Debuted earlier this summer with the consumer-direct, but not assembled OB1 gravel bike, Thesis is back now separately offering the wide tubeless carbon 650B & 700C wheels spec’ed on the OB1. And they are something else too. Infused with Graphene nanotech, Thesis says it increases wheel impact strength by 20% without adding weight. And built with DT hubs & Pillar aero spokes they’ll cost you less than a grand…
Thesis carbon + graphene 650B & 700C gravel road wheels
Developed for their own gravel bike, Thesis figured a lot of other riders would appreciate getting their hands on a set of light & durable $999 carbon wheels. With many gravel bikes these days fitting 650B & 700C wheels, it’s nice to have a spare wheelset to quickly change the character of your bike from fast, comfortable road cruising, to full-on gravel grinding. No need to even worry about tire swaps, or messing with tubeless sealant.
Thesis’ new wheels also some of the first to incorporate Graphene nanofibers into the resin that binds their carbon fibers, surprisingly at an affordable price point. This is said to double the resin’s bond strength, leading to the 20% increased impact strength claim.
Both wheelsets are handbuilt with their wide tubeless carbon rims to DT Swiss 350 centerlock hubs, 2x with 28 j-bend Pillar PSR X-tra bladed aero stainless spokes, and brass nipples. All rims feature offset, angled spoke drilling and reinforced nipple beds for strength & longterm durability.
Thesis Ultra-Wide Carbon 650B gravel bike wheels
Developed for the gravel grinding and bikepacking personality of their OB1 bike, the Ultra-Wide 650B wheels promise mountain bike ready strength at just 1460g. The 650B wheels use a wide 27.3mm internal rim and a hookless tubeless bead to offer reliable support for 45+mm tires, even down to MTB low tire pressures and for singletrack trail riding.
The graphene-infused carbon rims are 33mm wide external and 24.5mm deep, constructed of a mix of Toray T700 & T800 carbon fibers. Air up some fat tires to take on adventure riding with max traction, comfort & control.
Thesis Aero Wide Carbon 700B road & gravel wheels
Destined for more of a mix of paved road, dirt road & adventure touring, the Aero-Wide 700C wheels offer a bit more top-end speed in a blunt-nosed, 44mm deep aerodynamic profile. The 700C wheelset also gets a wide tubeless-ready carbon rim, here 22mm wide internal / 30mm outside with a thin bead hook for aero performance with 28-30mm slicks (max 90psi), while still giving good support to up to 45mm tires for dirt & gravel. Complete 700C wheelsets run 1590g and are happy both on and off-road.
“We built these wheels to be some of the best out there,” says Theis founder Randall Jacobs. “These aren’t disposable weight-weenie wheels. We applied the same obsessive, evidence-driven approach to spec that we used throughout the OB1 bike to create some of the highest performing, longest lasting, and most versatile wheels in the industry. And with our factory-direct model, we’re able to deliver them to our riders at a fraction of the traditional price.”
Both new carbon Thesis gravel bike wheelsets retail for $999 a set, and are available for pre-order direct from their website. Thesis says the wheels will ship out to customers in October 2018 – about the same time as the first pre-orders of their gravel bike.
