Following up faster engaging hubs last spring, now Boyd Cycling’s top Ridgeline all-rounder carbon mountain bike wheels get a wide-ranging update for the new year. Building on what they call Enduro strength & XC lightweight, the carbon Ridgelines get 15% wider to support modern wide trail tires without really impacting their overall weight. Beyond the rim, the Tripel hubs bring more build options like a MicroSpline freehub & SuperBoost spacing, plus a more stealthy look…
Boyd Ridgeline Carbon wide tubeless mountain bike wheels
Boyd’s do-it-all carbon mountain bike wheels get a big update for 2020, boosting their all-around capabilities, and now stealthier mostly black decals. Their big update is a new asymmetric & wider hookless tubeless carbon rim, now 4mm wider inside to 30mm internal. Developed to support the trend of wider tires across all disciplines for improved grip & control, the new carbon Ridgelines are now ready for 2.3″-2.7″ tires, both in 27.5 & 29er versions.
That covers a pretty wide spectrum, which fits with Boyd’s durability claims for the wheels of light enough wheelset weights for cross-country riding but strength & durability up for enduro racing. In fact, namesake engineer of the company Boyd Johnson says their downhill team was racing DH with them all last season, “Even under some of the craziest riders I know, the wheels have not only held up, but outperformed our highest expectations.”
The 30mm internal rims get wide 3mm beads and a reinforced layup to resist impact damage, plus a deep & wide center channel with a shoulder lip to lock in an easy tubeless seal. The wider 26mm deep x 36mm external Ridgeline carbon rim also gets a new 3mm spoke offset for a more balanced wheel build. The new carbon rims are said to weigh just 440g a piece for 27.5″ & 475g for 29″ versions. (That’s actually a claimed 10g lighter for 27.5 than the old narrower carbon rim & just 5g more than the previous 29er.)
The new carbon wheels are laced with 2X 28 front/3X 32 rear Pillar Wing 21 bladed spokes & brass nipples to Boyd’s latest Tripel MTB hubs. Boyd calls those hubs their “crowning jewel.
The 6061 alloy forged & machined Tripel hubs get six simultaneous engaging pawls with 3 teeth each that lock in fast to the 102-tooth drive ring for super-fast 3.5° engagement. The speedy centerlock disc hubs are now available in standard, Boost & SuperBoost spacing, plus a new MicroSpline freehub body added to Shimano HG & SRAM XD driver options. That new MicroSpline is also available separately for anyone needing to upgrade earlier Tripel wheels, tool-free.
2020 Ridgeline – Pricing & availability
The new 2020 Boyd Ridgeline carbon wheels are available now online and in the US through independent bike shops from $1650 for the pair ($775 front, $875 rear) in 27.5″ & 29″ versions sharing the same rim profile. The most common Boost spaced Ridgeline 27.5 wheelsets weigh in at a claimed 1755g (790g front, 965g rear) or for a Ridgeline 29er wheelset at 1825g (825g front, 1000g rear). The new wheels also now include a much higher degree of after sales support – now carrying a lifetime warranty & lifetime crash replacement program for their original owners.
