#wheels

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Boyd Cycling’s CCC Alloy Gravel Wheelset Promises Durability

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Boyd Cycling’s CCC Alloy Gravel Wheelset Promises Durability

Today Boyd Cycling announced the latest wheel to enter their alloy gravel wheelset division, the CCC. These wheels are lightweight and durable, complementing Boyd’s current carbon Pinnacle 700c and Jocassee 650b offering. Best of all, they come in at a $700 price point.

The CCC got its name from the Civilian Conservation Corps, a voluntary public unemployment program designed to provide jobs during the Great Depression. Still to this day “Old CCC” roads can be found deep in the wood. CCC wheels feature:

-6069 series alloy rim weighs in at 415 grams in a 700c size and 395 grams in the 650b.
-Built with Boyd’s own Quest Disc Brake hubs
-Complete wheelset 1515 grams for 700c set and 1475 grams for the 650b.
-Spoke options 24f/28r and 28f/32r
-Built with Pillar Wing 20 spokes and external brass nipples.
-Hubs:Shimano Hyperglide, Sram XDR, and Shimano Microspline drivers and feature tool-free swapping of axle end caps and drivers.

Believe the Hype: Hardtail Riding with the Zipp 3ZERO MOTO 29er Wheels

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Believe the Hype: Hardtail Riding with the Zipp 3ZERO MOTO 29er Wheels

When someone makes a big marketing claim, one that promises “compliance”, superb strength, and a ride quality unlike anything else on the market, I can’t help but roll my eyes. This reaction is a sentiment that I’m sure you, the readers of this very website, also feel! The cycling industry is always coming out with the next best thing and trying to get you to buy it. That’s why when I take on something to review, I like to really give it a go because if I’m going to tell you something is worth your hard-earned money, it damn well better perform.

Please don’t mind this introduction, I just wanted to explain how long I’ve been thinking about writing this review and how it’s going to seem that I was paid to sing the praises of these wheels. Spoiler alert, I was not and yes, these wheels really do live up to the marketing hype!

For the past 10 months, I’ve been riding the Zipp 3ZERO MOTO 29er wheels on my hardtail and I am a firm – pardon the pun – believer that these wheels are the best thing to hit the MTB market in some time.

Well Used and Highly Abused: Industry Nine’s Backcountry 360 Wheels with Hydra Hubs

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Well Used and Highly Abused: Industry Nine’s Backcountry 360 Wheels with Hydra Hubs

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.

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Easton’s New EC90 AX and EC70 AX Wheelsets

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’s new Cross Country Raptor 29er Wheels

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HED’s new Cross Country Raptor 29er Wheels

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!

Industry Nine Introduces New Ultralight 235 CX TRA in 700c and 650b

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Industry Nine Introduces New Ultralight 235 CX TRA in 700c and 650b


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!

A Pre-Ride Preview of Industry’s Nine’s New i9.35 Disc Road Wheels

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A Pre-Ride Preview of Industry’s Nine’s New i9.35 Disc Road Wheels

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.

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Danny MacAskill Gives Santa Cruz’s Reserve Carbon Wheels a Beating

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.

Industry Nine’s Limited Edition Copper Enduro305 Wheelset

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Industry Nine’s Limited Edition Copper Enduro305 Wheelset

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.

Industry Nine’s AR23 All-Road Wheels

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Industry Nine’s AR23 All-Road Wheels

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.

My 44 Bikes Marauder Hardtail is Steady Shreddin on Ibis 941 Wheels

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My 44 Bikes Marauder Hardtail is Steady Shreddin on Ibis 941 Wheels

Since this bike first showed up at my door here in Los Angeles, I’ve really enjoyed riding it. While the kit that Kris from 44 Bikes delivered for the review interim was more than acceptable, it felt good putting both my old parts on it and new wheels, which made a world of difference. Wheels are like that though. You think everything is peachy-keen one day and the next you’re rolling on new wheels, having your mind blown. Call me naive but I didn’t think a wide rim like the Ibis 941 would make that big of a difference on a hardtail. Truthfully, it didn’t feel like it until I seat the WTB Trail Boss 2.4″ tire on the 41mm outer, 35mm inner width rims.

To say it was like a whole new bike might be over-doing it, or perhaps it captures my enthrallment or excitement. Either way, I do not want to take them, or these tires off my 44 Bikes Marauder anytime soon.