The Radavist

After the bike industry woke up from its fever dream of futuristic mag wheels, Spinergy held on for one more go with their fiber-spoked SPOX lineup. Unfortunately, those first-generation SPOX would join the rest of those early carbon wheels to be remembered as educational, innovative, but ultimately failed experiments. But a lot has changed since then. Fiber technology has made huge leaps, and it’s now possible to weave a spoke that is stronger and lighter than steel. Berd spokes have been twisting our expectations for the past year, but Travis Engel was more curious about what Spinergy has learned in the past decades. Their MXX 30 mountain bike wheels, laced with their unique PBO spokes, make some bold claims. Travis spent a couple months on them to see if they delivered.

Today, with the launch of the ARD44 wheelset, Chris King adds an all-road offering to their FusionFiber wheelset lineup that previously catered to gravel cyclists with the GRD23 and mountain bikers with the MTN30. Laced to King’s R45D hubs, at 25mm internal width and 44mm deep, ARD44 wheels are designed for riders of all roads – from tarmac to dirt tracks. Josh got his hands on a set of these new aero wheels just a few days ago and shares a first look below…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Let’s just say it’s safe to bet the world isn’t returning to a sense of normalcy anytime soon, so when a deal like this pops up, we’ve gotta share it! The new Crust Disc Brake wheelset offers quality, lightweight, and affordable generator hub wheelset ($525). The rims are made of 6066 series Aluminum with a welded joint and weigh in at 360g, making them a great choice for your gravel-focused bike like the Bombora, or a more road-oriented Lightning Bolt build.

Each wheelset has a Shutter Precision PL-7 dynamo front hub, and a rear hub with either a Shimano 12 speed compatible or Sram XDR driver. Currently, Crust only offer its disc brake wheels in 650b but 700c is on the way (we think/hope/pray). Also, how good is that Crust Bikes Mavic flip?

See more at Crust Bikes.

If you’re going to manufacture carbon fiber rims in 2021, do it right. Chris King has developed its own made in the USA carbon hoops that are 100% recyclable thanks to FusionFiber tech, less harsh to ride (plush? supple? compliant? you pick), making it a winning choice for people looking for new gravel or mountain wheels. These wheelsets are built in-house at Chris King, with a plethora of anodizing colors, R45D Centerlock hubs for GRD23 gravel ($2650.00) and Boost Centerlock for the MTN30 mountain wheelset ($2550.00).

See more at Chris King.

Looking for a more affordable gravel or mountain wheelset? Well, WTB’s new CZR line is now available with wheels starting at $749.95 for the front and $849.95 for the rear in both the mountain and gravel configurations.

Lighter, stronger, made in America and 100% recyclable thanks to Fusion-Fiber. There are no environmentally harmful or brittle epoxy in this carbon- it is a toughened, high-performance composite polymer that makes for a significantly more durable, and lighter wheel. Revel took this technology and made the RW23, their first gravel wheels with a 23mm internal width, 24 or 28 Hole, and available as a wheelset or rims. Head to Revel to read more.

Designed for a 33-55mm tire, on a 24.5 alloy rim, the new Industry Nine 1/1 GRCX wheels might be what you’re looking for to get your new build rolling or to give an existing build some sprucing up for summer rides. These new wheels use I9’s new 1/1 Road series hubs which offer 90 points of engagement on a 6 pawl freehub body, use J-bend spokes for ease of maintenance, and are backed by a 2-year warranty. Best of all, they retail at $765. Check out more at Industry Nine.

Roval just announced their a redesigned Control Carbon wheelset for 2021, which combines low weight and strength found in their Control SL rim and built with the new DT Swiss 350 hubs. These Control Carbon wheels feature the same zero-bead-hook design and wider 29mm-inner width, found in Roval’s Control SL as well.

Specs:
-Control SL 29”
-29mm Internal Width
-4mm FlatTop Bead Hook
-Tubeless Compatible
-New DT Swiss 350 Hub Straight-pull
-6-bolt Rotor – 36t Star Ratchet System
-Thru Axle 100x15mm & 148x12mm
-Weight: 1450g w/ Tubeless Rim Tape
-MSRP: $1350.00 – Wheelset
-Lifetime Warranty – No-Fault Crash Replacement

See more at Roval.

The RW27 is the narrower and lighter sibling to Revel’s groundbreaking RW30 wheelset. Think of them as a lighter and zippier wheelset for XC or riding where the terrain doesn’t demand stouter wheels. These wheels are made in the United States from the revolutionary “FusionFiber” material, which replaces resin with a nylon-like material. It combined with German and Japanese fibers results in a rim that is 100% recyclable. The RW27 offers the same flex as the RW30, but is 50g lighter.

-27mm width
-29” rim diameter
-Available in 28H or 32H drilling
-Complete wheels or rim only
-Wheelsets available with 28H Industry 9 Hydra (1740g) or 1/1 hub (1770g) options
-XD or Microspline driver body options
-ERD: 592
-Rim depth 35mm
-Rim only weight: 430g
-Lifetime warranty
-Rim is recyclable FusionFiber material
-Recommended tire width 2.2-2.5”
-Rim only $699 – i9 1/1 wheelset $1975 – i9 Hydra wheelset

See more at Revel.

i9’s newest wheels are designed for ‘cross, gravel, xc, and trail riding, but in a lighter package. The wheels we thought you’d be most interested in are the UL250 Carbon. These race-ready, lightweight (1320g for the set) wheels come in a 25mm ID, 24-hole count, with new carbon hoops, based on MTB XC racing tech. The new UL250c wheels roll in at $2500 and are fully customizable at Industry Nine’s AnoLab. You can also check out the aluminum version of the UL250 (1450g for the set), which retail for $1275.

You might recall a few years back, WTB had an extensive MTB and gravel wheel lineup. Well, after a few years hiatus, it’s back, a bit more dialed, with a bit more options. The Proterra wheel lineup is hand-built in California and has something for just about anyone’s needs. On the 29er and 27.5 MTB side, the light option is a 27mm wide rim with alloy nipples, while the tough is 30mm with brass nipples. Both wheels use 3-cross spoke lacing. Meanwhile, the gravel options come down to a 700 or 27.5 Proterra light in a 700 x 23mm rim or a 650 x 25mm rim. You’ll most likely be seeing these wheels in an OE application, rolling out under familiar bike models from big brands but should you be on the hunt for a $295 wheel, they do look like a great option. See more at WTB.

HED Cycling’s Emporia gravel wheels just got a classic makeover. These wheels come chromed-out, weigh 1,535g for the wheelset and features the same 25mm internal width as the Emporia GA Pro. The wheelset is only being produced in a limited quantity and will be available starting this today, so if you’re building up an all-silver groupset bike and have been looking for the perfect wheels, head on over to HED to see the juicy detials.