WTB has today announced that its CZR gravel rims are now available to buy as a complete wheelset, combining all the benefits of carbon construction with WTB Frequency hubs.
WTB debuted the CZR rims last year, and they are now being built into a factory wheelset, using a choice selection of spokes and the brand’s own hub. The new wheels will fill the best gravel bike wheel slot in WTB's range, sitting above WTB's recently released Proterra range, and targets gravel riders who want to roll lighter and retain the strength of a composite structure.
The CZR i23 is available in either 24- or 28h spoke counts, with a choice of centerlock or six-bolt disc brake rotor mounts, and use the 12mm axle standard front and back. For those that use 15mm, the hubs are convertible with separately purchased end cap adapters
With a 23mm internal rim diameter, these WTB gravel wheels have adequate structure to seat the best gravel bike tires, up to 700x45c in size, with ease.
Aero spokes and tough hubs
WTB has opted to offer the new CZR i23 wheelsets built with Pillar Wing Spokes, designed to offer a blend of strength and aerodynamic properties.
These spokes are laced to WTB Frequency hubs, with a mechanical design that sees a six-pawl freehub, engaging with a dual-phase calibration. That means two phases of three pawls will engage at any one time. WTB claims an engagement ratio of five degrees, and perhaps most importantly, some very adequate weather and contaminant sealing.
After extensive testing on soaked Pacific North-western forest roads and powdery Californian conditions, WTB believes it has found an ideal seal kit for the Frequency hubs, capable of delivering excellent durability for high-mileage off-road riders.
Taking the frustration out of tubeless tire setup is WTB’s nylon rim strip technology, called Solid Strip. This avoids the spoke impingement that might puncture your rim tape, especially if you roll through a severe terrain impact and pop a spoke.
WTB covers all its CZR branded products with its Ride With Confidence Guarantee, which means if you are the original owner, WTB will replace your CZR carbon rim for free. As a bonus, if you buy the CZR rim as a pre-built wheel, WTB offers a free wheel rebuild including new spokes (albeit double-butted J-bend spokes, not the aerodynamic Pillar Wing Spokes), nipples and tubeless tape. If your rim is damaged in a non-riding situation, WTB offers replacement rims at a 50 per cent discount.
The 24h centerlock front wheel is WTB’s lightest CZR i23 build, at a claimed 620g, and you can match that with a 775g rear wheel of a similar spoke and brake configuration, with Shimano’s HG 11-speed driver.
WTB is pricing its CZR i23 builds at $749.95 for the front and $849.95 for the rear.
