Ibis launch three new Carbon fibre wheels and rims

Ibis are entering the world of high end wheel sets, with three options offering two different width carbon fibre rims. Describing them as The New Normal and The New Wide, the model options are the 928 – a 28mm wide (external) 29er rim, and 41mm wide (external) rims in 27.5 – the 741, and 29 – the 941.

Why so wide? Wide rims provide better tyre profile, a better contact patch and allow lower pressures to be run while still supporting the sidewalls, all of which offers better traction, better braking and lower rolling resistance. Add in the strength/weight ratio of using carbon fibre it’s possible to build a fairly light but strong wheel package.

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All three rims have hookless beads, a design that increases impact damage resistance, with Ibis claiming an increase of 50 – 300% in strength over competing brands. All wheels are also built using 32 traditional style spokes for strength. Our “speed date” experience of a test pair of 928’s on Moab’s rocky trails suggested a pair of wheels that should suck up a fair amount of abuse and the occasional bad landing while staying straight as a die.

Ibis are suggesting the wheels will be available as a “modestly priced upgrade” on their bikes or $1299 (UK price TBC) retail if bought separate.

Here’s what Ibis have to say…

IBIS CARBON FIBER WHEELS AND RIMS – THE NEW NORMAL AND THE NEW WIDE.

Welcome to the wide world of Ibis wheels and rims, what we refer to as The New Normal and The New Wide.

If you look at nearly all other vehicles, the ratio of inner rim width to outer tire width is anywhere from 1.2:1 to 1.5:1.

Here are a few examples:

• Road bike 1.2: 1
• Motorcycle 1.3-1.5:1
• Car 1.3:1
• Mountain bike 3:1

So you can see that current mountain bike rims are the complete outlier, everyone else is going about this very differently.

Wide rims were present on the earliest mountain bikes. They rode well, really well in fact. Their downside was that they were heavy, and not strong enough. With recent advancements in carbon fiber and tubeless technologies, we’re now able to bring back the advantages of wide rims with none of the downsides.

“You can’t have too much traction.” – Ancient mountain bike proverb.

BENEFITS OF WIDER RIMS:

• Dramatically increased traction
• Reduced rolling resistance
• Less tubeless ‘burping’
• Stiffer, stronger wheel
• lighter than most narrow aluminum rims
• Better braking control
• Improved flat protection
• More predictable feel
• You can run a lighter tire with similar durability
• Hookless bead rims are far stronger
• Easy to mount tubeless with just a floor pump

The 928 is a carbon fiber 29er rim with 28mm width that delivers enhanced tire stability and high strength at low weight.

The 741 and 941 are carbon fiber 27.5 and 29er rims with monster 41mm widths that deliver super tire stability even with large tires at low pressure.

The 741 and 928 are available as optional upgrades on the Mojo HDR 650b and Ripley 29 now, the 941 is scheduled as an option for the Ripley beginning next month.

We anticipate that these wheels will be availalble in the aftermarket in June.

More information here: http://www.ibiscycles.com/wheels 

741 – SRP: $1299.00 (pair)

• External Width: 41mm
• Internal Width: 35mm
• Rim Weight: 475g
• Wheelset Weight: 1650g (pair)

928 – SRP: $1299.00 (pair)

• External Width: 28mm
• Internal Width: 22mm
• Rim Weight: 375g
• Wheelset Weight: 1580g (pair)

941 – SRP: $1299.00 (pair)

• External Width: 41mm
• Internal Width: 35mm
• Rim Weight: 490g
• Wheelset Weight: 1770g (pair)

And finally, a couple of photos Chipps snapped yesterday on a quick visit to Ibis.

Wide rims flatten out a tyre profile, allowing a 2.35 like this Minion to run more like a 2.5in. Lower pressures are possible too – down to the low 20psi level without burping or rolling. It also allows tall tyres to roll less on corners. We hope for a play on a pair soon.

Dave Anderson

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