The folks at Wilderness Trail Bikes (WTB) are peering into the well of the brand’s coming 40th birthday, and they are keeping the party spinning with some new carbon-rimmed mountain bike and gravel complete wheel builds.
The trail-ready 29er hoops are called CZR i30, featuring a 30mm internal rim width and 28 double-butted steel spokes front and rear that are tightened down with brass nipples. The hubs use six pawls for 3.7° of engagement, and WTB says that they tested the wheels in the soggy Pacific Northwest for two seasons to ensure the hubs were ready for wet weather. With reinforced spoke beds and a fortified carbon layup, these wheels maintain a reasonable number on the scale. The claimed weight for CZR i30 front wheels is 878g, and the rear start at 1026g, with tape and valves installed.
A narrow set of CZR i23 wheels, intended for dirt road riding, uses lighter pawl springs in the hub than the MTB version. This is said to create less drag in the system, and to coast a little quieter through the woods. The rims have a 23mm internal width, and come in 24- or 28-spoke configurations. WTB uses lighter weight Pillar bladed spokes on the gravel set for a little aerodynamic advantage and a claimed weight for front wheels starting at 620g and rear at 775g, with tape and valves installed.
The new gravel wheels are available with six-bolt or centerlock rotor mounts with 142mm and 100mm axle widths, while the MTB hubs are six-bolt and Boost-spaced only. The asymmetrical rims have a liner called Solid Strip that WTB says “is a durable nylon strip that lies between the rim and tubeless tape to prevent tubeless tape from pushing into the spoke holes and ensures a smooth interface between the tire and rim. The smooth surface makes it easier to mount a tire by preventing air from escaping around the bead at each indent during inflation. Solid Strip also protects the airtight system from puncture in the case of a broken spoke.”
The carbon rims come with a no-questions-asked lifetime warranty for the original owner. Pricing for both sets of wheels is $850 for a rear, $750 for the front, or $1,600 for the pair. Click over to the WTB site for additional info.
