Spank Oozy Trail 345 Rim: Rider Review

A perfect option for the aggressive XC rider, the Spank Oozy 345 Rim provides top-notch rider feedback at an affordable price point. Our customer Russell is beyond stoked on his set, check out his review to learn more about them! 

Overview

Recently picked up another set of Spank Oozy 345 Trail rims from our friends at Worldwide Cyclery. Out of the box, I was giddy and speechless, the red set that lives on my 29er XC bike was lively and bold, not so with the 27.5 black set. I mean, just look at them! The reptilian green lettering has a kiss of gloss to stand out from the beautifully shot peened black anodized finish. These are a professional pair of rims and are here to effortlessly win even the friendliest of races.

First Impressions

Just wait, it gets better. Spank lists the Oozy 345 as a tough, lightweight, stiff, and high-performance alloy wheel that’s ready to laugh in the face of XC and enduro trails alike. They are dead serious! These wheels roll up and don’t shout their presence or boast about costing more than Egyptian relics or monthly rent in NYC. They brag about being solid enough to avoid truing for 6 months or more, that says a lot when your 18-year-old brother rides your XC like he stole it...but the Oozy 345s love it. Can’t say the same for a friend’s carbon Santa Cruz with much pricer tacos, er wheels. You be the judge and jury.

How Do They Ride?

Spank also claims that the “Oohbah” bead bite ridges shown below will prevent burping and beads unseating under load, like bermed corners or 360s (having those wheels before breaking my wrist and fingers would very possibly have prevented the wreck entirely). Safety first right? Seriously, they bite like a bear trap and let you push your fast lines even harder, not to mention keeping air from seeping out and having squishy tires for the ride back after a fun day out. Most importantly, they are the easiest rims to seat tubeless tires in that I’ve used so far. If you haven’t set tubeless tire beads before, your time will come grasshopper.

Attention to Detail

Lastly, the geekiest and prettiest part of these wicked wheels is that finish! Shot peened and anodized to give a deep, rich color. The full-time-fabricator in me must say too that “peening” the rims does, in fact, reduce residual stresses and strengthen the surface of the rim, letting them take up vibrations and prevent cracking without even flinching. All this right around the $100 price point! The Oozy handlebars are just as impressive from Spank and come with a sweet mudguard to make people jealous. Well done Spank, definitely purchasing more of their products soon.

One More Purchase

Moving onto the Fox Float 32 8cc Volume reducers. Not a complicated device, but an essential one for any half serious rider. Basically, it makes your fork or shock feel like you want it. As a... well smaller guy, I weight in at 150lbs with my pack on, and my Scott Genius is rated for a 235lb? rider, so with 3 out of 5 reducers clipped in, the fork is dialed. Cornering is more predictable, landing is more forgiving, and forget bottoming out (unless you ride with a weighted vest, downhill, with your pet rhinoceros on the handlebars..). Seems like a headache trying to tune suspension, but call up Fox Shox or the crew at Worldwide Cyclery, they’re cool enough to help you find the ones to fit your fork.

Final Thoughts

Overall, these products have performed as claimed an exceeded expectations, what’s not to like? If you’re looking to add some solid, long-lasting components to the two wheels of freedom, go to Worldwide Cyclery. The crew is knowledgeable, easy going, and treat you like royalty...seriously. Fair warning though, you’ll want to shred the streets and trails even more and probably need to wipe more tears of happiness away when your order arrives. (And their stickers, those are cool too!).