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EB14: e*thirteen Lightens Wheels, Improves Chainguides, Introduces Tire Sealant, more

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e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (1)
While many companies have a few new products for trade show season, but in the case of e*thirteen almost everything in the booth has at least changed. From chain guides to wheels, to completely new products like their tubeless sealant, e*thirteen is bringing the goods. After integrating the Hive hubs into their wheels, the product story has always been about placing the mass where it matters the most which is usually around the hub. In order to demonstrate their wheel design, the company had a pretty interesting display which you can see in action after the break…

e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (18)

e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (17) e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (2)

On the wheel side, the biggest change is new LEX machining to the rims. By removing material where it isn’t needed (like the spoke holes on the lower tension side) e*thirteen was able to remove about 20g per rim while keeping the same strength. The newly machined rims will be found on the Lg1 for DH use, and the Trsr for trail and enduro. The Trsr wheels are available in all three sizes with 15/20mm and 135/142×12 axle compatibility, but the Lg1 is 26 and 27.5″ and 20mm 150/157mm only. Both wheels feature at 23.4mm wide rim channel.

IMG_9127 IMG_9159

Click on the photo to enlarge for weights.

e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (16)

The hubs continue with their 60 points of internal engagement, a carbon shell, and one of our favorites – steel inserts in the aluminum cassette body to keep the cassette cogs from digging. Wheels are shipped with Shimano and XD freehub bodies in the box, pre-taped for tubless, and include extra spokes.

Above is the display that got everyone talking. The two wheels weigh exactly the same, but one has the weight centered around the hub and the other has the weight towards what would be the rim. As you can see the wheel with the weight towards the center accelerates faster than the other which e*thirteen uses to show that it’s more important to save weight at the rim rather than the hub.

e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (10)

e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (11)

One of the products we didn’t expect to see on e*thirteen’s shelves was a new tire sealant. The space age sealant uses oxyplatelets that go to the source of the leak and begin to plug the hole by sticking their hands into the cuts. Ok, oxyplatelets might not be little creatures plugging holes, but it is a non-toxic coagulating sealant. In development for 2 years, it is based on an acrylic binder with particulate matter to seal up to 4mm cuts.

e*thirteen will also be offering their own tubeless kits that use the same nylon based tape as their wheels. The kits will include their new super light aluminum tubeless valve which has been designed to be more robust than standard offering. Designed with a bigger diameter, the valves will still fit standard wheels and pumps. Sealant will be available in 250ml bottles for 2 tires, or 1000ml bottles for 8.

e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (13) e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (15)

e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (14) e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (9)

e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (4) e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (8)

Chainguides have always been e*thirteen’s bread and butter, and the new crop are some of the best yet. The Plus level guide has been reworked with technology trickling down to the Race and Base level next year. Designed to be more modular, the guides have a removable lower roller and have different direct mount bash guards for 30, 34, and 38t rings. The honeycomb pattern you see on the back of the guides makes it so that under harsh impact the guide will deflect away from your crank, hopefully saving the pricey bits.

Other improvements include tool-free openings on the upper guides, more rotation adjustments, a new PC formula that isn’t prone to solvent contamination, and quieter performance thanks to a co-molded upper guide with shore 80 rubber inserts and a smaller profile rear roller. Guides will be available in black or grey.

Many of the changes have also made their way to the top guide and High Direct/seat tube guide.

e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (5)

e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (7) e13 trs new chain guides tubeless sealant bottom brackets wheels (6)

Fans of the e*thirteen cranks will also be happy to see the updates which should make them more durable in the long run. In addition to simple things like adding clear protective skins on the crank arms, the polygon shape has been updated with a new 1 degree taper instead of the original 3. The change results in more surface area for 18% increase in strength while being easier to install and remove and no additional weight.

The press fit bottom brackets have been updated with post machining around the bores for better tolerance and threaded sleeves for all models. A new external shield will help the bearings spin freely in the worst conditions and the APS adjuster will now only rotate one direction making installation easier.
bythehive.com

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Ploutre
Ploutre
9 years ago

Have they fixed the hubs that suddenly decide to turn into a Fixie hub? or coaster hub ? There has been loads of people with such issues…

Jon MacKinnon
9 years ago

I was under the impression Mavic had some kind of patent on the machining between spokes to save weight. I remember Echo (trials manufacturer) getting into trouble for doing something similar a few years ago.

JNH
JNH
9 years ago

Who did the graphics on those wheels?! The old E-thirteen rim decals were some of the most gorgeous in the business, they looked great on any bike and they were distinctive, no mistaking them for anything else. Those not only look cheap but from a distance they could be anything, Sun rims, low end Crossmax, talk about blending into the crowd.

Collin S
Collin S
9 years ago

They need to start offering these valve stems in Steel or brass. I’ve never had an issue with the current stan’s or standard tube valves, but I’ve sheered off two aluminum valve stems. Typically one time it was when a CO2 inflator froze to the stem and when I went to take it off, snapped right off. I like how these and the American Classic ones are a flutted bottom with an O-ring to do the sealing as typically the rubber coated bottom of the stans valves are their weak spots. If only they combined that design with a better material.

Jack S
Jack S
9 years ago

Why don’t they then have those two wheels roll onto an inclined section so we can watch the wheel with the weight on the outside catch up?

Tom
Tom
9 years ago

@Jon, I think you’re right. I know Bontrager/Rolf got into trouble for that on road bikes, but it was a LONG time ago, so maybe any patents have expired.

Kark
Kark
9 years ago

Jack, likely because it would detract from the point being made about the relative ability of two different “wheels” to accelerate.

Colin
Colin
9 years ago

That little demo video got be thinking about wheel sizes… What if there was a wheel size that brought the mass closer in to the hub, it would have less overall mass and it would be closer to the hub. And what that wheel size had a nominal outside of… say… 26inches. Hmm that would be cool.

Dean
Dean
9 years ago

I have an older chub hub that simply never rolled very well. I was told there was a break in, but it kept getting slower and slower. The LBS installed new bearings, and they didn’t last long. The rep even came by the shop and said there was nothing to be done, the hub was just crunchy. Strange they couldn’t make a front hub that functioned.

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