RIMS

These are my go to rim brands.  They have been proven to perform up to Zspokes standards.  

 

Carbon Rims

  • ENVE - The standout rims from this collection are the gravel oriented G23 and the new external nipple M30 mountain rims All their offerings have spoke holes which are molded into the rim as part of the manufacturing process. They offer a lifetime warranty with lots of depth, width and usage options. Also notable for a carbon rim, they are Made in USA. (G23 Gravel DEMO AVAILABLE)

  • Duke Racing - With their flawless raw finish, offset spoke beds, silky ride quality and differential width for Front & Rear rims, the 6TER lineup is among my current favorites. (Baccara SLS 36/42 DEMO AVAILABLE)

  • Knight Composites - When great minds from ENVE, Reynolds and Cervelo get together...good things happen. 5 year warranty. Amazing aerodynamics. Proven high end carbon layups and manufacturing techniques. (Enduro 27.5 Boost DEMO AVAILABLE)

  • Nox Composites - More moderately priced high quality carbon, with offset spoke beds for more even tension. Nice width options, excellent weight with a lifetime warranty. (Citico gravel DEMO AVAILABLE)

  • Santa Cruz Reserve - Now available as a rim only, which means we can put any hub of choice into these super strong rims to fit any brand of bike.

  • We Are One - Hand built carbon rims from Canada eh. Strong rims, lifetime warranty, including a DH specific 29er rim. (29er Super Boost DEMO AVAILABLE)

BOYD Cycling

Carbon and Aluminum rims

These clean slate mold designs have allowed some for some unique depth profiles and flange angled spoke holes allowing for very high quality builds.  The proprietary shapes of their alloy rims means they're also some of the nicest on offer, with their Altamont being one of the few modern aero shapes available in an alloy rim. Some standouts from their collection are CCC gravel rims and the new Altamont Disc.

ASTRAL

Recently putting their many years of rim manufacturing to good use, the smart minds at ROLF PRIMA have started offering rims with traditional drillings using the same offset spoke beds and fantastic alloys. Nice width offerings allow for some smart mountain wheelset with differential widths front and rear. Made in USA.

Velocity USA

I have been building with Velocity wheels since the early '90s and their most recent releases have proven to be moving right along with the wider tire trends. The Aileron, Quill and Blunt SS are great rims with an added bonus of being available in a great range of color. They are now made in USA as well.

SPANK

Since they launched their rim production operations, Spank has been working with a very cutting edge rim manufacturer to push the limits of what is possible in an aluminum rim, with advanced alloys and rim wall shapes.  The results are impressive indeed, with exceptional strength and hardness, while still maintaining very reasonable weights.  Check out their "Oobah" rim bed shape, it performs as claimed and adds a noticeable level of stiffness for a given weight rim.  Their Vibrocore filled rims work as advertised to damp some of those trail frequencies (The vibrocore handlebars are great at this too).

DT SWISS

Just like with their hubs, DT makes a full range of rims, from basic and entry level, up to some of the most expensive carbon you can find.  Similar to the hubs, we can gloss over their less expensive options in favor of other things at similar prices.  However when you start to look at their higher end alloy rims, things get good.  Their most recent rim releases (XR, XM and EX) are very light for any given width and feature a new squorx nipple/washer combo that allows the nipple head to pivot slightly and align with the hub flange better...NICE!

STan's No Tubes

When lightweight is high on the priority list and carbon isn't in the budget, look to the Stan's rim options for some of the lightest alloy rims around.  For years they have been found on many a racers bike for a reason, when you're turning yourself inside out for a few hours, it's nice to know that you have the least rotating weight possible.  With these new Mk4 versions of the Crest and Arch they are adding some much needed width, offset spoke beds and still keeping the weight down.

EASTON/RACEFACE

Easton has recently decided to focus their extensive aluminum manufacturing expertise into making some very high quality rims.  Nice weight, offset spoke beds and all the right widths. when used for their intended trail riding purpose, they have proven to be quite robust. Not intended for Enduro/DH usage. With the recent merger expect to see all mountain products become RaceFace branded with the same technology.