Earlier this year we brought you news of Kuroshiro’s class-leading Ensō685 carbon fat bike rim (class leading in terms of low weight and a very high price tag).
The company is adding an extra wide carbon 29er rim to its product line, designed specifically for the small but growing number of 29+ mountain bikes — a category that can use all the help it can get when it comes to reducing rotating mass. The Ensō 950 rim is designed by Kuroshiro and manufactured by European composite specialist Alchemist.
The Ensō 950 rim has a claimed weight of just 395g
The Ensō 950 rim is 50mm wide and features a raised spine, called "SP-line" that crosses back and forth across the exterior of the rim, connecting the spoke holes. The rim uses a single-walled design with the exception of the alternating spoke channel, which uses a box section constructed around a polymer mold that helps to make the rim airtight without the need for tubeless tape, furthering weight savings.
Complete wheels equipped with Sapim Superspokes and American Classic 130 and 225 hubs will be available by the end of July. The company claims that a complete 29+ wheelset built with the Ensō 950 rims can be as light as 1,560g. This would result in a weight savings of a staggering 5.64lb / 2.56kg over a stock Surly Krampus wheelset. (This calculation includes weight savings made by going tubeless.)
The green polymer insert is said to bolster stiffness and aid in tubeless set-up
Like the Ensō685 rims fat bike rim, this weight savings will come with a premium price tag. The suggested retail price of the Ensō 950 is €849 (per rim). (Other pricing TBA.)
For more information visit www.raceware.com.
