Industry Nine has been rolling their own alloy rim designs for years, but when it came to carbon, they were sharing designs and molds with others. Now, that’s all changed with the introduction of new i9 Carbon Disc Brake road wheels. Available in three depths, the aero profiles are designed to be fast, stable and comfortable while rolling smooth on their road Torch hubs.
Designed primarily for road, the emphasis is on speed and comfort by using an aerodynamic profile with a wide shape made for today’s wider tires. The rims’ rounded shapes also add vertical compliance, which when paired with their low 24 spoke count, all adds up to a comfortable wheelset that should also be very quick.
Industry Nine says the wheels offer a best in class “aero to weight” ratio, and they do come in rather light. Which means they’ll spool up quickly, but once up to speed, it’s the aerodynamics that take over to provide continued speed…and stability. The profile was wind tunnel tested against the Zipp 303 and 404 wheelsets and compared quite similarly for both axial drag and side forces.
By smoothing the airflow off the trailing edge, i9 has reduced stalling and turbulence, all of which can cause loss of control (admittedly in extreme situations, more likely just making things feel wobbly in gusts) and increased drag. So, like most other modern aero wheels, their new designs keep them rolling smooth, fast and in control.
i9 says these are capable of pulling gravel bike duty, too, but the emphasis on aerodynamics means they’re happy to let their existing AR25 and PillarCarbon ULCX wheels handle the off-road road riding and keep these on the pavement.
i9 Carbon Road Wheel Specs
The three rims come in numeral naming describing the depths. Internal widths are 21mm on all three, but the external widths vary on the sides based on depth to provide an overall consistent shape once the tire is installed. This helps create an equally smooth exit flow on the back half of the wheel when it’s on the bike.
All of them are tubeless ready and will ship with tubeless rim tape and valve stems installed, just like all their wheels.
The shallowest of the three is the i9 35. Specs are:
- Wheelset weight: 1,355g
- Rim weight: 380g
- 240lb/100kg suggested rider weight limit
- $2,300 MSRP
- Available now
The middle depth is the i9 45. Specs are:
- Wheelset weight: 1495g
- Rim weight: 440g
- 250lb/114kg suggested rider weight limit
- $2,350 MSRP
- Available now
The deepest is the i9 65. Specs are:
- Wheelset weight: 1555g
- Rim weight: 485g
- 250lb/114kg suggested rider weight limit
- $2,400 MSRP
- Available February 2018
Recommended tire sizes range from 23mm up to 40mm, with max tire pressures dependent on width:
- 23mm – 105psi
- 25mm-95psi
- 28mm-85psi
- 32mm-70psi
- 35-40mm-50psi
Like their other wheels, you’ll have the choice of any of their hub colors. They’ve also partnered with STKRD to create custom decals, letting you mix and match colors across the wheelset. And because they’re all built to order, you can even mix wheel depths front to rear.
