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bc original Loamer MK2 Long-Term Test – Wheel Killer at the Whistler Bike Park?
Product manager Chris rode with the Loamer over Canadian trails for 2 weeks in September and put it through its paces.
The bc original Loamer MK2 is our all-rounder and must be constantly put through its paces among our colleagues – often on our local trails, but also sometimes in the bike park. Product manager Chris rode the Loamer over Canadian trails for 2 weeks in September and put it through its paces. Find out how the Loamer MK2 performed on Dirt Merchant Laps and rough single tracks around the bike park.
The bc original Loamer impresses as a versatile all-rounder.
Extensively tested on local trails...
...the wheelset now also has to demonstrate its capabilities around the Whistler bike park. Find out how it performed here.
Key Data for the Wheelset:
- Versatile, high-performance MTB wheelset
- Weight: 1,830 g (set, front wheel 15x110 + rear wheel 12x148)
- Tubeless-compatible
- For eleven- and twelve-speed drivetrains
- 28 mm wide (jaw width) aluminium rim
- Recommended Tyre Dimensions: 1.9" - 2.5"
- 20 mm Rim depth
- Thru-axle
- 28 Straight pull spokes each
- For disc brakes with center lock mount
- All other details can be found under the product description in our shop
Chris and Loamer: The Backstory
Before we get started, we need to be transparent, because there’s history between me and the Loamer. As an editor at my old job, I had already had dealings with the MK1 series of the bc wheelset. Then at the end of 2021, a few years later and after I had started working at bc, I was handed the Loamer project. It was all the more exciting for me to take it on and further test and optimise the product that already inspired me when I was at my old job.
It wasn't long before my enduro bike was fitted with our in-house brand wheelset. For a modern enduro set that has to meet current (racing) requirements, the Loamer MK2 is already on the lighter side at just over 1.8 kg. Durability and weight are two different things – just because something is light doesn't mean it will break, and just because something is heavy doesn't mean it will last forever – but trends can emerge.
Loamer vs. Whistler
A lightweight wheel going against Whistler – David versus Goliath? It’s not quite that extreme. But Whistler, or rather the trails in the Sea to Sky region, are definitely no walk in the park for bike parts or bikes. Everything that pushes a wheel to its limits can be found here in abundance, as if on an assembly line. Big jumps that invite you to whip your bike in the air as well as long stony paths and hard downhill rides challenge the wheels.
Me as an opponent – by now I’ve earned a reputation for being a wheel destroyer. At a dainty 75 kg and a love of fast rides, I like to take unconventional lines, behind which there is often a particularly thick root or an angular stone. Therefore, the rear wheel often takes a beating.
No wellness here – the bc original Loamer has to take a beating in the bike park Whistler. © bc GmbH
The Setup: Loamer, Cushcore, Continental Kryptotal
For this reason I equipped the Loamer with Continental Kryptotal F and Kryptotal R in the Downhill version for the trip. The Cushcore XC in the front wheel and the Cushcore Pro in the rear wheel offer a little extra protection.
Supported by Cushcore and the thick carcass, the tyre offers very good support despite my rather stiff frame. I am a big fan of the narrower 28 mm jaw width, as opposed to the popular 30 mm variant. On most of my bikes I either ride with the Loamer set or on rims with only 25 mm jaw width. On the narrower rim, you cannot lower the pressure as much as on wider rims, as this reduces the grip on the edges somewhat. This isn’t really loss, however, because at the same time it increases the support of the tyre in curves, which is much more important to me. The tyre folds less and you don't have to adjust the air pressure too carefully.
In technical jargon, this is called burping – a very unpleasant characteristic for me, especially since I like to actively push off with the front and rear wheel in curves. If the tyre starts to flounder here, I no longer feel in control. When you're slamming down narrow and technical trails at a pace that blurs the trees next to you, that control is very important to me – and the Loamer really excels at that. I have also noticed this in a setup without inserts and with lighter tyres.
The Right Balance of Stiffness and Flexibility
However, lateral support and grip are not only influenced by the jaw width and the tyre: a fine blend of stiffness and flexibility on the Loamer also provides extra traction. The more forces the wheel can absorb, the less the tyre has to absorb, ergo: increased lateral support. However, a wheel that is too soft can become very indirect in terms of feedback. For me personally, a wheel that is too stiff is too strenuous to ride and tires me out more quickly. I prefer wheels that are less stiff but react a little more non-problematically, especially in combination with a slightly higher frame stiffness.
On a softer wheel, however, spokes are subjected to greater stress and strain, which can quickly have a negative effect on concentricity. Admittedly, I had to re-true the wheels, but in context I think that’s fine – if you try to whip the tail on 15 m jumps, you'll end up at an angle. The fact that after a session on the famous Crabapple Hits there is a slight lateral runout in the wheel – fine by me. After all, a wheel can't withstand everything, and we don't want to claim that the Loamer can do it all.
One short re-truing after an extensive session including 15 m jumps while whipping – completely within limits. © bc GmbH
bc original Loamer - Conclusion
In short, the bc original Loamer MK2 continues to be an excellent all-rounder for me. I've ridden the set on a hardtail with light tyres, I've ridden it hard on the enduro bike and I'm currently riding with it on my RAAW Jibb after a frame swap. The bc original Loamer is a compromise, but for me it is a very good one: handling, durability and reliability are top notch for a wheel at this weight – when you factor in the just under 400€ price point, for me this makes it an ideal set for custom builds or an affordable tuning part.
Of course, as a product manager you always have ideas floating around in your head – what could be done better with the wheelset? To this end, we also always diligently ride with third-party products, conduct tests and weave together a few ideas which, of course, first have to be put through their paces with our own testing. But let's take this last moment to turn the question around – what do you want in a Loamer MK3?
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