Stan’s NOTUBES ZTR Iron Cross Wheelset

Words by Mark Tearle

Preview of the Stan’s NOTUBES ZTR Iron Cross Wheelset

A set of Stan’s NOTUBES ZTR Iron Cross mid-range Team edition wheels, were delivered just in time for one of those long itch Ultra Cross events on the South Coast, ready for the slip-sliding chalk, grassy Downland and the slub and slurry of the finest bridleways in Sussex. 

A much needed wash after a hard day on the South Downs

As featured on our earlier Cyclocross and Road Disc-Wheelsets the Iron Cross Wheelset offers a disc only 6061 Alloy rim;  24 spoke 2-cross front wheel laced to Stan’s own 3.30 QR Disc 6 bolt hub and a rear 28 spoke, again 2-cross , laced to a 135mm 3.30 QR Disc 6 bolt hub which is 11 speed compatible. The 3.30 hubs are built using a cartridge stainless steel bearing and the spokes are DT Supercomp. 

The Iron Cross rim combines a stiff 17.5mm rim depth, a 20mm wide internal cavity and our ultra-low-profile Bead Socket Technology (BST) sidewalls which claim to virtually eliminate pinch flats under some of the lowest tyre pressures you can run. The wheelset is supplied with yellow rim tape and 35mm valves installed for tubeless use, the weight is 670g and 850g front and rear respectively, making a nice rounded 1520g wheelset that retails at £425. 

Stans NOTUBES Iron Cross

The wheels are designed for clincher tyres and more specifically tubeless clincher tyres. Bob Nunnink, Stan’s Sales and Marketing Manager tells me “[Stan’s] first attempt at a tubeless road cross rim was the Alpha 340.  Stan (MT – there’s an actual Stan!) thought he could create one wheel that would both use a cyclocross tyre or a road tubeless tyre.  Alpha works very well but needs a rim strip when used with a cross tire. Iron Cross was made to be able to mount any cross tire with just our yellow tape and a valve.”

The wheelset is named after the long running Iron Cross Ultra Cross event, 2014 will be the 12th edition, run out of Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania, a notable Iron producing area in the US, hence the name Iron Cross. 

Bob continues “We have sponsored the Iron Cross event for many years and it was part of the inspiration for this wheel.  We wanted to make a wheel that was as tough as Iron Cross and would hold a 700 x 35c tire better than our mountain bike rims.  So the wheel is designed for cross and really excels at the long distance gravel (and Ultra Cross) events.  Riders appreciate the light weight and the compliancy of our rims.”

He also added “Our rims add suspension to the bike and make the long distance of ultracross tolerable”.

I’ve had these wheels for a few weeks now and they have taken me on a few adventures – I haven’t managed to get them to a cyclocross league race and sadly the season is at a close, but there’s some talk of a full South Downs way adventure – so I’ll be testing them UK Ultra Cross style. Full review to follow soon.

Coincidentally, Peter Cole has also gone for the same wheels, albeit with Hope hubs. Here’s some shots of his wheels, which he’ll be using on his Van Nicholas Amazon Cross.

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Iron Cross X, POV video from Lone Wolf Cycling (turn sound down if at work as has a loud soundtrack!):

Stans NOTUBES
 

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