Stan's NoTubes Hugo 52 Boost Wheelset 27.5in

The excitement surrounding the Hugo 52's unveiling wasn't surprising because of its creator Upstate New York based Stan's NoTubes had long since established its reputation as a pioneer of new tubeless technologies but more for the segment of mountain biking it was created for. In recent years, tubby tire rigs haven't enjoyed the same glut of cutting edge of technology as enduro machines, but the 27. 5in Hugo 52 Boost Wheelset's advanced rim profile, developed to manage the difficulties associated with running fat bike tires tubeless, has firmly changed that sideline reputation. Managing the width of fat bike tires is where most rims fail, so Stan's shapes the Hugo's bead into a more rectangular shape, using low profile sidewalls to hold the outsides of the tires in place with a raised center box section. The raised center sits at the same height as the outer edges of the rim, which allows for a wider contact area, anticipating aggressive riding where harsh hits with unyielding trail furniture feature heavily in a day. By spreading the impact over a larger area, your rims are more likely to emerge unscathed from a big day of snow, rock, curbs, and any other terrain you feel compelled to tackle. The Hugo 52 also represents the arrival of Stan's Bead Socket Technology BST to the world of fat. BST a well known fixture on many of its other rims, and it allows for easy inflation and dependable sealing while working seamlessly with the Hugo's rim profile. Plus, if you still have an affinity for tubes, for nostalgia's sake, you can easily run the Hugo's with tubes and benefit from the rim's efficient shaping, which makes pinch flats unlikely. Though the story here is primarily about the rims, the Hugo 52's also spin smoothly on Stan's 3. 30 disc hubs with Sapim Custom Force spokes. If you're after a tubeless setup which we strongly recommend run them with 27mm rim tape and a maximum tire pressure of 30 PSI.