Just Riding Along Ravine mountain bike wheelset review

Designed for trail and enduro riding, Just Riding Along’s (JRA) Ravine aluminium wheelset is the brand's newest offering, promising to combine low weight with robust strength.

Available in multiple configurations, the set I tested (29in, 32 spokes, XD freehub, six-bolt disc pattern, Boost 110x15mm front, Boost 148x12mm rear) weighs 1,790g and costs £460.

Pinned and welded 6069 aluminium asymmetric rims are laced to 54-point engagement hubs using Sapim D-Light spokes.

On the trail, the Ravine wheels have a well-damped, muted feel.

Like the best mountain bike wheels, their performance is unobtrusive. They steer accurately, don’t feel harsh and tyres remain well seated in high-load turns.

The hub is quiet and its engagement feels as quick as the DT Swiss 350.

They’re one of the lighter and more affordable aluminium options on the market, which will be appealing to many.

Just Riding Along Ravine wheelset details and specifications

Using an asymmetrical design – where the nipple eyelets are off-centre – JRA’s Ravine rims have a reinforced sidewall and spoke bed.

The brand claims this makes them its “toughest lightweight aluminium trail and enduro rim”.

They’re only available in a 29in incarnation, but 28 and 32-spoke versions are offered.

Internally, they’re 30mm wide (measured and claimed). The rim bed is 9mm deep (measured), but externally they’re 20mm deep (measured). They have a hooked, rather than flat, sidewall design.

JRA says each rim has a 200kg weight limit.

The 54 engagement-point freehubs can be swapped out easily and all designs are available to buy (SRAM XD and XDR, Shimano HG and Microspline, and Campagnolo 13-speed).

Coming pre-taped from the factory, the Ravine rims are tubeless-ready. JRA says the rims are suitable for 2.25 to 2.5in-wide tyres.

My set of test wheels weighs 1,790g. The front is 830g, while the rear with XD freehub is 960g.

Setup and tubeless inflation

Thanks to a deep rim bed, tyres are very easy to install on the JRAs. With the tyre’s bead centred, tyre levers aren’t needed to fit them.

The tyre and rim fit well together, with no bagginess or large gaps to fill. This makes inflation quick and easy.

Impressively, using just a low-volume track pump, the tyre was fully seated and sealed once the pressure gauge read only 5psi, and it didn’t lose air during the test period.

On-trail feel

The Ravines feel responsive down the trail and not only because of their light weight. Their build contributes to this; they feel poppy but not twangy.

When loaded in a turn, they don’t flex and then spring back to their original shape. Instead, their deformation is controlled; they hold their shape until you release pressure to switch direction or straighten up.

Not only does this improve control and grip, but it also contributes to a comfortable ride.

Thankfully, there’s no steering vagueness; the steering axis doesn’t deviate when the front wheel is loaded up in a turn.

In this respect, the wheels’ performance fades into the background, but this dependability is a massive compliment; the JRA Ravines are surprise-free.

They’re very quiet too. Hurtle through a rock garden or land unsympathetically and no spoke noise is emitted. Neither did the rims dong at bottom-out, bolstering their discreet performance.

It’s the same story with the hub; it’s relatively quiet and engagement is quick enough, feeling similar to DT’s 350. People who have ridden Industry Nine’s Hydra may pine for quicker engagement, but for most it’ll be fine.

The common 30mm width means a 2.5in tyre blows up fairly round, giving good, predictable transitional grip.

In high cornering loads, even a lightweight EXO casing tyre remained well seated to the hook, not burping or losing air.

Some carcass deformation is present, but it’s no worse on the Ravines than others on the market.

How do the Just Riding Along Ravine wheels compare to the Mavic Crossmax SL and Hope Fortus 30 SC Pro 5?

Standing toe-to-toe with Mavic’s Crossmax SL 29 (£530) and Hope’s Fortus 30 SC Pro 5 (£500), the JRAs are both lighter by 220g and 430g respectively, and cheaper in like-for-like configurations.

On the trail, the Hopes have a similar damped feel, but lack any agility or playfulness. The Pro 5 hub, however, feels better than JRA’s offering.

Against the flexy and undamped Crossmax SL wheels, the Ravines are calm and collected, and emit way less spoke and rim noise on harder landings.

Given the choice, I’d go for the JRA if I was prioritising weight saving and the Hope if I wanted outright strength. Only lighter riders will appreciate the flexy feel of the Mavics.

Just Riding Along Ravine wheelset bottom line

A low weight and affordable asking price, combined with no-surprises performance, make the JRA Ravines favourite wheels for many mountain bikers.

If you’re in the market for a set of forgiving and predictable aluminium wheels that don’t cost the earth, these are a very safe bet.