Syncros saw the popularity of the AM DS28 rim and decided to take the same basic design and grow it to a 29er. This was a great idea, as we don't see enough 29er rims and not enough robust 29ers at a nice weight. As we've said before, we like having the option to use hubs we love rather than getting locked into a pre-built wheelset.

The first thing to know about the Syncros DS28 29er Rim is the details on how they're joined. Syncros brags about their rim joinery. It's called True Track Technology. They start with the sleeve plug to hold the two ends of the rim to each other. Then they weld. The welding is so spot-on perfect, it results in a rim that's almost seamless. By this process, the rim walls at the seam are no longer a weak point in the rim, which means the rim can take more abuse. After the rim is sleeved and welded and almost perfect, Syncros runs a machine, a mandrel, on the inside and outside of rim to keep it round and smooth and stress-relieved for easy building and a long life of truth.

The Syncros DS28 29er rim uses their patented Bead Lock System. This is not a solution for tubeless tires -- it's a solution for tubed tires, which not only have many fans, but many benefits. Run low pressure on a large-volume tire and the tire has a tendency to move inside the rim walls. This movement puts stress on the tube valve, shifting it one way or the other. With enough stress on the valve, the valve will break or the tube will rip where the valve joins the tube. When this happens, the tire goes pfffffft. Flat. The way the BLS achieves its magic is by machining tiny cutouts in the inside of the rims sidewalls. These pleats grab the tire beads and hold them in place.

The Syncros DS28 29er rim comes drilled for 32 spokes. Each spoke hole is eyeleted through the outside wall of the rim to the inside wall -- thus, a rim strip is necessary. This rim can be converted to tubeless. The disc specific rim has a width of 28mm. Available in either Matte White or Black. 560g.