Teravail has done something few dedicated tyre brands have done before – designed a rim for its tyres.
While the likes of Mavic, ENVE, Zipp and Giant/Cadex have all developed tyres to work optimally with their wheelsets, the US-based tyre brand has subverted that growing trend.
The Circos carbon gravel rim features a shallow hookless design with a 25mm-wide internal channel, and is available in both 24- and 28-spoke options.
The profile is designed to match to the brand’s new Updraft gravel race tyre – claimed to be its “fastest gravel tyre ever” – alongside the existing Washburn, Cannonball, Sparwood and Rutland tyres.
Circos rims (front or rear) will cost $495 / CA$720 each, and the Updraft tyre $75-80 / CA$110-115.
Subverting the wheel-tyre system norm
While not every wheel brand takes the route of designing tyres to match its rims, it’s far rarer to see a tyre brand develop a rim to match its tyres.
In recent memory, Vittoria produced the Qurano range of wheels to accompany its road tyre offerings, but this has since been retired.
For many, the upturn in approach might be welcome – tyres are generally considered to be the most important part of customising a gravel bike setup, so being able to choose a rim optimally suited to this choice may well be favourable over buying a relatively expensive rim or wheelset and then fitting a favoured tyre.
The potential upsides for a combined wheel-tyre system are easier fitting, safer retention, improved aerodynamics and optimised tyre profiling (which in turn can boost grip).
Teravail says the Circos carbon rim is designed to deliver the “best possible connection to [the rider’s] terrain”, while offering customisability to suit their demands.
Aside from the hookless 25mm-wide internal channel, Teravail says the front and rear rims have specific profiles and benefit from specific spoke-hole drilling techniques to balance pedalling and impact forces. That said, they both have a claimed weight of 370g.
The rims can be laced to a DT Swiss 350 hubset with DT Swiss Competition J-bend spokes via Pro-Lock brass nipples by the brand to create a full wheelset, or supplied as a rim to achieve a custom build.
As mentioned, they are available in 24 and 28 spoke-hole options, and can be specified with a Shimano HG11 or SRAM XDR freehub body.
Teravail says both front and rear rims cost $495 / CA$720 apiece, with complete wheelset prices dependent on spec choices.
The rims are said to be tested to Teravail’s in-house standards (which are claimed to exceed ISO 4210 regulation tests) and are covered by the brand’s lifetime warranty. Complete and custom wheels are hand-built at its Minnesota warehouse.
New Updraft tyre
Teravail has also launched the Updraft, which it claims is its “fastest gravel tyre ever”.
Described as offering responsive acceleration, the brand says the central portion of the tyre has a file tread to promote low rolling resistance, without sacrificing longevity or grip.
The shoulders have pronounced lugs for grip on loose corners, and it uses the brand’s simply-named ‘Fast’ compound. This is employed on all four of its other gravel tyres.
The casing uses a 120 TPI (threads-per-inch) material, which it claims offers a “compliant ride with minimal weight”. This can be had in two forms – ‘Light & Supple’ and ‘Durable’, whereby the latter is fortified and spreads over the shoulders for greater puncture protection at the cost of a small amount of weight and rolling resistance.
Naturally, the tyre is tubeless-compatible and designed for use with hookless rims (albeit, it can be run with a hooked rim).
Teravail says the tyre is available in 700x35, 40, 45 and 50c widths with either casing, weighing from 395g. It is also available with black or tan sidewalls.
The Updraft is set to cost $75 / CA$110 in the Light and Supple casing options, while the Durable-casing version is $5 extra in both countries.
UK and European pricing is still to be confirmed for the Circos rim and Updraft tyre.
