6 New Wheelsets from Ibis - First Look

6 New Wheelsets, A Lot of Numbers

Ibis' wheelset lineup has expanded by six new offerings, including four fresh carbon fiber options. The most notable news for a lot of riders, however, might be the addition of two reasonably priced fat aluminum wheelsets that don't require a fat wallet to get ahold of.

The new carbon wheels and rims include the 742 and 942 (35mm internal), and the 735 and 935 (29mm internal) that all share the same $1,799.00 USD price tag for a pair. The 738 and 938 aluminum wheelsets feature a 35mm internal width, and a pair in either diameter goes for $549.00 USD. Update: the aluminum 738 and 938 rims can be purchased on their own for $99 USD, and the carbon 742, 942, 735, and 935 rims go for $525 USD each.

An easy way to figure out Ibis' nomenclature is to remember that the first number indicates wheel size, so 942 would refer to a 29" wheel while 742 would be a 27.5'' wheel. There are even more numbers to take in below, and Ibis was wise to send a cheat sheet over that breaks down rim widths and diameters, rim and wheelset weights, and everything else you might want to know when it comes to numbers. See below in order to nerd out.




More Width, Less Money

Carbon fiber is cool and all but let's be real for a second: the very large majority of mountain bikers are more likely to buy a new aluminum wheelset before they drop three times as much (or six times as much) on carbon hoops. Ibis knows this, which is why they've debuted two new aluminum rims and wheelsets, the 738 and 938, that both sport a 35mm internal rim width (the same as the $1,799.00 USD 742 and 942 wheelsets) and retail for $549.00 USD per pair. Less money equals more weight, of course, which is why the 738 and 938 wheelsets weigh in at 1,880 and 1,935 grams, or 250 and 245 grams more than their pricier carbon equivalents.




According to Ibis, the aluminum rims share the same 5mm asymmetric spoke drilling, a tubeless-ready profile, and equal spoke tension of the pricier carbon offerings, and they have a black anodized and laser etched finish. Claimed weights are 502 and 530 grams for the bare 27.5'' and 29'' rims, or 67 and 65 grams more than the carbon versions.




While Ibis has moved to using Industry Nine Torch hubs for their carbon wheelsets, that wasn't going to fly for something costing about a third of the price. Instead, the 738 and 938 rims are laced to a set of Ibis-branded hubs that they say come from a small CNC shop in Taiwan, and drive comes via a 36-tooth, 4-pawl freehub that's available in either Shimano or SRAM XD configurations. Bearings come from Enduro, and while the 738 and 938 wheelsets will only come with Boost-sized hubs for now, Ibis is considering a 100/142mm hubset if there is enough demand. Speak up if you want it.



More Width, More Carbon

Want some extra width and ready to spend more than you would to get an aluminum wheelset? The new 742 and 735 (27.5 x 42mm and 35mm), and 942 and 935 (29 x 42mm and 35mm) all feature spacious widths and the same $1,799.00 USD price tag for a pair, along with the same carbon fiber construction. The carbon rims are all-new compared to Ibis' previous offerings. Weights for all four are as follows: 1,630 and 1,540 grams for the 742 and 735 wheelsets, and 1,690 and 1,590 grams for the 942 and 935 wheelsets.




Ibis has stuck with the 41mm outer and 35mm inner widths for the new 742 and 942 carbon rims, but they are claiming that they've increased impact strength, reduced weight, and managed to maintain lateral stiffness. The 735 and 935, on the other hand, feature 35mm outer and 29mm internal rim widths, with Ibis saying that the wider and shallower rim shape has let them match the weight of their older 928 rims while also significantly increasing impact strength and lateral stiffness.

The new carbon 742 and 942 rims feature 5mm of offset, while the 735 and 935s sport 2.5mm, thereby allowing both sides of the wheel to have higher and more equal spoke tension. Ibis says that the higher tension, combined with a rim height that's been reduced to 19.5mm (the previous rims were 29.5mm tall) make them stronger and better able to handle sharp, localized impacts. Think low tire pressures and pointy rocks. The rim's layup has also been updated: ''we are introducing a new hybrid carbon fiber layup, strategically combining layers of a new, high-toughness carbon/epoxy prepreg with our original carbon composite, increasing both ultimate strength and impact durability. As a result of all this, the 742/942 nets a 30% increase in impact strength yet a 7.5% decrease in weight, compared to our previous rims.''




At the center of all that is a set of Industry Nine Torch hubs that are made in the US. The rear unit employs a 60-tooth ratchet and six out-of-phase pawls that supply a quick 3º engagement. Rotors attach via a Center Lock mounting system (adapter required for 6-hole rotors), and they spin on Enduro bearings and come with either Shimano or SRAM XD drivers.

What's happening to Ibis' previous carbon fiber wheelsets, the 741, 941, and 928? Ibis does plan to stock enough of those rims to fill any crash replacement orders that will arise for a long time to come, and they are also offering some pretty decent prices on the remaining complete 741, 941, and 928 wheelsets that they have in stock: $1099.00 USD will get you a complete pair of any of those in 100/142mm hub spacing. ''After that, with enough demand, we'll keep making them [741, 941, and 928 carbon rims] and migrate to our Ibis hubs,'' said Ibis' Scot Nicol of their plans for the future. ''They're great rims, tooling is paid for, so why not offer this more affordable alternative. We'll let the people vote.''


www.ibiscycles.com/wheels / @ibiscycles