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ENVE Composites Debuts 27.5 (650B) Rims, New Graphics

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ENVE composites new 650B or 27-5 inch mountain bike rims and wheels

ENVE Composites is giving the about-to-explode 650B market a high end option right out of the gate.

Their new 27.5″ rims will come in their standard offerings of 28 and 32 hole drillings in XC and AM models. Claimed weights are 360g (XC) and 410g (AM), which is just a bit lighter than halfway between the 26″ and 29er weights.

They’ll be available on their own or built up to DT Swiss or Chris King hubs. Pricing is the same as their 26″ 29er product, which start at $2,500 for a wheelset with DT 240s and $899 per rim.

They’re pictured on a standard 26″ Santa Cruz Blur TRc above, and clearance is tight with some fat Schwalbe tires. Perhaps this is a taste of things to come, perhaps not, SC is being pretty mum on the subject. Less mum is Scott Bikes, and ENVE Is following their naming protocol and going with 27.5. Metric system and most of the world be damned.

ENVE composites new 650B or 27-5 inch mountain bike rims and wheels

Notice the marking on that Schwalbe? Not on their website yet. Notice the graphics on the rim?

On a side note, ENVE is stepping up their OEM component and wheel placements with Cannondale, too. Look for more matte black carbon parts from the UT manufacturer on Cannondale’s high end models in the next model year. Could these new 27.5 wheels be part of that spec? Hmmmm…..

ENVE composites new 650B or 27-5 inch mountain bike rims and wheels

All mountain bike rims will get the new graphic treatments found on their DH rims. Gone is the mountainscape, the logo now wraps around the rim.

The new look gives them a more cohesive graphical appearance with the rest of their components.

ENVE composites new 650B or 27-5 inch mountain bike rims and wheels

It’s sort of visible in its entirety from the top.

ENVE composites new 650B or 27-5 inch mountain bike rims and wheels

Back to 27.5 – clearance on founder Jason Schiers’ bike is tight.

ENVE composites new 650B or 27-5 inch mountain bike rims and wheels

ENVE composites new 650B or 27-5 inch mountain bike rims and wheels

ENVE’s custom color program is coming online sometime soon, and this metallic orange is just one option.

New ENVE road skewers

Their road skewers also get freshened up with a new laser etched logo that’s super sharp.

If you’re headed to Sea Otter Classic next week, all of these goodies will be on display.

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reformed roadie
reformed roadie
11 years ago

The bigger news is the 650b Nobby Nic…

Sevo
11 years ago

That’s Jason’s personal bike…he’s had it for awhile. I wouldn’t read too much into it fitting 650bs

me thats who
me thats who
11 years ago

27.5 is metric? you guys make me giggle

Naton
Naton
11 years ago

Yeah, I had a chuckle at inches being the new metric. Perhaps “going with the 27.5″ nominal measurement in line with the current 26″ and 29″ naming conventions” would be a more accurate sentence. You could still throw the word ‘metric’ in there randomly if you really want to.

Brendan
Brendan
11 years ago

It’s two sentences. Read like a telegram:
ENVE Is following their naming protocol and going with 27.5 STOP Metric system and most of the world be damned STOP

breadandbits
breadandbits
11 years ago

650B is not a metric designation; it might have been, at one point, but there is no meaningful measurement on a 650B wheel that is 650 anything-standardized. just like there is no measurement on a 700C wheel that is 700 anything-standardized.

::sigh:: why do I bother? this site isn’t the only one – but why is bicycle technology writing so grossly ill informed, and willing to editorialize on its own ignorance?

dimples
dimples
11 years ago

What Brendan said. Don’t be so quick to judge, lest you look like a fool.

Le Piou
Le Piou
11 years ago

SOLD!!!!!!!

greg
greg
11 years ago

graphics are much improved.

DeeEight
DeeEight
11 years ago

650B, 700C, its all just tire/rim industry codes that refer to a chart on which you’ll find tire bead seat diameters. Most of the 650B developers pushing this for mtb’s refer to them as just that, 650B. As to the bike… squeezing the tires into frames is nothing new for conversions but I hope he remembered to put a travel limiter onto the compression rod of that Fox fork. They only rate the 32mm 26″ lower models for 27″ diameter maximum tires, and I personally have buzzed a fox lower crown with a Neo-Moto 2.35 (which is only a couple mm taller than that racing ralph) with a full bottom-out of an un-modified fox fork.

Jordan Hukee
Jordan Hukee
11 years ago

This “debate” about naming is false. 650b diameter at 584 is much closer to 26″ (559) than 29″ (622). Sad to say but that’s probably why some are pushing the inaccurate 27.5″ to imply it’s right in the middle when in fact it’s closer to 27″. Maybe we should call it “26 Deluxe?”

craigsj
craigsj
11 years ago

“This “debate” about naming is false. 650b diameter at 584 is much closer to 26? (559) than 29? (622). Sad to say but that’s probably why some are pushing the inaccurate 27.5? to imply it’s right in the middle when in fact it’s closer to 27?. Maybe we should call it “26 Deluxe?””

That’s exactly right. While 650b’er would claim that calling the format 27″ is inaccurate, it is no less accurate than calling 559 a 26″ format. The difference between the two is 1″, not 1.5″, a simple fact they don’t want anyone to know. 650b only exists because it’s close enough to 559 to fit many existing frames.

Having a carbon rim option is nice, but what the format needs is tire selection.

Brendan
Brendan
11 years ago

I’m holding out for 27.75.

BrunOOOO
BrunOOOO
11 years ago

Good information about Nobby Nic 27,5 x 2,35, its a prototype or is comming soon.

Brandon
Brandon
11 years ago

@breadandbits

Well said. I’ve been waiting for some time for a legitimate editor to come onto the scene and clean up bicycle reporting.

Jordan Hukee
Jordan Hukee
11 years ago

“Having a carbon rim option is nice, but what the format needs is tire selection.”

And I guess my comment about what we call the size ignores the real subject of the article, which is indeed a very beautiful pair of hoops.

On a tech note, does anyone else have to enter the CAPTCHA code about a dozen times?

A nobody
A nobody
11 years ago

Big-ass, horsey, outline logo x3 = ugly as hell. Colors won’t save it.

Cool rims under the lame “graphicals,” I’m sure.

Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles
11 years ago

Tire selection? You only need one set of tires on your bike. I guess if you like having a different tire tread for every occasion then you’re absolutely right. In the mean time those Schwalbes look more than adequate!

Mindless
Mindless
11 years ago

Now make them price competitive with aluminum.

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