I’ve been riding the WTB CZR i30 carbon wheel set since May 2022. They definitely didn’t have it easy with me. All of the time I have them in my enduro bike and they already visited with me a lot of European bike parks. So how are they performing so far? How do I like riding on carbon rims? Did I have to use the special “ride with confidence guarantee” provided by WTB? Am I afraid of riding on a carbon rim thru some rocky trails? I invite you to a very long-distance wheel test, which covered almost two full seasons of riding.
WTB CZR i30 – Tough carbon wheels
WTB CZR i30 are wheels designed for Enduro and Trail riding. The main goal with them, was to create the strongest possible wheels that will not let us down while riding even on the toughest trails. The wheels are built with CZR i30 carbon rims which have an internal width of 30 mm, a height of less than 24 mm and an asymmetric build. The material o the rim has been reinforced with a special carbon layer in places most exposed to impacts and around the nipple holes. WTB used the properties of the material so that the rim was as stiff as possible sideways, but at the same time it can absorb the energy of possible impacts without exposing the structure to material cracking. The main priority here was durability, followed by low weight. WTB is so confident in its solutions that it covers each CZR i30 rim with a special lifetime “Ride with confidence guarantee”. In short, it means that if you damage the rim while riding, WTB will provide you with a new one completely free of charge! More technical details about the wheels can be found in the presentation article: WTB CZR i30 – Tough carbon wheels for enduro.
WTB CZR i30 – Test
The WTB CZR i30 test wheels were (and still are) used by me on my Specialized Enduro bike. Apart from the pump track bike, this is my only bike, which I use mainly for trips to bike parks and also to search some wild single trails in various parts of Europe. Over the last two seasons, this bike, equipped with WTB CZR i30 wheels, visited, among others, the Alps of: Italy, France, Austria and also a bit of Swiss. There were also a lot of more local bike park trips to places like Ružomberok, Kouty and, for example, Klinovec. The wheels arrived to me in May 2022, which I spent all of in Greece, and more specifically in Athens. There I replaced my previous aluminum wheelset from Dandyhorse with a set of new WTB CZR i30. My wheels are based on 29″ CZR i30 rims and WTB Frequency hubs with a Shimano Microspline freehub. The whole thing is factory laced by hand (!) by WTB specialists who guarantee the full final tensioning of the spokes. Thanks to this, new wheels, straight from the box, are ready for immediate use for off-road riding. There is no need for any additional tightening of the spokes by the user or the service. So that’s what I did and on the first day I took the new carbon wheels straight to the rocky trails of the Greek Imittos.
WTB CZR i30 – First thoughts
From the very beginning, the WTB CZR i30 wheels had a pretty hard time with me. The local Greek riders looked a little horrified when they found out that I was riding in this terrain, on carbon rims without tire inserts. The first day was a bit of a mess because I quickly assembled the wheels on a light set of tires and inner tubes. Therefore, there were first endurance tests in the form of few hits on the rim and one “snake-bite” in the front wheel. Fortunately, it did not make any impression on the carbon rims. A quick change of the tube, a higher pressure and that’s how I finished the first day. For the next rides on the Greek rocky terrain I put Continental Kryptotal tires with a DH casing. A strong tire and slightly lower tire pressure significantly improved riding comfort (and my mental comfort too).
WTB CZR i30 – Carbon vs Aluminium
After switching from aluminum to carbon rims, I was most impressed by their phenomenal side stiffness. I could feel more control over the behavior of the entire bike, especially on steep traverse sections or when sticking the rear wheel into the berm. I have always been a big fan of bikes that have good side stiffness, so I always rode with relatively high tire pressures. All because I really don’t like it when the bike floats under me. The Specialized frame stays in one line very nicely and after adding very stiff wheels, the bike became even more precise and lively. It wasn’t just a matter of changing from the previous already “tired” aluminum wheels. Those were made by a team of specialists from Dandyhorse and it held perfectly and was very stiff, for an aluminium wheelset thru all the time. Despite this increased stiffness of the carbon CZR i30 rims, I did not feel any decrease in comfort in terms of vibrations transmitted to the handlebars. I’ve seen already various theories about aluminum vs carbon materials. Recently, for example, I read on Vital MTB that the editor recommended using an aluminum rim at the front (to reduce vibrations) and a carbon rim at the rear (to have this stiffnes). Even though my previous wheels are still fully functional, I don’t see much point in such a combination. Personally, I really like riding a bike with an almost all-carbon frame and carbon rims.
Typically, the main advantage of using carbon is lower weight. This attribute was not that big to me, because the WTB CZR i30 wheels are not those “ultra light” ones. The manufacturer has declared from the very beginning that their primary value is durability. During design, mass was a secondary consideration. Weight measured with the tubeless tape and valve installed is 878g for the front wheel and 1033g for the rear wheel. In total, this gives us a set of strong 29-inch enduro wheels weighing 1911g. For comparison, my Dandyhorse Barion aluminum wheels weigh 936g front and 1120g rear, which gives the set (without valves) a weight of 2056g. So there is a difference, but it is small. The thing about carbon is that when you hold it in your hand, it seems to be much lighter than aluminum, but while riding I didn’t feel any great difference in terms of the weight reduction of the bike or wheels. For me, the main advantage of using carbon rims is this great stiffness and more precise handling, with better reaction from the bike.
WTB CZR i30 – Strenght
So if the main advantage of WTB CZR i30 wheels and rims is durability, are they really indestructible? No :) I think everyone realizes that there are no indestructible parts and everything has its limits. The only question is how far are those limits…
During my visit to another greek trails at DH Parnitha, after a whole day of riding, it was getting dark and it was my “last run”. This particular obstacle was a rock about 3 meters high on which side you ride down into to a flat spot. During this last descent, something clearly went wrong and I either lost some pressure earlier, or I simply slid slightly more to the side, but on the flat ground I’ve hit the rear wheel with a great force. The noise was terrible, as if the entire bike had broke in half or something. I stopped for a moment to assess the damage, but surprisingly everything seemed to work fine. The wheels were round and perfectly straight, so I moved on. It was only after 500 meters and a few rock sections further that I realized that I was losing pressure in the rear wheel. It turned out that the side wall of the Continental Kryptotal in DH version didn’t survive, and the sealant couldn’t cope with this cut. It was already getting quite dark, so I reached the car on foot and only the next day did I take a closer look at what happened. An interesting fact is that the unfortunate ride happened in a place where I had rode before a number of times, because this particular rock was a good point for a photo session.
Unfortunately, after closer inspection, it turned out that not only the tire was damaged, but also two small cracks appeared on the carbon rim. Of course, I was angry at my “last run”, but honestly, for such a powerful impact straight into the rock, it really didn’t look bad. Very smal cracks only on one outer side. Other than that nothing was visible from above or inside. No loss of material, so it would probably be possible to re-seal the wheel with tire sealant. The rim and whole wheel remained perfectly straight and without any side to side or up and down wobble. The lacing seemed intact. Let me just remind you that it was a ride without tire inserts and they were probably the only thing that could have saved the wheel after such a powerful shot. An aluminum rim would 100% suffer a huge dent and would probably be thrown away. This WTB CZR i30 carbon rim, well, was also destroyed, BUT it is covered by a lifetime warranty from such things. And it’s not about the lifetime of the rim (which ended to soon), but about the life of the first owner (who happily survived it). Therefore, it is worth to take a closer look on the topic of “Ride with confidence guarantee” at this point.
WTB CZR i30 „Ride with confidence guarantee”
WTB is so confident in the durability of the CZR i30 rims that it covers each of them with a special lifetime warranty. “Ride with confidence Guarantee” in short means that if you damage the rim while riding, WTB will provide you with a new one completely free of charge! There are no strange liability exclusions here, the only thing you need to do is be the first private owner of the wheels or rims and fill out the form available directly on the WTB website. Even if you regularly take part in competitions, this does not limit the operation of this additional warranty. If you buy whole wheels, you can count on a full reconstruction of the wheels with new nipples and spokes. What’s more, even if something happens to CZR rims not while riding, but as a result of an accident, e.g. when the bike falls off the car rack, WTB will provide a new rim for 50% of the applicable price. This special lifetime warranty applies only to CZR carbon rims. A standard 24-month manufacturer’s warranty applies to the hubs and other components. So I had the opportunity to check for myself how it works in practice.
I immediately contacted WTB, which provided me with this wheelset for testing. Their main advice in such cases is that you should contact them directly via the form at WTB website, and not to call it thru the local distributor. This way the process will go faster. Of course, you must present the wheel purchase document and describe how it happened. As standard, you can receive a new rim for free or send your wheel to WTB for reconstruction by their specialists. When purchasing complete wheels, wheel lacing and materials such as spokes and nipples are free of charge. If you buy just the rim, you have to pay $99 to rebuild the wheel. Since I was still in Greece, I waited another 2 weeks to replace the wheel. Of course, I received a warning from WTB not to use a broken wheel. However, considering its minor damage, I also used it to explore the Greek Lefkada island, where I also found a few interesting trails. The broken rear wheel did not cause any problems. The carbon did not delaminate further and nothing happened. I sent them to WTB only after returning home in Poland. A week later I had a new rear WTB CZR i30 wheel at home.
WTB CZR i30 + Cushcore
After my Greek adventures, I decided that it was worth taking an interest in the topic of tire inserts. My choice fell on Cushcore, which is known not only for additional protection of the rim, but also for the excellent grip of the tire at its base. This combination means that the tires, even at lower pressure, do not float sideways under loads of force. Together with the very stiff carbon wheels, this is the perfect combination for me. Of course, the overall weight of the wheel increases, but it is definitely my favorite setup for rough terrain. The higher weight of the set can be compensated by a slightly lighter version of the tire casing. For me, however, the most important thing is precise handling, better comfort and durability of such a set. From July 2022 till today, I only use the WTB CZR i30 set + Cushcore Pro 29″ inserts on both wheels on my bike. I only change the tires.
WTB CZR i30 – after first season
The rest of 2022 season was busy in terms of bike trips. I’ve visited local bike parks such as Kouty, Koprivna and Ruzomberok. I also spent over a week in the Italian Alps near Livigno, where we explored not only bike parks, but also rocky single trails near Bormio. There were many stones flying from under the wheels which, apart from cutting the rear derailleur in half, left some marks on the rims and bent (but did not break!) a few spokes due to hits. The lacing of the wheels still held well, although it meant replacing a few spokes. At the end of the bike travel season, I went also to Slovenian Jamnica and Austrian Petzen, to ride some on the enduro trails from EWS race. Only after this trip were the wheels went for a full service. The first maintenance since new, was mainly about replacing a few bent spokes and equalizing the tension of the rear wheel lacing. The front wheel did not require any adjustments at all. Of course, we also looked into the bearings status. Those in the front wheel were replaced only as a preventive measure and did not show any major signs of fatigue. In the rear hub, the outer bearing under the freehub was the most damaged, but still it was not seized, or broken. The inside of the hub was clean, the seals worked as they should. A little lubrication of the pawls of a freehub, a trouble-free replacement of the bearings and everything was ready to go for the 2023 season. Even though I had proven quite clearly, that these wheels are not indestructible, I was not thinking about replacing them to something else. If I wasn’t sure about them, I wouldn’t hesitate if to go back to my Dandyhorse wheels or build up something new. My priority is a working bike during my various trips and I fully trusted that the WTB CZR i30 will be able to handle thru all next season.
WTB CZR i30 – Season 2023
In the 2023 season, I took the WTB CZR i30 wheels for a ride in: Natisone in Italy, Maribor in Slovenia, rocky Croatian trails, Czech Trail Park Klinovec and also for over a week of bike park riding to French Morzine area. Halfway through the season, there was some problem, that every few days of more intense mountain riding, I broke a spoke in the rear wheel. Always only one, on the drive side and always only a little above the nipple. Fortunately, the additional “Solid strip” that is under the tubeless tape, prevented sudden failure of the tape and tubeless system. But still the constant replacement of a single spoke was a bit tiring. It turned out that, although the wheel was still very stiff, after the previous replacement of bent spokes, it must have been some problem with tension of the spokes. So I decided that this time to took the rear wheel to professionals from Dandyhorse, who agreed to lace the wheel from scratch. Of course, they firstly checked the rim for any damage, but everything was straight and good as new.
The rear wheel got all new spokes and professional lacing. Just like at the WTB factory, here too, the wheel underwent a full process of final spoke tensioning and was immediately ready for riding even in tough terrain. I didn’t have to wait long to check it out because I was going for a several-day tour of Austrian bike parks such as: Wexl Trails, Lienz Bike Park, Grossglockner Resort and Saalbach. After this reconstruction, the rear wheel did not cause any problems until the end of the 2023 season. The front one, from new, still do not require any intervention in terms of lacing or tightening the spokes.
WTB CZR i30 – My thoughts
Reading my (pretty long…) story of using WTB CZR i30 wheels, you may get the impression that there were some problems with them. Yes, I don’t deny it. But I still think that these wheels are really tough, and under me they are not having an easy life. Most importantly for me personally, there was not a single situation in which I could not ride due to a major failure. Even if that mentioned one spoke in the rear wheel broke, I didn’t back down. I was riding normally and as much as possible until the end of each day. I replaced the spoke only after the lifts were closed or even after returning home. The article specially includes a lot of links to videos, and not only photos. This is to make it easier to verify what my bike and wheels are up to. Personally, even despite the previous cracks, I am convinced of the durability of these wheels and I know that WTB did a great job when it comes to this model. CZR i30 carbon rims combined with Cushcore are a truly reliable combination. Even though I rode twice on a flat tire and the Cushcore insert shows already a lot of cuts in the material from punctures, the rims don’t show any marks. And if something will happen to those, then of course the WTB “Ride with confidence guarantee” still works. After these 2 seasons, however, I am convinced that I would have to do something very stupid to have to use it again.
Life with WTB CZR i30 wheels
In terms of everyday use, WTB CZR i30 wheels are a relatively simple and classic design. WTB hubs work well, seals work as they should. The bearings are of standard sizes and do not cause any problems when replacing them. The freehub rotates quite loudly and catches the teeth with confidance and every time. Everything is made with good quality and attention to detail. The spokes are classically bent (J-bend), so in the event of a failure, there should be no problem with getting them at any bike shop or service. The shape of the inside of the rim means that sometimes you have to put some effort into mounting the tires. The hardest battle was with the Continentals, but of course manageble. With Maxxis tires, even with Cushcore inside, can be mounted on even without using tire levers. Sealing the tires is hassle-free. Originally, there is a special narrow Solid Strip under the Tubeless tape, which is intended to prevent the tape from being punctured by a damaged spoke or a loose nipple. I’ve tested in the field and it actually works. Although when changing the tubeless tape, you need to make sure that it sticks well to the surface of the rim and not just to the strip. Currently, the wheels definitely do not look like new anymore and have a lot of scares from stones hitting them. Apart from the looks, they are working perfectly. Wheels are still straight and stiff as they should be. I fully trust them and next season I will continue to use them in every terrain I can ride. I also think that such durable aluminum rims will be heavier than the CZR i30, so the issue of the weight of strong wheels comes back into play here.
WTB CZR i30 – Cons?
The main disadvantage of carbon wheels is, of course, the high price. Currently, WTB sells them as follows: front wheel USD 749, rear wheel USD 849, rim itself USD 569,95. There are available also WTB CZR i30 wheels built with Industry Nine Hydra hubs. And for now they are at 25% OFF so interestingly they are even cheaper than with WTB hubs. It should also be remembered that those price includes an additional WTB warranty, which is valid for life for the first owner. Comparing to other carbon wheel sets on a market the offer can be very interesting. Some disadvantage in the case of owning carbon rims is taking care of them require more work and knowledge in terms of spoke tension. The original wheels are properly laced and give no cause for concerns. However, if you need to replace several spokes and the tension seems loose, my example shows that it is best to contact some wheel specialists who know how to handle carbon fiber ones. I used to lace my own wheels and tightening the spokes is not a problem for me on aluminum rims. There you can immediately see on the wheel what is too strong and what is too weak. Here, the wheel is almost always straight and stiff, and yet the tension may be uneven and lead to spoke cracking. The Dandyhorse team definitely knows what they are doing. I believe that as long as the spokes don’t get hit by something sharp during the ride again, everything will work as it should without any further interference. But, of course, such a service is also more expensive than the “first in the row” bike service. There is also the issue of tire inserts. If someone wants to go hard on the trails, I think they will consider at least a light tire insert for the rear wheel. CZR i30 Carbon rims can withstand a lot, but a direct, hard hit on a rock may have consequences (just like in the case of aluminum rims or any other on the market).
WTB CZR i30 – Summary
To sum up, despite my adventures with the WTB CZR i30 wheels, I believe that they have proven thru those two seasons to be a very strong proposition on the market. If the most important thing for you is great handling of the bike and its durability, then the offer from WTB may be very interesting. These are definitely not the lightest carbon wheels on the market, but ones that you can really trust in every terrain. I intend to use my CZR i30 wheels for the next seasons and I wont be easy on them.
About WTB
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 two-wheeled adventure.
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