Recyclable rims and vibration damping: New brand Forge+Bond redesigns the wheel

Forge+Bond just launched with a gravel wheelset, the 25 GR, and a mountain bike wheelset. The brand has two big claims: the rims are recyclable (within its own manufacturing) and have greater vibration damping than a standard carbon rim.
Forge+Bond achieves this through an epoxy-free manufacturing process. Forge+Bond is the house brand of the manufacturing company CSS, which has been making products with its branded FusionFiber for Chris King, Evil, and Revel.
www.forgeandbond.com
I'll be test riding these wheels at Belgian Waffle Ride California on April 17.
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[@namaroli]

Your reviews are great, always my first click when I see a new one appear on youtube.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Glad you like them!

[@StanEby1]

Competent assessment. Thanks.

[@f1hotrod527]

They have the shift series on sale right now $937 a set. Got a CR 45 road set and a shift AM mountain bike set.

[@davidf1288]

Another solid review Ben. Enjoy how you bring it down to a real-world perspective that the everyman cyclist can relate to. Fun opening with the recycling bin and use of the beer cans! 😁

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Thank you.

[@jeffs5519]

Always like your style Ben. Thanks for analysis of an interesting product. Subscribed!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Thanks, Jeff. I appreciate that.

[@TheMirrorVision]

Great review as always, Ben!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

I appreciate that.

[@gerryl8310]

Thank you Ben. Another great review! Much appreciated! .

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

My pleasure.

[@gerryl8310]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney Ben, quick question was just watching the San Diego BWR and was surprised to see so many road bikes and what looked like I can't be sure 28mm-30mm tires. Any thoughts on what avg. size tires these riders are sporting in general? Thanks! G.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

@@gerryl8310 pros on 32-35, for the most part. The rest of us are 35-40. Are you doing it? I did 36s last year: www.velonews.com/gallery/bwr-bike-test-what-i-learned-what-was-sagging-and-what-i-loved/

[@gerryl8310]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney Wow, 32-35's that's wild. I wish I were prepared for this yr. Got sights on nx yr and maybe some races in btw. Still tussling with making decision on new ride. It's got me tied up like a pretzel some days lol.

[@gerryl8310]

Forgot to mention my top choice thus far is Kaius 01. Big $ but more or less this will be my one and done. Probably go 2x and possibly switch out handle bar but the one piece it comes with is great looking. I remember you rode for a race not long ago.

[@tombeck129]

If a computer can measure the vibration damping but a rider cannot feel the difference then we have nothing special here, except ridiculous pricing for CF wheels. These companies will find out the hard way why consumer direct sales out of Taiwan or China, will start bite into their business. Still an excellent review!

[@ole-bboy5875]

Thanks Ben. Great review on the wheels along with all the other reviews you do. Will there be a Canyon Grail test coming up? Thanks

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Thank you. I'll do a video next week after BWR CA on the Grail. I could do a standalone review, too, I suppose.

[@ole-bboy5875]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney Thanks looking forward to it especially after BWR. Interested in the bike but that bar/stem setup is kind of a stickler with not having the adjustability of the reach or stack.

[@alanhill7965]

A Grail review would be good it’s been around for a while and a fresh review would be good , I’m very pleased with my SLX version

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

@@ole-bboy5875 Nail on the head right there, sir. Either it fits you through dumb luck or you're outta luck.

[@ole-bboy5875]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney Have a great ride at BWR CA

[@barrowsworm1226]

I like the innovation, but I would like to see a bit lighter weight at these prices for a shallow section rim like this. Most competing rims are 350 gm. or less. As well, it would be nice to be able to purchase the rims alone. I am skeptical that there really is any benefit to the thermoset/nylon vs. epoxy: there are many varieties of epoxy, and many can cure up less brittle/stiff than others. Maybe these rims will be much tougher in overall strength and resistant to cracking under brutal impacts though... What kind of guarantee is there?

[@fennec13]

I have heard of these folks through Revel Cycles ( I have a WHY ti bike, and Revel is their sister arm of the company) Good looking stuff, quite a chunk of change, but what isn't expensive in cycling *LOL

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

It is bonkers how much stuff costs now, eh? Whether bike parts or groceries, I am definitely grumbling at prices.

[@alves81]

Keep the good work, dude. Particulary the chil out style.

[@f1hotrod527]

$1424 for the rims in this video.

[@anthonyharris483]

How about recycling some of that money back into my pockets 🤣🤣🤣

[@Carftymk]

carbon tire levers will eventually make their way into the trash. pretending to reuse carbon waste to make flawed products with scraps is great marketing though. effectively, they just make a little more money.

[@jonathonmcmillan9410]

Guess what. Everything goes in the trash eventually. Surprise.

[@Carftymk]

@@jonathonmcmillan9410 prematurely. thats like recycling just to throw it away before even using it. marketing trick

[@veganpotterthevegan]

​@@Carftymk the longer you extend the use the better.

[@Carftymk]

@@veganpotterthevegan and in this case this isn't extending it. carbon tire levers are trash and might aswell be used as trinkets. just send us carbon shavings and save yourself the manufacturing

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@@Carftymk WTF are you talking about? There are plenty of plastic levers that are outstanding. With a similar shape, carbon will only be better

[@BenZCardiff]

Greenwashing at its finest

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

I think that is a bit of an overstatement, Ben. Sure, the brand is leaning heavily into it for marketing, but I would argue that reusing their rim scrap and any defective rims is better than throwing all that in the trash.

[@BenZCardiff]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney I love what you are doing with all of this sweet content. Thank you again. And back to this topic - how is it not? Their stated mission is: “We’re on a mission to pioneer processes and create products that stay out of landfills. We aim to clean the collective house, starting with the sport and Earth we love.” And yet their wheels cost $2600. That’s $400 more than the Revel wheels with the same I9 hubs. How is this not a pure money grab attempt?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

@@BenZCardiff Thank you. And I appreciate the conversation! I guess I was thinking of greenwashing as something industries like oil do to put a false environmentally friendly spin on what they are doing. But now that I went and looked it up 😄 I see that it's defined as "the act or practice of making a product, policy, activity, etc. appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is". So yes, you're right. Still, I'd argue that what they are doing it with their message is overstating what is a small but legitimate improvement over traditional carbon fiber manufacturing where the excess pieces get tossed in the trash. You could say the same of virtually any bike or wheel company about their aero claims. Call that aerowashing. Pricing is a whole other ball of wax. It is a unique tact for the house brand to be *more* than the white label brands. I'll be curious to see how pricing between all the brands plays out, and how much they differentiate between themselves. I was just on a call with Vittoria this morning, which makes tires for a host of other brands. And I had similar questions there regarding product and pricing, which they don't want to touch. 😄

[@andarenbici]

If they want to make products that stay out of landfills and are recyclable, would it not be necessary to avoid carbon fiber and use alloy? Can any use of carbon fiber be framed as green when there are suitable alternatives for consumers? Are the marginal gains from carbon fiber products ever justified for everyday cyclists? I'd like to see a total environmental footprint and lifecycle analysis of a 2k gravel bike with alloy components to a 5k marginally better carbon fiber frame, components, and wheels model by the same company. Have you ever seen anything like that?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

@@andarenbici I have not, but I would love to. I don't think it's as simple as 'metal good and green, carbon bad and toxic', but I would love to see a university study on it.