ENVE composites launches carbon downhill rims and wheelsets

ENVE Composites announced the world’s first carbon downhill-specific rim on Thursday, the result of a collaboration with the Santa Cruz Syndicate. The rims are simply called Mountain DH Rims.

According to ENVE, the full carbon DH rim provides true performance benefits. Most notable is a vast increase in durability over the traditional alloy offerings on the market. The fact that Steve Peat raced on the same set of rims throughout the entire 2011 season is perhaps the best illustration of this increased durability. According to ENVE’s Jake Pantone, “this success, along with those of other test riders was the trigger that set into action our plan to release this highly specialized factory race rim for public consumption.”

“Being the first full carbon downhill clincher to successfully race and then win a World Cup was a huge accomplishment. Being the first to offer the same World Cup worthy race product to the public is the culmination of a lot of hard work,” said Jason Schiers, ENVE’s founder. “Firsts are hard to come by in our industry. In this case, not only did we get there first, but I think we are changing the game,” said Schiers.

“The DH environment and extreme capabilities of riders such as Steve Peat, Greg Minnaar, and Josh Bryceland are the most defining way to demonstrate what sets ENVE branded products apart from all others,” said Schiers.

Over the last year, ENVE has made a sizeable investment in its R&D testing lab. “Our investment in new testing equipment has strengthened our ability to take real world results and feedback, validate it in the lab, and then reintroduce it to the athletes and testers to confirm the changes we’ve made. This process is very apparent in the DH rims. We took what we were learning from our pros and test riders, and made changes accordingly. As a result we believe that the new DH rims are the best riding and most durable mountain rims on the market today,” said ENVE’s VP of Operations Joe Stanish.

The impressive strength-to-weight ratio of the new ENVE DH rim is attributed to a proprietary manufacturing process, targeted laminate, and a purpose-driven design. The ENVE DH rim is 31 mm deep and features a 21mm inner bead-to-bead width making it the ideal platform for riders running wide downhill tires.  The new ENVE DH clinchers also include a progression of structural modifications that improve ride performance and strength without any notable weight penalties.

The new Mountain DH rims are only available in 26-inch, 32-hole configurations and weigh a scant 475 grams per rim. Retail is set at $999 per rim, and complete pre-built wheel sets with DT Swiss or Chris King hubs start at $2,750.