Race Face Aeffect R 30mm wheelset review – tough, trail-taming wheels that go hard on the trails but easy-ish on the wallet

Race Face’s Aeffect R aluminum wheelset is designed to take on the punishment of enduro riding to the ever-increasing demands of the modern trail bike, balancing performance and the price tag. 

The Aeffect R wheels feature some of the tech you get in its higher-end models with cool-looking asymmetric rims with a 4.5mm offset spoke bed and 30mm inner width rims that are tubeless-ready and come pre-installed with tubeless valves. All of this points to a stiff and strong wheelset ready to take on the rigors of today’s trail and enduro riding.

At its center, durable Trace hubs feature sealed cartridge bearings with 10 degrees or engagement and a steel axle. The rear hub is compatible with HG, Microspline and XD driver freehub bodies and both front and rear rims come laced with 28 j-bend spokes. There’s an additional set of five spare spokes and a spoke tension key. Everything points to burly-on-a-budget. Sitting below Race Face's aluminum Atlas and Turbine models, the Aeffect Rs come in at $599.98/ £578 / €685 for my 650b (27.5in) set on test – see our budget MTB wheels guide for more bargain hoops. To find out how they measured up to the best trail wheels, I dropped into some rowdy trails.

Design and specifications

These wheels look pretty premium, only let down slightly by the graphics, which are stickers rather than etched. This does lessen the look a little and means they could end up looking shabby after some hard riding or iffy bike storage.

The rims are made from 6069 alloy and are asymmetric with a 4.5mm offset spoke bed and 30mm internal rim width. The thinking is that by drilling the spoke holes out of line, a more uniform tension can be achieved adding to an overall stiffer feeling wheel. This rim profile does mean that tubeless valves require an offset rubber wedge to seat them properly, luckily the wheels come pre-installed with tubeless valves so we’re all good.

Available in Boost (148mm) and Super-Boost (157mm for the rear), the oversized Trace hubs certainly look pretty tough and Race Face has gone for durability and ease of maintenance. Compatible with HG, Microspline and SD Driver freehub bodies cater for everybody. Large cartridge bearings, steel axles and 10 degrees of engagement point at durability and cost-saving, so it will be interesting to see what slower tech sections feel like on these wheels. 28 double-butted Sapim J-bend spokes bind everything together.

My 650b wheels weighed in at 895 grams for the front and 1,057 grams for the rear. 

Performance

The Affect R wheels and my Specialized Stumpjumper soon became fast friends. They’re easy wheels to like. I like the price point and at sub $600 / £600, they won’t break the bank. They are super easy to maintain – a godsend to someone like me who would rather spend time in the saddle than in the workshop. I’m happy to report the graphics are still looking pretty good after a summer of tough riding and and they are easy to ride. Maybe a strange statement, but I was worried that they would be too stiff.

The initial setup was a breeze. Using a good glug of Peaty's Holeshot Biofibre Tubeless Tire Sealant and my trusty Bontrager TLR Flash charger floor pump, I seated my tires first time with that satisfying ping onto the rims for proper seating.

I spent a frenzied summer testing these wheels. Jumping in at the deep end hitting up the most rooty and rocky trails I could find at my local spots, then heading to various trail centers to hit berms and drops, all whilst dealing with the changeable summer conditions. 

The Aeffect R wheels meld a good balance of lateral stiffness and vertical compliance – which I was concerned about as I don’t like overly stiff wheels. Hitting berms at speed, they certainly felt stiff and controlled, setting me up on precision lines for the next hit. Putting the power down out of corners they felt composed and offered up a little snap.

Straight-lining through roots and rock sections didn’t feel overly harsh, I can’t say they felt faster than other wheels I’ve ridden, but they certainly provide a comfortable compliant ride and rather than pinballing off of rocks, I felt in control and I didn’t need to think about them. That said, riding some attention-seeking off-camber stuff, I noticed how well they held a tight-tracked line.

The Trace rear hub uses a four-pawl freehub design and offers 36 points of engagement with 10 degrees of pick-up. I found it ample for tackling technical climbs and never felt under-gunned wishing for a faster pickup. Halfway through the testing period, I changed drivetrains so swapped from a HG to Microspine freehub body. It literally took seconds to swap as everything can be done tool-free which is a boon for someone like me.

These wheels have taken some abuse, seen a lot of trail miles and have proven their mettle in all manner of situations. They will certainly suit riders who like to push hard and are after a competitively-priced wheelset with great looks.

Verdict

There’s a lot to like about the Affect R wheels. A decent price point makes them an attractive package. Add to that good looks, durability and a nice balance of compliance to stiffness. And they are easy to maintain for even the most ham-fisted of home mechanics too.

Tech specs: Race Face Affect R 30mm Wheelset 27.5

• Price set: $599.98/ £578 / €685
• Sizes: 27.5in (tested), 29in
• Material: Aluminium 6069
• External rim width: 34mm
• Internal rim width: 30mm
• Spoke count: 28mm Sapim
• Spoke head type: J-bend
• Spoke lacing: 3x
• Spoke offset: 4.5mm
• Weight set: 1,920g
• Extras: Five spare spokes, spoke tension tool