Reynolds Announces New XC Wheel Line
PRESS RELEASE: Reynolds Cycling
The world of XC is evolving. Tires are getting wider, pressures are getting lower, and the courses of today regularly feature rock gardens and drops worthy of an Enduro race. The current XC market is filled with both slammed-stem race sleds and fun-focused short travel rippers that have riders searching for components that can withstand an aggressive riding style while still maintaining the light flickable fun that is an XC bike. It is our mission as a component manufacturer to continue to push what XC bikes and riders are capable of. Therefore, we are stoked to announce our new family of XC wheels that checks all the boxes. Introducing the all-new Reynolds 309/289XC.
The new 309/289 XC family features four unique build levels including a limited-edition version with the Super Bubba X turquoise hub set from our sister company Ringlé. Each level features our new front and rear-specific rim designs and spoke counts. With prices ranging from $1299.99 to $2099.99, there is an option for anyone looking to upgrade to a high-quality carbon wheelset with a lifetime warranty.
Rim Design:
As you may have picked up within the title of the wheels, our new 309/289 XC features a 30mm internal width front rim paired to a 28mm internal width rear. We have chosen a mixed width for a variety of reasons. Wider rims allow you to run lower pressure, increase traction, and add precision to your steering. However, wider rims can also result in a less compliant and bumpier ride. To avoid the later we have reduced our rims profile to 21mm. By reducing the depth, we have improved overall compliance and comfort while simultaneously offering all the benefits listed above that come with a wider rim. With most of the rider weight and power on the bike being transferred to the rear, we found a 28mm wide rim paired to 28 spokes an ideal balance between strength, comfort, and performance. On the front, we widened the rim to 30mm to add even more steering precision and sidewall stiffness where it matters most. To maintain a similar feel to the rear, we decreased the spoke count to 24 to add compliance and reduce weight for a more flickable feel while navigating the tight and twisty sections of the trail.
Blacklabel:
Our Blacklabel wheels utilize the same IDM (Impact Dispersing Matrix) and MR5 rim construction technologies found in our DH wheels to provide industry-leading impact resistance and durability in a new lightweight XC package.
There are two build options offered at the Blacklabel level. The first option includes our Reynolds/I9 proprietary Blacklabel Hydra hubs. These hubs are fully CNC machined with an instant .52° engagement for immediate power delivery. The second option is a limited-edition model featuring the Ringlé Super Bubba X hub anodized in a turquoise homage to the original Super Bubba’s of the past. This hubset is only available within the Blacklabel 309/289r wheelset and is available while supplies last. The Super Bubba X features 4° of engagement and a drop-in ratchet ring design for enhanced durability. Each of these wheelsets is laced with Sapim CX-Ray spokes and alloy nipples to keep things light and strong out on the trails.
TR and TRs: :
In addition to the Blacklabel versions, we have created a TR and TRs version of this wheel for those who are more budget-minded. The TR and TRs versions both use the same 309/289 rim design and profile with our PR3 rim construction found in our current TR and TRs series of wheels that provide unmatched ride quality and durability at a lower price point. The TRs are laced with Sapim CX-Delta spokes and alloy nipples to our TRs MTN hub featuring 5° of engagement through 6 phased pawls. The TR uses Sapim Sprint spokes, brass nipples, and our TR MTN hub with 10° of engagement through 4 pawls.
Please visit our website for more information about the new 309/289 XC family.
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(I had one. Not that easy to remove the bottle!)
True, but expensive wheels may not be the best bang for the buck on a mountain bike. Will you notice the difference between a 500 and 1000 set of wheels? Yes, a bit. Between a 500 and 1000 fork the difference will be night and day. Now, if you have all the money in the world, spend away, but for most of us, we have to prioritize what we feel will give us the best return on a dollar/euro/pound.
Poor isn't a state of mind, it's just a different way of saying that you have other priorities.
lots of DH riders choose 471
I'm almost certain that WT applies only to the way the tread is positioned/shaped, and has nothing to do with the actual shape of the tire, which would leave sidewalls equally exposed in either instance.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
The shape of the cross section of the tire is determined by both the tire and inner rim width. Yes, the shape of the cross section will approximate a circle, however the circumference of the circle will be larger for a wider rim. As a result, the proportion of that circumference that is protected by the tread will be lower for a wider rim.
Note also that the cross sectional shape of the tire is also constrained by the radius of the tire, not just the bead to bead distance. If you take it to absurd levels, consider a 700c road tire vs a 29er 'plus' tire (both are 622 ETRTO) on a 40mm wide rim. Ignoring the fact that you might not be able to seat the bead of the road tire, the shape of it would be more of a "V" vs a nice fat "O" for the plus tire.
Nothing magical about it, just the non-WT tires having too narrow treads for wide rims.
I read that as standard build is the I9 Hydra and limited edition is Ringle Super Bubba X; two different hubs without driver compatibility.
hayesbicycle.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036176733-Reynolds-Technical-Service-Manuals
How do I know? Look up reviews on the TR309 wheelset. Hopefully the "NEW" hubs on the model refresh are better.
@dsut4392: First, most bike components are made in Asia, they have been doing it for a long time and they are the best at it. I don't understand what a bilingual technical drawing has anything to do with anything other than effective communication of design intent to the factory.
Second, I clicked your link and looked at a 2017 manual, no characters to be found.
Third, you should be happy they are made in Asia because then you are more likely to get it down under than if we made it here, since we are all part of a global economy whether we like it or not.
They make a great product that they will stand by so why does it matter where it is made? People in China deserve jobs too don't they?
I'm not criticising Chinese manufacturing or Chinese people, I'm criticising your silly statement "it seems like a symbiotic relationship of two American companies to me".
Try looking at the 2019 spec sheet instead of 2017, the tech data for the TR3 hub is not "bilingual", the specs are _only_ in Chinese characters. This isn't a symbiosis of two American companies, it's an American company sourcing the cheapest component it can find from an OEM and crossing their fingers that it will be OK without doing their own QC.
I honestly couldn't care less where it's made, what I care about is that the quality on the TR309 hub instead of being 'great' is 'defective'. The fact that they "stand by" the product didn't help my friend when he crashed after his first one seized up, or when he had to pull out of a day's riding and wait around for hours at the trail-head for a pick up a few weeks ago when the replacement one self destructed. There are also multiple reports of the centerlock interface not being machined properly leaving people with loose brake rotors. When they 'stand by' the product, so far all they're doing is replacing it with an identically defective one.
forums.mtbr.com/canyon/2019-strive-8-0-reynolds-tr-309-wheelset-1139609.html
Do you see the irony in suggesting that it's easier for us down under to get Asian made parts in the same sentence where you talk about the "global economy"? The cheese on my sandwich today came from California, do you really think it's any harder for me to pick up some shiny King, Paul or I9 part from my LBS than it is for you?
You seem to have quite a few biases here but I suggest you reconcile your issues with Asian manufacturing if you want to be a mountain biker.
And I could absolutely get parts from any of those companies for cheaper than you. Everyone pays a premium for American made parts, especially if they're exported half way around the globe....
Cheers!
Aside: Hard to believe that Sun bought Ringlé way back in 1997. Thought it was way more recent. Guess I was confusing it with the Hayes purchase.
--
(I was a Sun rims fan, had the Chinook on my MTB and Mistrals on my roadie in the early '90s - both of them were on Shimano hubs so never had an attachment to Ringle, who would want any of that heavy junk?)
I had a set of Reynolds blacklabel hoops from 2014 but bought from surplus store quite a lot later. They didn’t last unfortunately. Rear wheel cracked but a DD Maxxis didn’t snake bite. No worries, got back a rebuilt wheel on warranty. Then same summer front and rear wheels cracked.
I was offered a newer set of TRS wheels. Step down from blacklabel but okay let’s try. Unfortunately the rear wheel cracked quite soon. At this point Reynolds was purchased by Hayes.
Support request took a while but no worries I built some DT Swiss alloy rims as backup while I wait.
There was a bit of a language barrier happening next as the service center was now in Germany and not the Netherlands. I did manage to get in touch though, but through the guy from the Netherlands who was still in the company, just not in the warranty department anymore.
Next I got a set of TR wheels, so another stepdown and they were wider (good or bad depends I guess) and the freehub was now HG. I wasn’t overly happy as I know had 1.5 sets of wheels in varying componentry. At this point I was told to be happy to have gotten a wheelset for free..
Not sure how I feel. The original wheelset being from a surplus store was very cheap at around 500€. And ending up with 1.5 sets of wheels well yes there is that aspect.
Guess I’m mostly happy I didn’t pay the full retail price. I would have not given up if I had.
I’m gonna go with DT now. Shipping wheels back and forth on warranty vs. you can basically get DT parts from a local supermarket heh.
IMO we're a bit spoiled when it comes to rotor choice, centerlock or 6 bolt.
Hope Still doesn't make MTB CL, the TRP ones seem to be made by Lodge cookware, Sram rotors are hot garbage regardless of the attachment.
So we aren't lousy with QUALITY options at the moment.
I thought I was a nerd but I never knew rotor choice was this big of a deal. I've had cheap rotors, expensive rotors, all of them seemed to work fine.