One of the more intriguing developments in fat biking lately hasn’t been a new tire size, it’s been a new wheel size. Ok, technically there’s a new tire size as well, but for once it’s not a new width – it’s a new diameter. Proponents of the 27.5″ fat bike ‘standard’ claim it offers similar benefits to 29″ wheeled mountain bikes – better rollover, while keeping the contact patch more or less the same.
And while there have been a handful of bikes launched recently that will use the new size, there hasn’t been that much in the way of aftermarket wheels and tires. That’s slowly changing, and Whisky just introduced the latest carbon rim option to join the party. Called the No.9 80w, the rims are very similar to their other No.9 fat bike rims with a double walled, hookless carbon construction. The 80ws get a little wider than the 26″ 70w, with a 77.4mm internal width and 82.9mm external measurement.
Initially offered as a rim only for $499 each, they will be available in 32h only. Tubeless ready, the rims have a claimed 690g weight and are meant for 3.8-4.5″ tires (meaning we probably won’t see any 27.5″ fat tires bigger than 4.5″ in the future). We’re also told that mid-winter, the rims should be available as complete wheelsets with DT Swiss 350 hubs.
