You may not have heard of Mach-1 rims before, which really isn’t surprising considering the fact that they are better known in the industry for creating the actual machines that physically build rims and complete wheels. So as a company that manufactures the machines to make wheels and rims, it doesn’t come as a surprise that they would actually know how to build some decent rims and in turn sell them on the side.
In fact, Mach-1 has a complete line of road, MTB, and hybrid rims, along with their own spokes, nipples, and accessories. While most of Mach-1’s rim sales are currently in Europe, Mach-1 products are slowly appearing in the US with importers looking for quality rim options for inexpensive replacement wheels, such as J&B, using some of Mach-1’s less expensive rims.
The newest additions to Mach-1’s MTB wheel line up are the X-Lite disc and the Neo disc, which are both 26 inch, disc brake only rims.
How light is the X-Lite? Why is Mach-1 so proud of their stickers? Find out after the break!
To create the strongest rim possible, Mach-1 is manufacturing both the X-Lite and the Neo disc out of a special 6063T6 heat treated alloy, that is then black anodized to a claimed 15 microns thickness.
But what about those stickers? According to Mach-1 “The large sticker graphic found on the model sums up the high value of the wheel, complementing the whole actual frame design. This sticker is automatically applied through the use of advance technology that needs no operators to perform such task.”
Basically they have created a new machine to expertly apply large stickers and decals to large portions of the rim at once, which they seem to be quite proud of.
When it comes to weight, the Mach-1 rims are respectably light with the X-Lite coming in a 410 grams, including eyelets, and the Neo tipping the scales at a slightly heavier 450 grams. While the X-Lite is considered a XC rim with an internal width of 17 mm, the Neo is categorized as AM with a slightly wider 19mm internal width.
While there are no current registered distributors in the US, if the rims live up to their promise of quality and value, it will only be a matter of time before more start appearing around the US.
