BERD Spokes New Talon Hub - Hook Flange To Integrate With Their Feather Weight Spokes

BERD Spokes Create A Hub To Better Work With Their Spokes:

After finding, trying, and loving BERD Spokes here at Worldwide Cyclery, we have been loving the intuitive new products they keep coming out with. This time, the Talon Hubs are laced with their Berd Spokes to the HAWK27 or HAWK30 rims. But before we get into the new hubs, let’s talk a bit about BERD and the history of their product range. It was almost two years ago when we made our first video, “The World’s Lightest Bicycle Spokes”. At that time, we realized what an amazing product these spokes are. The immediate feeling you get is like nothing we had ever ridden before. The spin up when accelerating is so good and the damping the spokes provide adds to the lightweight feeling. Next, BERD released their HAWK27 rim, a carbon fiber rim that is made in North America by We Are One Composites. The HAWK27 rim and the later released HAWK30 rim are shallow rim profiles at just 18mm deep with a wide rim lip and an asymmetric design. After a few rides on the HAWK27, it was once again a loved product by everyone at Worldwide Cyclery. Even Jeff himself built up his new Ranger with BERD spokes laced to the HAWK27 rim. 

So, back to the newest product from BERD, the Talon hubs. The main and most notable feature of these hubs is the custom designed hook flange, allowing the Berd spoke to loop around the hub flange instead of being pulled through the traditional flange. Not only does it make for easy lacing and repairs, but it could also lead to a stronger hub/spoke interface without a 90 degree bend, but that is just my speculation. Other specs on the hubs are the rear drive mechanism, utilizing a dual spring ratchet system similar to the one found in the older generation DT Swiss hubs, a tried and tested system that rarely ever fails or has issues. Certainly it’s a system that I have come to love and always fall back on for my personal wheels. The Talon hubs are also centerlock only which I like as it makes installing rotors super easy and easy to remove when traveling. Otherwise, they function the same. 

Specs:

• Front Hub Weight: 156g
• Front Hub Spacing: 15x110mm Boost
• Rear Hub Weight: 306 (XD)
• Rear Hub Spacing: 12x148mm Boost
• Internal Rim Width: 30mm
• Rim Size: 29”
• Spoke Count: 28h
• Disc Brake Type: Centerlock
• Hub Engagement: 36t (10 degree)
• Wheelset Weight: 1,444g
• Wheelset Price: $2,095

On Trail Performance:

If you have read any of our other reviews on BERD wheels, you know we really like them. The instant feeling you get when putting BERD spokes on a bike is extremely unique. They spin up so fast and even in the parking lot your bike feels feather light. We reviewed the original BERD wheels we rode along with the BERD HAWK27 wheels. As these wheels are very similar to the HAWK27 but with a HAWK30 rim, we will mostly focus on the hubs. 

When I first got the wheelset about six weeks ago, I really wanted to check out the hub internals. This particular system may be new, but I have been a huge fan of the DT Swiss dual ratchet system for a long time. I think it's the most reliable rear hub system on the market, hands down. I wanted to see if it was possible to swap the internals from a DT Swiss system into the Talon hubs, as that would be a really cool feature as you could change the star ratchet systems and run the three different tooth engagements that DT Swiss offers. Long story short, it doesn't work. The Talon hub uses a spacer on the spindle to help center the two star ratchet systems between the hub and freehub and the spacer has a larger outside diameter than the DT Swiss ratchets. So, the DT Swiss ratchets do not go on the hub. 

Once I got the wheels on my bike with the stock 36t ratchets from BERD, I threw on some new Maxxis 2.4 Forekaster tires. I felt that was a sweet combo of grip and rolling resistance and would well match my Yeti SB120 and the BERD HAWK30 rims laced to the Talon hubs. You notice how well-made the rims are when you put tires on as well as how clean the spokes interface with the hub. 

That first feeling of putting on the BERD wheels was noticeable here. Coming off some DT Swiss XM1700 wheels, these BERD wheels are much lighter. On my first ride I was trying to pay attention to the hubs, engagement, and rolling speed. With the 36t engagement and coming from the 54t system in the DT Swiss, I could feel there was a slight loss in engagement but after about 20-30 minutes I didn't notice anymore. The system felt like it rolled very smoothly, the hub was quiet and didn't seem to have much drag. There is a very small amount of drag when the hubs are brand new, but once they’re broken in, everything feels smooth and fast. Having put about 250 miles on these wheels now, they broke in very nicely without any issues so far. I also don't expect to have any issues with the dual ratchet system that BERD is using in their Talon hubs. 

What's Worldwide's Takeaway?

It's no secret that we have been huge fans of BERD Spokes here at Worldwide Cyclery, and with each iteration of the new product that feeling remains the same. Striking the balance between lightweight and reliability is often a hard thing to find and BERD has done it again with their Talon hub offering. With the hook flange made specifically for BERD spokes, it makes total sense to lace these spokes up like that. Takes out any hub modification you might have to do, the spoke has a straighter and more direct interface, and the hubs use a dual star ratchet system where you know that will not fail on you. Pair that with the HAWK30 rim and you have an extremely well-rounded wheelset that we feel is perfect for cross-country use, downcountry, or trail riding. Keep an eye out for Jeff’s new build where he might or might not be using these wheels on an enduro bike.