FFWD Ryot 44 reliability issues
It seems like I might be the only one having consistently bad experiences with these wheels, but I still want to share my honest review.
I’ve been using the FFWD Ryot 44 wheels for about two years now, and unfortunately, they’ve let me down multiple times, often when I needed them the most.
To start, after just one week of use, the rim delaminated, causing bulging spots in the rim. This was very surprising given the premium price point, I simply didn’t expect this level of quality issue.
Secondly, the tubeless rim tape failed while the tire was inflated at a normal pressure (around 4.5 bar). I’ve used the same pressure on other wheels without ever encountering a problem, so this raised further concerns.
The most persistent issue, however, has been with the spokes. Every year, a spoke on the non-drive side of the rear wheel breaks. The spoke distribution, fewer spokes on the non-drive side compared to the drive side, seems to create higher stress on that side. At this point, it feels like a potential design flaw, as the failures keep recurring. Most recently, a spoke snapped during a regular uphill ride, without any unusual load or impact.
To make matters worse, I suspect this may have even caused some damage to my frame, which is extremely frustrating. It’s also possible that earlier tubeless sealant leakage (due to the rim tape failure) affected the spoke nipples over time, but I can’t say that for certain.
To be fair, the customer service from FFWD has been good. However, the repeated mechanical issues with the rear wheel overshadow that positive experience.
Overall, based on my experience, I wouldn’t purchase FFWD wheels again, especially considering that I’ve used several other brands without encountering these kinds of problems.