Ibis goes big with new line of wide carbon wheels

File this in the “we didn’t see that coming” folder. We received word today that Ibis Cycles would launch a new line of carbon fiber wheels to compliment its line of carbon mountain and cyclocross bikes.

While carbon mountain bike wheels are nothing new, the Ibis product is unique for both its price point ($1,300 a pair) and their width—28mm for the 928 29er wheels or a whopping 41mm for the 741 27.5 wheels and 941 29er wheels.

Having sampled many wider rim profiles, and citing the Derby Rims as a specific example, the Ibis team new the “bigger is better” design was the route to the performance they were looking for. “I have to say that jumping on the 41mm rims for the first time is a little bit like the first time I rode a RockShox front suspension,” said Ibis founder Scot Nicol. “You have to relearn what the bike is capable of. It’s that dramatic.”

Inspired by the Derby design, the Ibis rims feature no bead hook, a feature first seen on Specialized wheels. According to Ibis, impacts are the most common cause of failure in carbon rims, and by strengthening the shape and size of the bead walls they could make the rims far more durable. Ibis says their rims are 50 to 300 percent stronger than the competition.

While you could easily spend $1,299 on carbon rims alone, the Ibis wheels come fully built with their own hub design. Not many details are available on the hubs just yet, but they will roll on Enduro bearings and a SRAM XD driver is available. The wheels are built with 32 traditional, triple-butted spokes per wheel using standard nipples.

Look for wheels to begin shipping in June and stay tuned as we’ll try to get our hands on a set at Sea Otter. Want to try a set yourself? Join us at Dirt Rag Dirt Fest where there will be a whole Ibis demo fleet to sample from.

Specs

741

• SRP: $1,299 (pair)
• External Width: 41mm
• Internal Width: 35mm
• Rim Weight: 475g
• Wheelset Weight: 1,650g (claimed, pair)

928

• SRP: $1,299 (pair)
• External Width: 28mm
• Internal Width: 22mm
• Rim Weight: 375g
• Wheelset Weight: 1,580g (claimed, pair)

941

• SRP: $1,299 (pair)
• External Width: 41mm
• Internal Width: 35mm
• Rim Weight: 490g
• Wheelset Weight: 1,770g (claimed, pair)