Industry Nine

i35 Carbon Road Wheelset - Tubular

It wasn't long ago that the phrase "carbon fiber tubular" struck terror into the hearts of cyclists the world over. Thankfully, we've since moved out of those dark ages, and it's now possible get the supreme ride quality of tubulars with the aerodynamic and weight advantages of carbon hoops. And there’s arguably no wheelset that so clearly illustrates how far we've come as the Industry Nine i35 Carbon Tubular Wheelset. Built with Reynolds' SLG series carbon tubular rims, with CTg braking technology to control heat buildup, they roll on American-made Industry Nine Torch hubs. Yes they're fast, and of course they’re durable -- the breathtaking good looks just stand as an affirmation that you made the right decision.

The heart of the I-series road wheels lies in the redesigned Torch road hub, and as always, the artfully machined hubset is built in North Carolina by people who ride hard. And while the exquisite anodized finish is eye catching, it’s what’s inside that really counts. Namely, the new Torch three pawl driver. It's the same driver used in the Torch mountain hubset, and like their mountain brethren, the I-series road hub is rated to withstand 700 ft/lbs of torque. In other words, unless you're powering your bike via a built diesel engine, there is zero chance of slippage under power as long as the hub is well maintained. Speaking of which, Industry Nine manufactures its own Teflon contact seals at the endcaps, which effectively seals the hub against the most tenacious mud in ‘cross racing, and they run drag-free, for logging those road miles.

Unlike I9's mountain wheelsets, the I-series wheelset makes use of Sapim's trusted CX-Ray stainless steel spokes to maintain their perfect roundness. These forged, bladed spokes have a reputation as the planet's strongest, stiffest option for securing a hub to a rim, which will quell any fears of failure, no matter how many potholes you manage to ride through. Enhancing the strength is a 2:1 lacing pattern on the 24 spoke rear wheel, with 8 of those spokes on the non-drive side, and 16 on the drive side. The result is reduced wind-up of the wheels under power, for phenomenal power transfer, but with the lightness that comes with reduced spoke counts.

Industry Nine's core competency is in working with metal, so the master machinists from North Carolina paired up with the carbon gurus at Reynolds to supply a carbon fiber rim worthy of the Torch road hub. What they settled on was Reynolds' 32mm deep SLG tubular rim, for their strength, width, and aerodynamic properties. You see, SLG stands for Swirl Lip Generator, which is a fancy way of saying that they're designed to create a small-scale aerodynamic swirl which enables the wheelset to cut through the air with maximum efficiency from a variety of yaw angles.

The generous 25mm external width provides a wider tire footprint than a traditional rim shape, allowing you to run lower air pressure, with enhanced grip and rolling speed. And while some carbon rims can have issues with heat management, the SLG rim gets Reynolds' CTg braking system, which works in conjunction with Reynolds Cryo Blue brake pads to provide sharp braking through a variety of weather conditions. Heat buildup has historically been a danger with carbon rims, and the risk is especially high when running tubulars, which can lose adhesion as the rim temperature climbs. The CTg braking system not only enhances stopping power, but more importantly, by managing heat buildup, it all but eliminates the risk of having the tire roll off during a long descent.

The Industry Nine i35 Carbon Tubular Road Wheelset is available in one color and with either a Shimano/SRAM 11-speed or Campagnolo 11-speed-compatible freehub.