The Radavist

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!

During 2016, ENVE will be releasing a limited number of special edition monthly wheelsets, including an exclusive theme, derived from one of their partner teams, athletes, charities, designers and frame builders. Each of these releases will be featured limited wheel artwork, painted hubs, ceramic bearings, wheel bags and custom memorabilia.

The first wheelset features a SES 4.5 Clincher with a custom painted ENVE carbon hub for Team Dimension Data and the Qhubeka charity for whom the team races for to raise awareness.

These wheelsets will be available in limited numbers worldwide, both direct from ENVE and via ENVE’s dealers. See more information at ENVE.

For those of you who prefer all black everything on their mountain bikes, check out this killer deal Industry Nine just announced. The Trail S wheels got a sinister all-black coating and will barely dent your wallet at $845 for the wheelset. That’s insanely good for a made in the USA wheelset! See more specs below and ordering information at Industry Nine.

Industry Nine has been on a roll with their MTB wheels this year, saving what is the best for last in terms of their winter-riding, fat-biking consumer base. Their new Big Rig 845 wheels have landed, with axle type and spacing options galore, color combinations wild enough to make your eyes bleed and the same, Made in the USA quality you’ve come to expect from the brand. The Big Rig 845 wheels have a retail of $1275.00 with plenty of add-ons available. See more at Industry Nine.

With a 31mm depth, an external rim width of 28mm and an internal rim width of 21mm, it’s obvious ENVE wanted to make a cyclocross-specific wheelset for dedicated ‘cross athletes. Available as tubular-only, these made in the USA carbon wheels were designed specifically for the weekend races and are available in a variety of hub, freewheel and axle specifications. Head over to ENVE for more information.

It’s taken them longer than other brands but Mavic has finally agreed that wider is better in terms of rim interior and exterior width. Their new Ksyrium Elites are now 25mm wide, resulting in an internal rim width of 17mm. Throw either a tire of your choice on these wheels, or ride the supplied 25mm Yksion Pro tires. The Ksyrium Elites come with color options, offering red hubs with red spoke nipples, blue or a clean black on black finish. Retail is set at $790.90 for the wheelset, Yksion Pro tires and skewers included.

See more at Mavic.

The other night at the Velo Cult party, I got to see a demo from a new company out of Washington state, BicycleStarz. Now, I have to give you a bit of a disclaimer: if you’re a wheel builder, brace yourself, because these tools will leave you frothing at the mouth like a bamboo starved panda…

Coincidentally, all of these tools are made by hand, using bamboo when possible and are filled with such elegant details that they dance that ever-present line of utilitarian art I always speak about.

Check out some in-depth photos below.

PR&D is essential in making some of the best products on the market and it’s something SRAM takes seriously. Check out the latest, entitled New Found Speed. Here’s the story:

“Jon Cancellier has managed the BlackBox Program for the past 7 seasons. This includes choosing the athletes, working with them on custom projects, as well as being at the races to make sure that they have everything they need. An athlete on the SRAM BlackBox Program has access to all the engineering horsepower that we have to offer and Jon is the link between racer and company. Earlier this year he travelled to Finale Ligure, Italy with 2013 Enduro World Series Champion Jerome Clementz to test wheels.

Today we are proud to give everyone a behind the scenes look at this unique and truly exclusive testing process for a BlackBox athlete.”

See more at SRAM.

Velocity is making their rims in the USA and building their wheels in the USA. That’s huge, in my opinion and it’s been a great year for them in terms of growth. I wonder if that’s a coincidence. Anyway, enjoy this short video from their team in Florida!