Few things in the mountain bike cosmos are reinvented as often as the wheel. Which is not surprising. After all, hardly any other part has such a strong influence on riding behaviour. Five years ago, the the then newly founded Dutch brand 9th Wave with a classically built but cleverly designed wheelset that came out of nowhere to win our big comparison test. Against the assembled High-end elite from Bike Ahead to Syncros. The 9th Wave Ninefold Marlowe SL29 (see table below) had lightweight carbon rims with a large rim width of 30 millimetres by the standards of the time and were built with classic steel spokes. They scored with top acceleration and high resistance to breakage.
The new Ninefold Flex Ultimate, which costs around 2800 euros, now also aims to increase riding comfort. A special rim was developed for this purpose, which is manufactured by a carbon specialist in Japan. The centre bridge is made of significantly more flexible fibres than the sides. Which, in combination with the also slightly damping Vectran spokes from the Chemnitz-based wheel manufacturer Pi Rope absorb fine vibrations without sacrificing lateral stiffness. The rim on the rear wheel is 30 millimetres wide, the front rim even 35 millimetres. This ensures optimum tyre support, which enables low air pressures and thus increases grip. The highlight for individualists: the spokes can be combined in any colour. Customised
decals on the rims are also possible on request.
Conclusion from Henri Lesewitz, BIKE editor-in-chief:
The Ninefold Flex Ultimate are visually stunning. And the workmanship is also excellent. A look at the bare laboratory data shows that the Flex Ultimate wheels are not quite as impressive as the much cheaper Marlowe SL29 from our earlier test. However, this only says something about the riding characteristics to a limited extent. In terms of character, the two models differ significantly. The Flex Ultimate noticeably filters the peaks from small, hard impacts, which, in combination with the better grip feeling due to the wide rims, ensures a more relaxed, safe ride. To get the full potential out of the account killers, the choice of tyres is also important.
