much better value. But one should also consider structural integrity. 

there is a very good reason why MAVIC, CORIMA, CAMPAGNOLO (FULCRUM) and SHIMANO have been surviving in the wheels business for as long as they have

[Darkhorse Bikes and Wheels]

Hi All

We strive to be reconized as providing the best customer service and support possible. Its great to hear all the nice comments however is disapointing to hear the others. We have and will always say please come in with your issues and we will assist.

All our wheels are built specificly for us to our specs in the east (Which we dont hide). They have all gone through major testings and have passed in all areas and that is why, as far as we are aware we are the only South African company with UCI approval.

We wish to thank all of our customers who continue to support us as we will keep doing the same for all of you.

Going on 10years and may this continue on much much longer!

 

Regards

The DarkHorse Team

 

Ps. Some exciting made in RSA products coming in the new year!!!

[Furbz]

Dark Horse are rubbish.

i went through 3 rims in 2 years over 5000km

i weight 68kg

 

i cannot believe HUNT wheels have not been mentioned here

they are brilliant and backup is superb

[Shebeen]

Have not owned these wheels, but know the guys behind it from sailing industry and they are legit. I'm not sure if the failures mentioned here are just because they've sold a lot of wheels or higher than industry average.

 

for what it's worth they support local mtb racing when many others have left

https://twitter.com/dhw_procycling?lang=en

[Thomo]

i cannot believe HUNT wheels have not been mentioned here

they are brilliant and backup is superb

I doubt Hunt's omission was intentional ... suspect that it's just not particularly familiar yet.

But agreed, from what I've read they are worth a look.

[NickGM]

Just adding my experience so far: I have the 36mm DH wheelset and I enjoy them. They're my first carbon wheelset so can't compare to others. All I can say is that they are much lighter, feel better and look cooler than my old mavic aksiums. 

 

Done just over 500km (I weigh 79kg) and so far no reliability issues. Will give feedback here if there ever is.

['Dale]

Unfortunately, too many mixed review on the DarkHorse brand, over many seasons, even with stellar after sales service.

 

Safety. First.

[Longbarn Killer]

Why do want a set of 50mm carbon wheels? Is it to look the business as you gaze at your reflection in the shop windows of Claremont Main road or is there a particular benefit you think you get from them?

 

I agree that spending ENVE/ZIPP kind of money on aero wheels is square in the golfer mentality arena and that the Chinese generic wheels offer much much better value. But one should also consider structural integrity. 

there is a very good reason why MAVIC, CORIMA, CAMPAGNOLO (FULCRUM) and SHIMANO have been surviving in the wheels business for as long as they have

Isn't this the reason we buy any carbon part?

[Veebee]

Even going back to old threads on Darkhorse, there has been quite a few bad reviews on the wheels, maybe actually too many for most on here to consider the brand.

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

OK, let me chime in

 

I see a LOT of carbon road wheels in for repairs and maintenance. The most typical issues I see are rims which delaminate due to overheating from braking and wheels suffering from going out of true and broken spokes.

 

I won't mention any brands here, but the cause of the latter issues is almost always poor build quality control. The delamination issues are generally rims which are poor quality overall - from reputable brands commonly available locally.

 

If your target is around R15k, then get in touch to discuss some options before you spend money on something else, even if just for some ideas and advice.

 

I find that the slim design hubs used by most affordable brands are a major source of flex, causing wheels to touch the brakes when sprinting. I've found this is avoided by using more robust hubs like Hope RS4, DT Swiss 240 and 350, and the hubs by Aivee.

 

For the past 2 years I have been importing premium Nextie rims directly from the factory, and building them locally with DT Swiss, Hope or Aivee hubs, using bladed and round, j-bend and straight-pull spokes by DT Swiss, Pillar and Alpina.

 

The feedback I've received has been stellar and (touch wood) not a single issue with regards to rim failure due to heat or anything else.

 

For reference, I can hand-build you a set of premium Nextie rims on Hope, DT or Aivee hubs for between R15 and R17k, depending on options.

 

Shameless plug: I guarantee my workmanship, spokes and nipples for LIFE.

 

Anyways, hit me with questions and comments, I'm here to help.

[Thomo]

Would be interesting to know what the review trend looks like over the years.

Perhaps the teething issues and problems experienced with initial models have been sorted out.?

I'm sure even Zipp and the like experience similar without it making it a bad brand.?

 

Something lots of budget buyers overlook is the hubs/spokes/nipples used and the role it plays in the overall wheel quality. (not to mention the quality of the build)

Many rims are created equal, but wheels can be differentiated by the other components.

Edited December 11, 2019 by Thomo

[Darkhorse Bikes and Wheels]

In the early days of moving into this industy we did learn a few tough lessions to get where we are today. We contiunue to develop our products to keep progessing.

With in the last 3 years we have sold over 2000 rims, with less than 0.5% coming back for a warranty claim. I am pretty sure that much bigger brands struggle to have less claims.

We only use the best products and really try to offer great value and support to all our customers.

Edited December 11, 2019 by Darkhorse Wheels