Testing the Bont Avenger 110mm wheels

Our opinion about the 110mm Bont Avenger wheel

At a glance

The Bont Avenger wheel is one of the few models on the market to offer an aluminum core. Although a little heavy, its rolling at medium and high speed makes it a really strong choice for skaters eager to improve their performances. We particularly appreciated the gain of inertia provided by its generous polyurethane and the low deformation of the core. However, we will recommended it for very smooth and rolling surfaces because its stiffness transmits vibrations on rough surfaces.

Strong points and points to improve

• Excellent rolling
• Reactivity in accelerations
• Slow wear
• Excellent finishing
• Grip

• Quite expensive
• Confort on rough surfaces

Technical sheet of the 110mm Bont Avenger wheel

Brand: Bont Model: Avenger First release: 2019 Made in: USA Manufacturer: MPC Materials: aluminum core and double density polyurethane rubber. Available diameters: 110 mm and 125 mm Available hardnesses: Firm, X-Firm, XX-Firm Recommended bearings: 608 (standard) or 688 with adapters Width of the wheel: 24 mm Weight: 164 grammes Public price: €27,95 per wheel (€223,60 for a set of 8 wheels)

Recommended use: inline speed skating competition on track and smooth roads. Can aslo be used for speed-slalom.

Distributed in France by JMS Sports

The 110mm Bont Avenger X-Firm wheel in detail

A bit of history

Alexander Bont tells the story of the Avenger wheel on the brand’s website. He explains how he has worked to produce the best possible wheel for many years. Thanks to a partnership with MPC, Bont has benefited from one of the best polyurethanes available. He still had to solve the rim problem. After many material tests, he finally decided to  use aluminum.

Most of brands had turned away from this material for many years. Indeed, the production cost of a machined core is much higher than that of a molded rim. On the other hand, the brands also encountered difficulty in compensating the rigidity of the core. The increase in wheel diameters has opened up new perspectives.

Description of the 110mm Bont Avenger wheel

The main asset of the Avenger wheel is its aluminum core. Bont indicates on its site that aluminum would offer more rebound than plastic or nylon. We can say that it is arguably more stiff and deforms less than a polymer-based core with an identical structure. Bont also specifies that the Avenger wheel would hold the rebound record for models produced by MPC.

Bont curved the radii of the core to decrease stiffness. In addition, a “mechanical lock” (the interlock) is used to ensure the consistency of the urethane with the core. The dual-density polyurethane is rather generous. Its pinkish color comes from the soft urethane used in the center.

Measurements

Bont Avenger wheels weigh 164 grams, slightly more than most models on the market. They owe this mass to their aluminum core but also to the generous volume of polyurethane.

The aluminum core are very precise, Bont therefore recommends the use of 10.2mm spacers. Sizes larger than 10.3mm may cause noise interference.

Mounting the bearings

The bore that hosts the bearings is machined before and and  after anodizing to ensure a perfect fit. As a result, the bearings fit more easily than in a conventional aluminum wheel and than in other models that we have tested in the past. We tested the manual assembly and assembly with the Bont bearing press. Manual assembly is still more difficult. The assembly with the press is done without difficulty.

Bont Avenger wheel test method

We tested the Bont Avenger in two stages. For two months in speed and endurance skating, we used them with the Rollerblade E2 shoe (with and without its cuff) combined with the Bont Supercell 2.0 carbon frame in 4×110 mm and Twincam ILQ9 Pro bearings.

During the second part of our test, we tested it for a month in speed slalom, with two sessions per week. The setup was: Powerslide Kaze shell, Trinity Pro-R 3×110 frame with rockering and Bont Avenger wheels.

A very good grip

The Bont Avenger wheel did not fail us during the various test sessions. The grip remains good, even on the ends of the pushes. The grip when taking edges and crossing turns is constant. You can therefore push far and hard without fearing to lose your grip.

We also used the Bont Avenger in the rain, whether racing or speed slalom. The grip remains very satisfactory. In short, the Bont Avenger is quite versatile.

An excellent rolling

As we said, the mass of the wheel is quite substantial. However, the mass is mainly located on the periphery of the wheel. This therefore provides more gyroscopic effect and inertia. Thus, once launched, the Bont Avenger wheel fully expresses its potential!

” The Avenger is 0.7 seconds per lap faster than the Red Magic which is a huge difference. “

Alexander Bont

“An exceptional wheel! I broke my records with this wheel. The rolling is just amazing.”

Gwendal Le Pivert

A slow wear

During the first two test sessions, we did 2x40km with some sprints on a green path and some T-braking. The surface has just started to become opaque. The very abrasive coating of the non-bituminous asphalt cycle paths has abraded the surface, but the wear remains very regular. After 3 months of intensive testing, the surface remained perfectly homogeneous. For endurance skaters, the Bont Avenger 110mm wheel, can last several months and hundreds of kilometers.

Perfect finishing

The know-how of Bont and MPC is widely recognized. The set of wheels we have tested has no bubbles. The bond between the core and the polyurethane is very clean. Nothing to say !

The price of quality remains high

We have found prices of between $25 and $40 per wheel outside of Europe. In Germany, the Bont Avenger wheel is available for € 27.95. A high price for most of inline speed skaters. This price can be explained easily by these facts:

• The cost of aluminum is higher than that of nylon or composite core
• The machining of an aluminum core requires much higher machine time
• The fabrication of a dual density core is also longer because it is done in two molding stages.

Although this wheel is extremely qualitative, it will still take some time before their use really becomes popular.

Test of the Bont Avenger 110mm wheels in various situations

First sensation: the silence and the precision of this setup are quite impressive! Nothing moves: not a squeak, not a squeak or any other kind of parasitic noise. Just a smooth ride and an awesome speed feeling.

On a bicycle path

Our first test sessions took us on different greenways. The first had a perfectly smooth asphalt and the second was rougher. The sensations are excellent in terms of glide on both, however, at the end of the session on rough surfaces, the feet suffered more from the vibrations. It must be said that a carbon frame combined with an aluminum wheel, have a real impact on comfort!

On the track

Track use makes perfect sense, the wheel keeps good grip in the bends despite its stiffness, The polyurethane takes all the pressure in the turns and sags a bit. It responds perfectly when you start to accelerate. It is also possible to bend in the corner without fearing of losing grip. Some will find that the Bont Avenger lacks flex in the corners.

Speed-slalom

More and more speed slalomers use large diameter wheels and look for the best possible equipment. As a result, they no longer hesitate to look for wheels models from speed skating. Indeed, the quality of the inline speed skating wheels is pushed to the maximum. The Bont Avenger is doing pretty well in speed slalom! Putting it into action requires a bit of power, but once launched, the wheel is extremely precise and nervous between the cones. With its excellent grip, it responds perfectly. We recommend it for speed-slalomers.

Video: Joey Mantia training with Bont Avenger wheels and Supercell 2.0 carbon frames

A video of the test should be available soon.

Links

The Avenger wheel on Bont.com