3 New Carbon Wheels From Sixth Element

Sixth Element has added three new wheels to its range. We bring you an exclusive run down of your carbon latest wheel options.

UK wheel builder Sixth Element has quickly gained a reputation for good value carbon wheels with a strong customer service focus – they were even nominated for the Singletrack Reader Awards. Backed up by a lifetime crash replacement guarantee, even if you do manage to break your wheels, there’s a good degree of comfort there that you’ll be back up and rolling again in not very much time at all.

Today they’re announcing three new additions to their wheel line up: the Pro XC, Pro Enduro and Classic. Let’s take a closer look at what they’re about, and where they sit in the range.

Pro XC

This is the wheel currently being used by the British Cycling Olympic Team. The team had asked for something a little burlier than the existing Superlight XC Pro, and Sixth Element answered with this.

• 25mm internal width
• 30mm external width
• 28 hole rims
• for 2.0 to 2.25in tyres
• 29er only
• Stealth Black or White decals as standard.
• for XC racing or fast trail use
• pair of wheels from 1360g
• from £1339 per pair

Pro Enduro

These have been developed as a burlier version of the existing Race wheels, with half an eye on the North American gravity market. Having recently opened a base in Whistler, Sixth Element has noticed there’s a demand for race wheels in the gravity scene, so these have been brought out for the rim dingers of this world. Carbon with graphene incorporated into the construction, these have thicker sidewalls for more control and more strength.

• 28.5mm internal width
• 36mm external width
• for 2.3 to 2.5in tyres
• 32 hole rims
• 29er or 27.5in
• Stealth Black as standard.
• for enduro or DH racing
• pair of wheels from 1695g
• from £1239 per pair

Classic

This is an update to their existing 29er wheels rather than a new addition to the range (the 27.5in Classic remains unchanged). It’s slightly wider than the old 29er, and brings asymmetrical rims to the 29er wheel, giving more balance and more strength.

• 33mm internal width
• 39mm external width
• for 2.3 to 2.6in tyres
• 32 hole rims
• 29er
• Stealth Black, white or Sixth Element green as standard.
• for trail riding through to enduro use
• pair of wheels from 1575g
• from £997 per pair

If that leaves you wondering what set of wheels might be right for you, here’s a quick run down of the whole Sixth Element offering:

• Superlight XC Pro
  • one for the weight weenies, an XC 29er wheel that Sixth Element thinks might be the lightest on the market at just 1225g
• Pro XC (New)
  • For XC racing modern courses, good enough for Olympians!
• Pro Enduro (New)
  • For gravity, burlier and thicker rimmed
• Race
  • Existing trail and enduro wheelset
• Classic 29er (Updated)
  • Entry level 29er
• Classic 27.5
  • Entry level 27.5in

We’ve listed the standard options here – but since they’re built to order you can customise your build, right down to the colour of the decals. Whether you’re a weight weenie, a colour coordinator, or a rim thrasher, there’s surely something for you here?

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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