[Experience 2022.08] Trail Sage: Premium MTB Rims, Strong, Light and Affordable

Hey everyone, welcome to TrailSage and this week we're talking about NEXTIE’s new premium carbon rims. A few months ago after seeing my fat bike rim review, NEXTIE reached out to me to see if I was interested in trying out their newest premium carbon rims. As a long time customer, I've always loved NEXTIE rims. In fact not only do I have them on my fat bike but I also have them on my full suspension. So of course I was interested in trying out the new rims. And while these rims were provided to me, please know that the thoughts and opinions expressed in this video are my own and I'm under no obligation to say anything. 

To put these rims to the ultimate test I decided to install them on my hardtail single speed and so far I've logged over 200 punishing miles on them. And let me tell you they've held up great. But before we jump into my likes, let's go over the specs. These premium carbon rims weighed in at 407 grams which is about 40 grams lighter than the standard version. And because this is rolling weight it makes a big difference. The weight reduction is due to a mix of Toray T700 and T800 carbon fibers, which gives them more strength and stiffness. in fact NEXTIE claims that these are 10% stronger than the standard option. The construction of the rim includes a smooth Center Channel making tubeless setups quick and easy. 

I ordered mine in a 27.5 diameter with a 30 millimeter internal width and a 36 millimeter external width. Of course if you prefer a wider or skinnier option there are lots to choose from on NEXTIE website, and speaking of options you can also select the type of weave, finish, number of spoke holes and decals. I went with a UD weave with a matte finish and 32 spoke holes and speaking of spoke holes, NEXTIE claims improved consistency and strength at those spoke holes reducing shifting and making them easier to true. Finally all premium rims are back with a three year warranty, which is one year more than the standard option. So now that you have all the specs let's jump into my likes. 

These rims are strong! if you've been following my channel, you know I love Tech and putting them on a hardtail let alone a single speed was asking a lot not only are hardtails rougher on Parts, but you put some serious torque down when riding a single speed. But in addition to power single speeding also requires precision and control. I was curious to see how they would hold up and they definitely lived up to the hype. The increased stiffness gave me a sense of predictability and the added strength came in handy on the technical Terrain. The first week I had the rims I digged them up a few times trying to dial in that correct tire pressure and even though my tire took some damage the rims held up great. But that leads me to another advantage of these rims not only are they stronger, but they're lighter too. I took this weight savings and I added cushcore to the rear tire. This allowed me to lower the tire pressure while giving me some extra protection on the rim, and believe me, being able to lower your tire pressure on the hardtail takes a lot of this thing out of the Rock Gardens and big hits. And even though these rims are lighter than my Standard carbon rims, they're actually slightly wider this added width allows my tire to get greater traction as more tire tread can make contact with the ground. 

Finally this last like is less about the rim and more about the company, but I absolutely love the customer service that NEXTIE provides. I've had their rims on my bikes for over six years and in that time I've damaged a few of them due to my own Silly mistakes. And to their credit, they've always given me discounts on replacement rims and though this is way before I had a YouTube channel or any kind of social media presence. In fact my buddy Dan also rides NEXTIE rims, he's had the same experience. 

So are there any downsides? the only downside is shipping these rims can take one to two months to ship, so just be aware of that and plan accordingly. If this is your first pair, it's not too bad. But if you're waiting on a replacement, then you might want a backup rim or a spare bike.

So let's move on to pricing. These rims are available as a 27.5 or 29er for 250 dollars which is sixty dollars more than the standard option. So I know your next question is, are the premium rims worth the extra 60 bucks? While the standard version's been great for me like I said I've been riding them for over six years, but if you're an indoor eraser looking for that extra Edge, or perhaps you're running a hardtail like me and you want the added assurance, these are a great upgrade. I should also mention they have an XC version called the ultralight that comes in at 320 grams, but since they only offer that as a 29er I wasn't able to test them.

So if you're looking to upgrade your current bike with some carbon rims but always thought they were too expensive definitely check out NEXTIE lineup. Carbon technology has come a long way and these latest versions are stronger and more durable than ever and I prefer them to aluminum rims. Whether I'm out on my full suspension railing some gnarly downhills or tackling some NEXTIE Tech lines on the single speed, these rims are one less thing that I have to worry about and using that way to install cushcore was a complete Game Changer. indoor erasers looking for a lighter stronger option, or weakened Warriors looking for an awesome upgrade would benefit from these rims. Well that does it for this video. If you have any feedback or questions, leave them in the comments below. And if you enjoyed this video, hit that like button. And if you want to see more content like this, feel free to subscribe. Thanks for watching.