The Radavist

MTB wheels, especially the ones with aluminum rims, are easily the most abused product in my bike closet. They’re also the hardest to review, honestly. Reviewing wheels accurately and in a comprehensive way can be as elusive as a fast friend’s wheel in the woods. When Industry Nine gave me a set of their Backcountry 360 wheels, featuring their new Hydra hubs last year, I was amazed at not only the build quality of the wheels but the vast improvement of their newly-engineered Hydra hubs. Read on below.

Industry Nine’s ENDURO S 101 28H – for trail to all-mountain – and TRAIL S 101 28H – for XC to aggressive trail – run the gamut of mountain wheelsets with i9’s 101 Classic hubs, j-bend spokes, and a 2-year warranty. Best of all is the price, starting at $750 for the wheelset. Head to Industry Nine for all the details and your local dealer to order!

For those looking to build up a new gravel bike, Easton has two new wheelsets specifically designed for higher volume tires to be run at off-road pressures, the EC90 AX carbon disc wheelset ($1549.99), and the more affordable EC70 AX carbon disc wheel (USD: $1199.99). These rims have an internal width of 24mm and are in stock now at Easton.

Read on below for more details and specifications.

HED has been making rims and wheels for a long, long time. 35 years in fact! They’ve taken all they’ve learned in that time and have developed a new cross-country wheelset, unlike anything they’ve made in the past. The HED Raptor 29er wheels utilize HED’s DNA profile and CNC drilling technology, offsetting the nipple bed to align with the spokes, this patent-pending technology is what HED has dubbed their Dual-axis Nipple Alignment (DNA) rim profile. This alleviates any uneven strain on the nipple and minimizes spoke bend, making for a lighter, stronger wheel with less maintenance. These new wheels utilize a wide, 25mm internal/31mm external width, making them ideal for 2″ – 2.5″ 29er race tires. Each rim is manufactured inside HED’s Minnesota factory from 148 hand-laid sheets of carbon, resulting in a 380g rim. These tubeless-ready clincher rims are then laced with 28 Sapim Laser spokes to a number of hub options including HED Brick House Hubs, Onyx or Industry Nine Hydra. The Raptor begins at $1,070.00 per wheel.

Head to HED for more!

We looked at the bike and the new EA90 AX wheels in today’s Reportage, now let’s check out those wheels in motion!

ENVE’s new 3.4R is a climbing wheel with an aero profile, designed for a 23-28mm tire.

With more and more drop bar bikes adopting MTB tires, Industry Nine believes wheels need to be updated. From tire fit to drivetrain spec. The TRA, or Torch Road Alloy, was designed to accel in a space where a road-focused wheelset might not be enough, but a straight-up mountain wheelset would be overkill. Ideal scenarios for the TRA line-up would be in the CX start grid, fast moving, light-duty off-road explorations, or hammering out long days on Forest Service roads.

See more at Industry Nine!

Follow Rupert if you can while tears through the mountains of BC on the new Next SL Carbon Wheelset.

BMX legend turned MTB shredder Ryan Nyquist takes on the Unit in Greenville, North Carolina, riding some made in NC wheels by Industry Nine.

The Torch Road Alloy, or TRA for short, is i9’s latest wheelset platform, combining the Torch MTB platform with the Torch Road Disc system in a pairing they describe as “sturdy meets svelte.” Watch as athletes Gordon “Quadsworth” and Jay Petervary put their wheels to the test.

When it comes to photographing bikes, I’ll always opt for dirty over clean, but some things are just too damn good to wait for that all-so-familiar Southern California gold dirt to cake itself inside every crevice. Case in point: Industry Nine’s new i9.35 Disc road wheels. Previously, we’ve looked at their AR25 disc road wheels, which are still some of the best disc wheels I’ve ridden*. However, if you’re looking to shave a little bit of weight, add the durability of carbon rims, and better aerodynamics, then the i9.35 wheels are another great option in the marketplace. Let’s take a look at them in detail below.

In the past, carbon wheels have been prohibitively expensive for many riders and Santa Cruz is looking to fix that. Their new Reserve carbon wheels with DT-Swiss 350 hubs retail for $1599 and or with Industry Nine Torch Hubs for $1899, with a lifetime warranty. But, the main question is, can these wheels withstand real riding? Well, Danny MacAskill takes them out for an afternoon ride…

See more information on the Reserve Carbon Wheels at Santa Cruz.

The result of an alchemy experiment gone wrong, or gone right depending on how you look at it, these limited edition copper Enduro305 wheelsets have hit the shipping dock at I9. They’re worth their weight in… copper, so hop to it and contact your local shop for ordering. There are only 29 sets. Why 29? It’s the atomic number for copper, that’s why.

You’ve also got a chance to win a free set when you sign up at industrynine.com/copper.

I am very excited about these wheels. Made in house at Industry Nine’s Asheville, North Carolina facilities, the AR23 is designed for your disc road bike with a 25mm outer, 21.5mm inner width, various axle compatibility, 24h 2/1 lacing, and a 1460g total weight. The AR23 wheels are in stock now at Industry Nine, in various color configurations for $1,175.

Centerlock disc, XD driver compatible, thru axles, tubeless-ready, 29mm wide and 28mm deep. These details a few years ago might have had more in common with a XC MTB wheel than a ‘cross or all road bike but alas, technology has changed and specs are slowly migrating over from flat bars to drop bars. The Reynolds ATR, or all terrain road, wheels are carbon fiber wheels meant to take you from paved roads to dirt and vice versa. They’re light and resilient but best of all, they won’t bottom out your credit card.

These new Backcountry 450 wheels from Industry Nine are for plus sized frames, particularly the ones used for bikepacking. With a 48.8mm outer dimension and a 45mm inner, these are i9’s widest rims to date. Paired with the Torch hubs’ bombproof design, they’re prepared for whatever you can throw at them.

The 27.5+ are available now, for $1275, with the 29+ becoming available in late June at the same price. Head over to i9 to see the Backcountry 450 27.5+ and 29+ options!