US-made, affordable, aero and recyclable: Forge+Bond's Shift CR45 road wheels reviewed

After busting onto the market with its recyclable carbon mountain bike and gravel wheels in 2023, Forge+Bond made its first foray into road cycling this season by adding a two-model CR series to its wheel offerings.

Forge+Bond is CSS Composites' in-house brand known and known for its exclusive use of thermoplastics to manufacture its FusionFiber carbon rims.

Most carbon components are made of sheets of epoxy-impregnated carbon fibres. The carbon fibres are 'glued' together with a resin that is cured in a chemical process called thermoset. Once cured, the resin cannot be returned to its previous form, meaning it cannot be broken down and remolded. Traditional carbon products are difficult and costly to recycle, downcycle or reuse and often ends up in landfills instead.

The thermoplastic process utilises a long-chain nylon polymer as the matrix impregnated into the base carbon fibre material. In this process, the "glue" —in this case, the nylon polymer— can be melted and reused for a new or different product. Both the scraps from the manufacturing process and a broken rim can be melted down and shaped into a new short-fiber product.

Cycling Weekly visited the Forge+Bond factory in March to see how these recyclable carbon wheels are made and discovered that the whole process is "surprisingly clean, efficient and astonishingly fast: a CSS-made wheel can go from raw materials to being ridden in less than two hours."

A wide variety of thermoplastics has been used in the aviation, aerospace, automotive, and medical industries for some time, but it's only just emerging in the bike industry. It is, however, growing. Brands like Chris King, Revel and Evil align themselves with CSS's mission of "creating products that stay out of landfills" and offer a variety of CSS-made FusionFiber wheelsets.

After launching its off-road products, Forge+Bond created the CR Series around the belief that "riders deserve exceptional performance and comfort on every ride, regardless of the surface conditions."

We previously tested and reviewed FusionFiber gravel wheels, made by CSS for both Chris King and Forge+Bond, and comfort was indeed a standout ride characteristic of these FusionFiber products. But can this compliance go hand-in-hand with the stiffness and responsiveness desired for road riding? We were keen to find out.

Introducing: Forge+Bond CR 45

In its marketing copy, Forge+Bond positions the CR wheels as designed for "everyday encounters" rather than racing yet promises "unmatched responsiveness and power transfer without sacrificing a smooth, fatigue-reducing ride."

"We may have started our company around our line of stellar MTB products, but as cyclists, we know whether you're riding dirt or tarmac, you want the best of both worlds: performance and comfort," says Brett Stahl, VP of Marketing at Forge+Bond. "The CR Series achieves this perfect balance through the use of our patented FusionFiber material, allowing riders to confidently push themselves over real road conditions—you know, everything from the smoothest to the 'Crappiest Roads.'"

The CR series consists of a 35mm and a 45mmm rim, the former designed for climbing while the latter promises some aerodynamic benefits and stability for all-round riding.

Both CR models were made using the FusionFiber technology, feature a tubeless-ready hookless rim, and come in three different hub options.

We opted to review the 45mm all-rounder with Forge+Bond's own SHIFT hub. This is the lowest priced option, retailing for $1,250. On the other end of the price scale, consumers can opt for an I9 Torch hub, which costs and extra $949 ($2199 for the set) but shaves 138 grams off the total weight.

• Rim Depth: 45mm
• Outer Rim Width: 30.5mm
• Inner Rim Width: 25mm
• Bead Wall Thickness: 2.7mm
• Spoke Count: 24h
• Spoke: Sapim CX-Ray
• Rim Type: Hookless/Tubeless
• Tire Size Range: Built for 28-32mm, up to 47mm
• Max Tire Pressure: 28c-90psi, 32c-70psi, 40c-50psi
• Reviewed here is the wheelset with the F+B Shift hubs, the lowest option, which retails for $1250 and weighs 1584g with a SRAM XD freehub.
• The CR Series is available at select retailers and online at www.forgeandbond.com

On the road

I opted to review the lowest spec wheelset, the Shift CR45, because while it’s easy to be impressed by top-tier models with their premium bells and whistles (and matching price tags), the true test of a brand's quality often lies in its entry-level offering. This is where value, durability and performance meet practicality—and where discerning consumers look first.

At $1250 (or $1000 on sale) this Shift CR45 wheelset is very competitively priced for a U.S.-made, wide, aero carbon wheelset. And weighing in at 1584g with the XD hub, they’re also reasonably weighted.

To test these wheels, I mounted a pair of Rene Herse 700c x 31mm Orondo Grade tyres with extralight casing. With the CR45’s 25mm internal width and hookless design, those tyres actually ended up measuring a touch over 33mm, creating a very plush and supple ride.

While the tyres certainly deserve some credit, the Shift CR45s are, in a word, smooth.

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From the first roll, the wheels impressed with their ability to soften road chatter and tame the rough and poorly maintained roads around Portland. Even on gravel, the FusionFiber rims take away the harshness and deliver a smooth and controlled ride that keeps you planted and inspires confidence if when the surface gets choppy.

The CR45 is a distinct departure from the Forge + Bond 25GR wheels I reviewed last year. Highly capable, lively, light and robust, the 25GR’s are made for underbikers and those who prefer the rough-and-tumble of a Grinduro event over the long, smooth gravel of FNLD or SBT GRVL. The CR45s serve the latter demographic. Designed for comfort and efficiency, the CR45 is an aero wheelset that will help you save watts and stay comfortable as you sail over tarmac, chipseal or champagne gravel.

One of my test rides took me from Portland to a lake in Mount Hood National Forest — an 85-mile summer jaunt that saw me traverse across rough city streets, seemingly endless stretches of sun-baked and chipsealed river roads, and a 20-mile gravel climb at the end.

The CR45’s were the perfect companion, helping me tick down the miles with both pace and comfort.

The wheels’ exceptional smoothness does come with some compromises, however. The CR45s aren’t the stiffest and I wouldn’t call them zippy either. While excellent at dampening the road chatter, they also create a somewhat muted ride feel, losing some of the agility and liveliness of stiffer carbon layups.

They also take a beat to get up to speed. But once there, they hold their momentum well and that steady pace, paired with their ability to glide over rough surfaces, makes for a great go-anywhere and go-long option.

The Shift CR45 wheelset also feels quite durable, and backed with a lifetime warranty, they’re ready to take on heavy mileage and plenty of abuse.

Value and Verdict

With the Shift CR45s, Forge+Bond delivers a superbly smooth, go-anywhere wheelset that stands out for its value, durability, and commitment to sustainability. While it may not match the stiffness or sprightly agility of the Zipp 303, ENVE 45, or the similarly affordable options from Hunt, it compensates with an unmatched ride feel and product longevity.

For riders who enjoy long hours in the saddle across mixed terrain, where comfort and consistent pace outweigh explosive acceleration and responsiveness, the CR45 wheelset is worth serious consideration.

What’s more, choosing these recyclable carbon wheels from Forge+Bond isn't just about the benefits of having a durable, high-performance product — it’s also about actively contributing to a more sustainable future and reducing the cycling industry's environmental footprint.