Honest Review of the Pantheon Karma

Pantheon Karma Wheel Review 

I've had two sets, the first ones in were, let's say, pretty rough. I got them from a friend. The friend in question actually downhilled on these, and threw some slides. So, they were pretty worn when I got them. I believe they were worn down to at least 91mm, maybe even 90mm.

So obviously, that's not ideal. BUT, I will say this; when I first got them from Sam Odenborg and threw them on the old BB+, I could almost immediately start pumping them. Even with a not so ideal bushing setup. So, that's a good testament to how these wheels perform. 

I liked them so much in fact, that I got them for myself. Here are the specs:

Diameter: 92mm

Width: 53mm

Contact Patch: 49mm

Weight: 278g each

I love them. 

They're grippy when fresh. They're also very fast.

The thing I like the most about the karma's is how they are poured. They're poured to be gripping, no matter what. Like, they're poured with a slight skew. It's pretty interesting. Not only that but they are also poured upside down, so the bubbles are forming on the outside of the wheel, instead of on the inside, because again it has that lip. Pure performance, right?

Plus, with that rebound lip, it helps a lot. I can actually feel it helping. All around though, I am very impressed. 

One thing I absolutely love about this wheel is that it has the Nautilus Core....a new core by Pantheon. I like it cause it's unique, it has that biomimicry effect. The thing about the core though, is that Pantheon updated their core, making this core harder to find, essentially. They updated it to increase the strength, but man, that new core looks boring. I'm sorry, but it had to be said. 

It's also huge. It stands at 92mm tall. In fact it's slightly bigger than my other 90mm wheel, the Abec11 Refly's. And it's at least 7mm taller than my old Speedvents. But it's still small, when compared to it's bigger brother the Hoku, which stands at 102mm. 

But by golly miss molly do I love these wheels. 10/11 for me, truly.