Forge+Bond has released dedicated XC and All-Mountain wheelsets, with lightweight rims made from a Nylon-reinforced carbon fiber developed by parent company, CSS Composites. Available in 29″ only, the 25 XC and 30 AM wheels expand the Forge+Bond wheel range across off-road disciplines, with only DH and Freeride left unaccounted for.
With an Industry Nine 1/1 hubset, the F+B 25 XC Wheelset weighs a claimed 1,560 grams. With the same hubset, the F+B 30 AM Wheelset weighs a claimed 1,816 grams.
Forge+Bond XC & All-Mountain Carbon Wheelsets
Made in Gunnison, Utah, all Forge+Bond rims are manufactured via a rather uncommon process that eliminates the need for toxic epoxy resins. The 25 XC and 30 AM wheels announced today, just like the EM 30 and GR 30 wheels announced in April, run FusionFiber rims that are manufactured in an energy-efficient way that is almost entirely free of waste. And, the end-product is recyclable – not endlessly so, but it can be chopped up and reformed into smaller products such as tire levers.
Key to the production of FusionFiber is long-chain Nylon polymers that carry out the bonding role that would otherwise be taken care of by epoxy. After curing, the rims do not require sanding and filling, a process that produces a harmful carbon dust.
Guerrilla Gravity take a similar approach to the production of their Revved carbon frames, and Revel Wheels use a similar manufacturing method to produce their FusionFiber wheels, too. Indeed, it’s no real industry-first, but it’s great to see more efforts toward a more sustainable approach to carbon wheel manufacturing. Forge+Bond take a huge amount of pride in this less wasteful, more environmentally-friendly way of producing high-performance carbon rims. And, with the sale of every wheelset, Forge+Bond will donate $100 USD to the NICA programme of the customer’s choice.
What about the performance? Well, on top of the sustainability story, Forge+Bond claim their FusionFiber carbon material also provides over 50% more vibration damping over resin-based carbon. They even go so far to say their rims have such great compliance characteristics that they deliver the damping and control offered by most tire inserts, without the weight penatly.
You can read a little more about the Forge+Bond process here. For now, here’s the need-to-knows on these fresh FusionFiber hoops for XC and All-Mountain.
Forge+Bond 25 XC – Starting at $1,899 USD
- Intention: XC Racing
- Internal Rim Width: 25mm
- External Rim Width: 31.4mm
- Bead Wall Width: 3.2mm
- Rim Depth: 25mm
- ERD: 592mm
- Spoke Count: 28 Sapim CX Ray
- Claimed Weight: 380g (rim)
The Industry Nine 1/1 hubset-equipped F+B 25 XC weighs a claimed 1,560 grams. There is also a $2,199 USD Industry Nine Hydra version (6-bolt or CL), with a claimed weight of 1,515g, and launching this Fall is a DT240 set (CL-only) weighing a claimed 1,455g – that one will also set you back $1,899 USD.
Forge+Bond 30 AM – Starting at $1,899 USD
- Intention: All-Mountain Trail Riding
- Internal Rim Width: 30mm
- External Rim Width: 38mm
- Bead Wall Width: 4mm
- Rim Depth: 30mm
- ERD: 592mm
- Spoke Count: 28 Sapim CX Ray
- Claimed Rim Weights: 480g (front), 560g (rear)
The F+B 30 AM Wheelset with the Indsutry Nine 1/1 hubset retails at $1,899 USD, and weighs a claimed 1,816 grams. A lighter, i9 Hydra equipped set weighs a claimed 1,760g – it will set you back $2,199 USD. An equivalently priced DT240 set is the lightest of the bunch, weighing a claimed 1,702g.
There is no rim only option, for now. All Forge+Bond wheelsets are sold with a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, and their “Return to Fun” warranty covers all ride related breakage within intended use. They ask customers to ship the broken wheel back to their HQ in Utah where it is rebuilt. They then reclaim the FusionFiber material from the cracked rim to make new new products from it, like tire levers.
