These top-drawer carbon wheels are World Cup racer Bernard Kerr’s signature edition. The rims are built tough, with a 29mm-deep section and hookless sidewalls.
An asymmetric profile allows more even spoke tension, creating a stronger, stiffer build. Internally, the rims measure 28mm across, giving a good shape to most DH tyres.
I’ve found some carbon wheels to be harsh and unforgiving, but Reynolds have found a good balance of comfort and stiffness. The Blacklabels are compliant enough to hold a line, but don’t feel too vague or flex excessively under hard cornering.
There’s minimal drag from the freehub and power uptake is rapid, thanks to its 120 points of engagement
Sapim CX-Sprint spokes are used to lace the rims to 32-hole Industry Nine hubs. Even after a race weekend and plenty of days’ testing, I had no need to reach for the spoke key, but tensioning should be painless, thanks to the J-bend spokes and external nipples.
The Industry Nine hubs should be equally easy to service, because they use sealed bearings and press-in end caps. There’s minimal drag from the freehub and power uptake is rapid, thanks to its 120 points of engagement.
My complete 650b wheelset (no 29er option yet) weighed 1,948g, including tubeless tape and valves. This makes them marginally lighter than a set of ENVE M930s and gives a fast-rolling feel with good acceleration.
