While Bike Ahead is mostly known for 6-spoke monocoque wheels, their Three Zero line-up delivers 3 types of lightweight & strong, but conventionally-built carbon mountain bike wheels, at much more attainable prices. And now, in addition to the two light XC versions, Bike Ahead adds a tough new EN enduro version with the same Safe-Wing carbon rim design.
Bike Ahead Three Zero EN MTB wheels go enduro & SL
Bike Ahead’s lightweight Three Zero wheel lines get its name from the 30mm internal width of their German-made tubeless carbon mountain bike rim. It started a couple of years ago with XC wheels. But now Bike Ahead add tougher EN wheels to handle heavier bikes and more trail abuse, plus even lighter SL wheels for cross-country weight weenies to shed even more grams.
The core of the Bike Ahead’s Three Zero range is the unique (and patented) Safe-Wing rim design. It features a relatively straight & tall hookless interface where it contacts the tire bead, with small radius curves to lock onto the tire offering a secure fit and good support so you can get the most grip out of your tire with confidence, even at extremely low pressures. But on the outside of the rim, a much larger radius means a more rounded profile so pinch flats and sidewall cuts are much less likely when you hit a sharp-edged obstacle.
Tech details
- one-piece, 3mm offset asymmetric hookless tubeless carbon MTB rims
- carbon rims handmade in Veitshöchheim, Germany
- 30mm inner rim width
- shallow 20mm depth
- patented Safe-Wing design with large outer radius for max puncture resistance
- 3K outer bead reinforcement to limit rock strike damage on the EN wheels only
- molded in nipple seats (not drilled)
- 29er and 28-spoke only
- 105kg max rider+gear weight
- all handbuilt in Germany with straight-pull DT Swiss Aerolite spokes and 6-bolt 240 EXP or 180 EXP hubs
- 1580g for the Three Zero EN enduro & all-mountain wheelset
- 478g carbon enduro rim (available separately only to professional wheelbuilders)
- 1380g for the Three Zero XC cross-country, marathon, downcountry & trail wheelset
- 1335g for the Three Zero SL cross-country to trail race wheelset
- 378g carbon cross-country rim, now 40g lighter than the previous generation (available separately only to professional wheelbuilders)
Bike Ahead Three Zero MTB wheels – Pricing, options & availability
Three versions of the Bike Ahead Three Zero mountain bike wheels are available. The Bike Ahead Three Zero EN & XC wheels both sell for the same 1900€ price tag, with DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs. And for the gram-counters, the SL wheels get upgraded to DT 180 EXP hubs with SINC ceramic bearings to get even lighter.
Bike Ahead offers a 2-year warranty on the wheels, plus a discounted 3-year crash replacement program, as well. Or if you buy the wheels directly from Bike-Ahead.com, they extend the warranty to 3 years, and crash replacement to 5 years from the date of purchase.
All mountain bike wheels include tubeless tape and tubeless valves, and the choice of Shimano MicroSpline or SRAM XD freehub bodies.
