Industry Nine Ultralite 29in

Industry Nine has built a dedicated following, and it isn't by mistake. Gear like the Ultralite 29in Wheelset is pretty killer, and it's easy to see why it's the choice of plenty of XC riders who love to push the pace on rolling trails. The rims are made of tough aluminum, which can be ridden hard without worry, and the tubeless ready design means you can ditch tubes forever except for the spare you keep in your pack, obviously. Industry Nine made the Ultralite to be ridden with six bolt disc brake rotors, and hooked up both front and back wheels with quick release axles for security and easy removal. That's all pretty standard, though. What really set the Ultralite apart are the spokes and the hubs. The spokes are machined from 7075 aluminum, all the way down to the threads that screw directly into the rim. This increases spoke strength and eliminates spoke nipples to reduce weight, effectively killing two birds with one stone. Industry Nine also laced the spokes specifically to keep wheel tension balanced, so you don't feel your wheels coming out of whack after a few weeks of hard riding. The Torch hubs can be modified to work with any drivetrain and withstand more torque than you can ever put out, but the real trick is the three degree engagement basically, the hub will engage as soon as it rotates three degrees, so there's no dead spot between spinning your pedals and starting to move forward. The final party trick is the weight. The Ultralite weighs a, well, ultralight 1500g per set, lighter than plenty of carbon fiber wheelsets, so you won't have any more excuses for not passing everybody else on the trail.