Gravity Grapplers, trail Optimuses, all-mountain Sylvans, even e*spec eMTB wheels… eThirteen says their new 2024 MTB line-up has wheels for all mountain bikers. New rim profiles in carbon and aluminum. Refined hub designs. Revamped wheel build specs. eThirteen improved just about every aspect of their mountain bike wheels for the new season, leveraging a decade of off-road expertise. Plus, you can even get rims alone for your own custom wheel builds..
2024 eThirteen revamped mountain bike wheels for all riders
Having proven themselves for over 10 years in the DH racing circuit, eThirteen has leveraged their gravity racing & riding experience to create a new wide range of mountain bike wheels for all MTB disciplines. Taking in “feedback from pros like Aaron Gwin, Dakota Norton, Brook MacDonald, and many others“, eThirteen built a reputation for race-ready performance and durability to survive the toughest mountain biking conditions.
“Race on Sunday, Engineer on Monday“
“We at e*thirteen are thrilled to introduce our latest line of MTB wheels for the 2024 season — our team has put exceptional effort into these wheels, and it shows in the quality and detail. These wheels set a new standard in performance and engineering integration — we’re excited for riders around the globe to experience the difference these wheels make, every time they hit the trails.”
-Joel Peters, e*Thirteen CEO
These new wheels are said to take that to the next level with rims that are light, but still able to deliver on race-ready stiffness & compliance, and survive the abuse they will surely encounter on the mountain.
“A broad spectrum of riding styles and preferences by offering three distinct MTB Wheel lines – Sylvan with its asymmetric rims, Optimus Race with symmetrical rims, and Grappler with its proven robust design.”
Plus, e*spec ebike-specific versions of the Sylvan & Grappler.
Optimus trail wheels
eThirteen developed these wheels for modern lightweight trail bikes, but built them to handle really aggressive trail riding. The trail wheels come in Optimus Race Carbon and Race Alloy, each with 28mm internal hookless tubeless widths. With deep inner rim wells and prominent bead-locking lips to make for easy & secure tubeless setup.
The 22.8mm tall hi-mod carbon 29″ Optimus Race Carbon rims weigh 380g, while the 19mm tall welded 6069 aluminum 29″ Optimus Race Alloy rims weigh 477g. The new alloy rim is said to be “166% higher impact resistance” than eThirteen’s outgoing XCX Alloy rim.
The Optimus rims get hand-built with 28 double-butted Sapim D-Light spokes and alloy nipples & washers for a lighter, more responsive ride. The eThirteen Optimus trail wheels feature Race SL hubs with 4-pawl 3° engagement. The wheels are 29er, Boost, thru-axle & 6-bolt. Carbon wheels weigh 1632g (756g/876g), and then alloy 1752g (796g/956g).
Sylvan all-mountain wheels
The Sylvan wheels get 30mm internal asymmetric rims (4mm offset) that balance spoke tension for all-mountain wheel strength while remaining lightweight. eThirteen developed these wheels for tougher trail shredding without limits, but also for lightweight eMTB ebikes, too.
The 22.9mm tall hi-mod carbon 29″ Sylvan Race Carbon rims weigh 450g, while the 20mm tall welded 6069 aluminum 29″ Sylvan Race Alloy rims weigh 567g. The new alloy rim features angle-drilled spoke holes, and has “a 366% improvement in impact strength over former TRS Plus rims“.
The Sylvan rims get hand-built with 28 double-butted Sapim D-Light spokes and alloy nipples & washers. The eThirteen Sylvan all-mountain wheels again feature Race SL hubs with 4-pawl 3° engagement.
On the eMTB Sylvan Race e*spec, wheels get 32 spokes and upgraded to a steel axle, and reinforced freehub body with 3-bearings including one oversized bearing. And they get 3-pawl 6° engagement for higher ebike torque.
The wheels are all 29er, Boost or Super Boost, thru-axle & 6-bolt. Carbon wheels weigh 1680g (760g/920g), and then alloy 1928g (896g/1032g). Or for ebike e*spec carbon wheels at 1794g (772g/1022g), and alloy 2039g (916g/1123g).
Grappler gravity wheels
The Grapplers are the toughest eThirteen wheels, refined through World Cup DH, EWS, and now EDR racing. eThirteen built them for gravity racing and bikepark shredding, for riders looking for bulletproof wheels. The Grappler comes in 3 variations – enduro, e-enduro & DH – and in 27.5″ or 29″.
The 23mm deep Grappler Race hi-mod carbon rims get either a 30mm internal 515g enduro or 31mm internal 575g DH/eMTB layup, always backed by a lifetime warranty. According to eThirteen, the new “Grappler Race Carbon DH and e*spec Enduro rims absorb 322% more energy than the previous version LG1 Race DH rims in impact testing.“
The 18.7mm deep welded 6069 aluminum, angle-drilled rims are 30mm internal, at 576g for enduro & 626g for DH/eMTB. “Race Alloy e*spec and Downhill rims show up to 450% impact strength compared to earlier LG1 Plus DH models. Race Alloy Enduro rims show an impact strength improvement of 228% over previous LG1 Plus EN rims.”
Grappler rims are all hand-built into discipline specific hubs. DH wheels gets 32 spokes and a 7-speed freehub, including the 9-24T cassette when you buy a wheelset. Plus, they are convertible to 150 or 157mm spacing on steel axles. Enduro wheels get 28 spokes, 3-pawl 6°, alloy axles, and Boost or Super Boost spacing. E*spec e-enduro wheels get 32 spokes in an oversized rear hub, the 3rd oversized bearing, and Boost only.
Carbon Grappler DH wheels including the cassette weigh 2388g (1032g/1356g), and then alloy 2436g (1040g/1396g). For Grappler Enduro carbon wheels at 1944g (912g/1032g), and alloy 2192g (1036g/1156g). Or ebike Grappler e*spec carbon wheels at 2272g (996g/1276g), and alloy 2392g (1056g/1336g).
2024 eThirteen MTB wheels – Pricing, options & availability
The new season of revamped eThirteen MTB wheels are available as complete wheelsets or individual rims.
Optimus Race Carbon wheels sell for $1580 / 1580€ ($710€ front, $870€ rear). And then Optimus Race Alloy for $700€ ($290€ front, $410€ rear).
Sylvan Race Carbon wheels sell for $1560€ ($700€, $860€), and Sylvan Race Alloy for $710€ ($300€, $410€). And then, the same price for Sylvan e*spec ebike wheels.
Grappler Race Carbon DH wheels sell for $1790€ ($790€, $1000€), and Grappler Race Alloy DH for $830€ ($320€, $510€). The Grappler Race Carbon Enduro wheels sell for $1480€ ($680€, $800€), and Grappler Race Alloy Enduro for $720€ ($320€, $400€). Grappler Race Carbon e*spec Enduro wheels sell for $1590€ ($720€, $870€). Then, Grappler Race Alloy e*spec Enduro for $756€ ($310€, $446€) ebike wheels.
All complete eThirteen wheels include their proprietary “Quick Fill” tubeless valves, tubeless tape, and even sealant. So, it’s a simple process to set up your new wheels how they should be ridden.
Most of the new eThirteen Carbon MTB rims sell for $510 a/piece. While the eMTB e*spec enduro & DH downhill carbon rims are a bit more at $560 each. On the other side of the spectrum, most new alloy MTB rims sell for $115 each. And only the Sylvan Race alloy all-mountain is a bit cheaper at $110. All eThirteen carbon rims also come with a Lifetime Carbon Rim Warranty, to ease your mind about smashing MTB trails without a care in the world.
All of the complete wheelsets, and most of the individual rims are available now, direct from e*Thirteen.
