Ibis

742 Logo Carbon 27.5in Boost Wheelset

The engineers at Ibis were ahead of their time when they launched the original 741 Wheelset a few years back, considering they were the only manufacturer offering an ultra-wide option for aggressive trail and all-mountain use. Now that the industry has finally caught up, Ibis has doubled down on their position that wider wheels produce numerous benefits in ride quality, tire support, and overall strength with the introduction of their 742 Logo Carbon 27.5in Boost Wheelset.

Following this natural progression in acceptance of ultra-wide wheels, Ibis improved upon the original 741 with a lower profile design that increases strength, saves weight, and boosts lateral stiffness. The rim's lower 19.5-millimeter section height is better at distributing impact forces translated through the rim, making the 742 is significantly stronger than its 741 predecessor. Ibis claims the reduced height increases strength by a whopping 30 percent and yields a decent weight savings of 7.5 percent.

The 742 sits at a hearty 35 millimeters along its inside and a whopping 41 millimeters along the outer, which are the same measurements as the original 741 Wheelset. This means you'll be able to comfortably run high volume trail tires in the neighborhood of 2.6 inches, as well as plus-sized rubber of 2.8 to 3.0 inches without a problem. Regular trail tires work as well, with many riders finding good results with standard 2.3 to 2.5-inch rubber.

With such a drastic increase in rim width, you'll notice a dramatic increase in ride quality and traction, as you can lower tire pressure for added bump compliance, as well as gobs of grip over rocks and loose trail rubble. Ibis recommends running pressures as low as 10 to 18psi with plus-sized tires and something in the area of 18 to 25psi for a standard 2.3 to 2.5-inch tire. These are impressively low pressures and something you'd never see with standard wheel and tire combos. One more thing to note, Ibis is using their own hubs on the 742 Wheelset for their reliable operation and responsive 10-degree engagement with the 36-tooth ratchet.