WTB’s All-New Carbon CZR and E-Ready HTZ Rims

Tougher than 2020: WTB’s All-New Carbon CZR and E-Ready HTZ Rims

PRESS RELEASE

What is happening!? 2020 has been a tough year, to say the least. With everything spiraling into continual chaos, it seems appropriate to introduce something to help improve the control and dependability in your life. Something you can always rely on, regardless of your riding persuasion. WTB’s flagship CZR carbon rims outperform the competition and do so at a more affordable price, while bomber HTZ alloy rims are designed to endure the unforgiving life of an e-bike rim.

CZR Carbon Rims

The all-new CZR carbon rims provide unbeatable strength while also coming in lighter than the competition. Reinforced spoke beds, proven 4D angled spoke hole drilling, and an asymmetrical design provides all the necessary ingredients for an incredibly durable carbon rim. Add in the Solid Strip integration of our TCS 2.0 system, and you now have a system that is not only easier to set up tubeless but also nearly impervious to losing pressure in the event of a broken spoke. CZR is available in two internal widths – 23mm for the gravel-centric and 30mm for the mountain-focused. The lightweight CZR i23 is available in 24-hole or 28-hole configurations and weighs 331g and 345g, respectively, while the enduro-ready CZR i30 is available in 28-hole or 32-hole configurations and weigh in under the competition at 472g and 484g.

• Reinforced spoke beds, proven 4D angled spoke hole drilling and an asymmetrical design…all the necessary ingredients of an incredibly durable rim.
• Two internal width options… 23mm for the gravel-centric and 30mm for the mountain-focused.
• When compared to the competition, tests proved our carbon CZR rims to be overall lighter, stier and more impact resistant.
• To be precise, our CZR i23 rims were 38% more impact resistant than their direct competition while our CZR i30 rims were 10% more impact resistant.
• Original owner benefits from a Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturer defects in addition to a No-Questions-Asked crash replacement policy which provides a replacement at 50% of MSRP.
• 331g for the gravel-oriented CZR i23 with 24 spoke holes and 472g for the trail/enduro focused CZR i30 with 28 spoke holes.
• Throughout the testing process, we went through hundreds of rims, dozens of layups, three rounds of rider testing, and a complete mold re-design before we were satisfied with the results.
• Tubeless-ready and comes with a preinstalled Solid Strip, which lies beneath the tubeless tape and prevents sagging at the spoke holes, creating a smooth interface between the rim and tire bead. This prevents air from escaping around the bead and therefore requires less air volume and pressure to mount a tire. The Solid Strip also protects the airtight tubeless system from being punctured in the case of a broken spoke.

“Throughout the process of ride testing, we went through hundreds of rims, dozens of layups, three rounds of rider testing, and a complete mold re-design before we were satisfied with the results,” explains Evan Smith, WTB’s principal engineer. “Once we reached an ideal strength-to-weight ratio, we then tested it until we were certain it couldn’t be better. In this case, we’ve been riding the final design for nearly a year. Since we began testing the final iteration of the CZR, not a single tester has broken a rim. Seemingly unbreakable while remaining lighter than the competition…we’ll take it.”

We realize you likely want more than a guarantee we couldn’t break them, so we sent them to an unbiased third-party lab to conduct destructive testing against what we considered to be the best carbon rims available at the time. In other words, the carbon rims we’d ride if we didn’t have sweet rims ourselves. When compared to the competition, tests proved our CZR carbon rims to be laterally stiffer and more impact resistant while also coming in at a lighter weight. To be precise, our CZR i23 rims proved to be 38% more impact resistant than their direct competition, while our CZR i30 rims were 10% more impact resistant. Why are we trying to convince you that these rims are tougher than 2020? Because that’s what is most important when you’re paying a premium price for top-tier performance. Luckily, even our premium price is lower than the competition, with all CZR carbon rims carrying an MSRP of $569.95.

We understand things happen, which is why every CZR carbon rim comes with a limited lifetime warranty as well as a no-questions-asked crash replacement policy. Ride with confidence, knowing that if you break a rim, you’ll receive 50% off the MSRP of its replacement.

HTZ Alloy Rims

Regardless of their benefits, carbon rims may not be the best option for every rider. E-bikers specifically, where additional descents atop a heavier bike, can drastically increase the wear and tear on a bike’s components. The new HTZ rims are proudly overbuilt for a subset of riders who simply want an affordable rim that can withstand anything and everything on the trail. HTZ rims boast an increased wall thickness of 25-30% over our KOM Tough enduro rims in order to ensure they’re capable of withstanding the additional forces of a modern e-bike. Asymmetrically offset spoke holes help equalize the spoke tension of a wheel build, while the symmetrical outer profile distributes impact forces throughout the entire rim rather than absorbing them by one side more than the other. HTZ rims are available in i23, i25, or i27 widths at an MSRP of $94.95, while i30 and i35 widths are available for $99.95.

• Capable of withstanding the forces of a modern e-bike.
• Rims are extruded from our premier 6069 aluminum alloy, which blends strength, lifespan, and resilience for the years ahead. 32-hole drilling ensures long-term durability and contributes to the increased lateral stiffness of a built wheel.
• The symmetric outer profile provides equal dissipation of impact forces on both sides of the rim while asymmetric spoke hole drilling allows for more even spoke tension and increased wheel strength.
• Features an increased wall thickness of 25-30% compared to the KOM Tough rim, which is our reinforced rim designed for aggressive enduro
  and gravity riding.
• Tubeless-ready and comes with a preinstalled Solid Strip, which lies beneath the tubeless tape and prevents sagging at the spoke holes, creating a smooth interface between the rim and tire bead. This prevents air from escaping around the bead and therefore requires less air volume and pressure to mount a tire. Solid Strip also protects the airtight tubeless system from being punctured in the case of a broken spoke.

CZR and HTZ rims are currently available from our US warehouse and will also be available in Europe by the end of the month.

 

About WTB

Founded in 1982, WTB was formed in Marin County, the birthplace of mountain biking, to design better bicycle products. Renowned for saddles, tires, rims, and grips, this rider-driven company continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible through an unrelenting spirit of innovation and passion for a two-wheeled adventure.