Aero or gravel? Industry Nine says yes

Aero or gravel? Industry Nine says yes

i9.35 Disc wheels seem a fine-tuned approach to drag and engagement

Thomas McDaniel / Immediate Media

Published: May 17, 2018 at 4:00 pm

The Industry Nine i9.35 wheelset brings a slightly new use of the word ‘drag’ to the brand’s vocabulary. Usually the North Carolina company discusses drag in terms of freehubs, seals and bearing precision, but now it's talking about drag in terms of aerodynamics.

While Industry Nine's reputation needs no backing in the mountain bike world, the brand is new to the road market. Here is a look at what i9 has to offer to a 700c set.

Industry Nine i9.35 Disc Wheelset specifications

  • Rim width: 21mm (I) / 29mm (O)
  • Rim: Reynolds-developed, disc-specific, tubeless ready
  • Spokes: Sapim CX-Ray
  • Spoke count: 24 (F) / 24 (R)
  • Lacing: 2:1 – radial non-drive (F) / 2:1 – radial drive (R)
  • Hub: Industry Nine Torch Classic
  • Hub dimensions: QR 100mm, 9x100mm, 12x100mm, 15x100mm (F) / QR 135mm, 10x135mm, 12x135mm, 12x142mm (R)
  • Driver: Shimano / SRAM HG / Campy 11-speed / SRAM XD-R
  • Engagement: 6-degree engagement, 3-pawl, dual-tooth freehub, 60-point drive ring
  • Tire width: 23–40mm
  • Rotor compatibility: Centerlock or 6-bolt
  • Rider weight max: 240lbs / 108kg
  • Weight: 1,394g
  • Price: £1,800 / $2,300
The new rims were designed and engineered by Reynolds using its CFD aerodynamics package and knoweldge, but all designs are exclusive to Industry Nine and are handbuilt in its North Carolina factory - Thomas McDaniel / Immediate Media

Industry Nine i9.35 Disc Wheelset details

Despite the excitement of new rims, i9 continues to focus on what the company knows best: precision machining, high-quality bearings and a balanced approach to freehub drag and engagement.

Industry Nine also made this 35mm deep, 28mm (21mm internal) wide carbon wheelset come in at 1,394g. Industry Nine likes race-light wheels, but only so much as they can be daily drivers too.

The 9.35 Disc tubeless rim strip appears to be a shrink-wrap style nylon barrier - Thomas McDaniel / Immediate Media

The weight of the wheelset highlights one of my favorite things about Industry Nine: its marketing claims match reality.

Authentic marketing is rare in the aero world and fortunately Industry Nine isn't making crazy claims about how many seconds you’ll save on your next 40km TT (which is just short of complete nonsense). Instead it compares within its family of wheel options, which also include new 45 and 55mm deep offerings.

New 35mm Clement X'Plor USH tires settled at 36mm overnight — it seems road tires will experience the biggest difference in label vs true measurement - Thomas McDaniel / Immediate Media

In short, Industry Nine is committed to high-performance race equipment that also make great everyday wheels. The new 9.35 Disc wheelset is for riders that explore road, gravel and cyclocross terrain and want the reliable engagement and roll performance upon which the company’s reputation rests.

Industry Nine i9.35, 9.45, and 9.55 wheelsets are currently available from dealers globally. As usual you can get just about any color hub, nipple and tubeless valve through its Ano Lab (with an upgrade fee of $125).

We’ll be putting the i9.35 wheels through their paces on road, dirt and gravel over the next few months so be on the lookout for the full review.

Industry Nine claimed these measured 1,395g. Our scale said 1,394g - Thomas McDaniel / Immediate Media