Believe it or not, it wasn't that long ago when carbon mountain bike frames started hitting the market. Do you remember what your first thought was? For many it was skepticism. Riders, looking for perfect welds on each tube were holding these frames that seemed almost comically light thinking they couldn't last. Now, of course, you are hard pressed to ride a trail and not see carbon frames around every corner. My how history repeats itself with carbon mountain bike wheels. As carbon wheels have been introduced the nay sayers have spoken, but the wheels are talking back and what they have to say is quite impressive.

Enve has been at the forefront of carbon mountain bike wheels and this new Twenty9 XC wheelset is their finest work yet. The process starts in the USA, that's right, handmade in Ogden Utah. Using the newest layup technologies, Enve has been able to get more heat and more pressure into their mold which compresses the layers of carbon together even tighter resulting in more strength from less material. This optimized process provides a lighter wheel that is even stronger than previous wheels. Also, because they mold rather than drill their spoke holes into the wheels they are able to hold substantial spoke tension. In addition they have made these wheels Tubeless, so with their rimstrip and valve stem you can mount up your favorite tubeless tires and hit the trail. Once they created this rim they had to pair it with the perfect components. What better components are there than DT Swiss hubs and Sapim CX-ray spokes? We know, it sounds too good to be true, but trust us, it is true.

All of this technology basically means you have a new 29er wheel that reduces rolling mass so much that it completely changes the feel of your bike. Climbing is a new experience on these wheels. Elevation will scroll on your Garmin faster than you have seen before. The best part is, when you turn around and gravity takes over you have the confidence of Tyler Durden with of the precise handling that these wheels like to flaunt. It isn't just the handling that these wheels like to flaunt however, it is the constant 5 star reviews and top honors that they receive from every writeup you can find.