The shape of the wheel was already perfect centuries ago. Since then, details have been worked on without fail. Because hardly any other component is so decisive for the riding characteristics of a mountain bike. The weight of the wheels determines the propulsion and how easy a bike is to handle. And different disputes transform one and the same bike from a comfort wonder into a precision weapon. With the THREE ZERO EN, Bike Ahead Composites presents a wheelset for enduro riders that is designed to perfectly harmonise low weight, precision and comfort while still being stable enough to cope with metre-high jumps.
The Bike Ahead THREE ZERO EN in brief
- Range of use: All-Mountain, Enduro
- Price: 1899 Euro
- Weight: 1580 grammes
- 30 millimetre jaw width
- Patented Safe-Wing design (puncture-proof, optimum tyre support)
- Optimised for lower tyre pressure
- One-piece production
- Handmade in Germany
- Permissible rider weight: 105 kg (rider plus luggage)
- Rim: 28 hole, asymmetry 3 millimetres
- DT Swiss 240 EXT hubs/DT Swiss Aerolight spokes
- Crash replacement within 3 years of purchase
Bike Ahead Enduro wheels: light and in love with detail
The centrepiece of the wheelset is the further developed THREE ZERO rim, which celebrated its premiere two years ago as a cross-country version. The rim with a rim width of 30 millimetres is handmade in Veitshöchheim. Each of the round rims weighs in at just 478 grams (manufacturer's specification) - virtually nothing by Enduro standards. The patented Safe-Wing design is intended to ensure that particularly wide tyres are well supported in the rim at low air pressures. This allows the tyres to develop maximum traction without buckling in bends. The rounded rim flange, typical of Bike Ahead, is also designed to prevent the carcass from being damaged in the event of punctures. Also good: thanks to a so-called 3K fabric insert on the rim sidewall, the THREE ZERO EN tyres should withstand stone chips particularly well.
Also new: wheel update for XC racers
Thanks to a new layup, the carbon experts were able to reduce the weight of the already familiar THREE ZERO XC rim by a further 40 grams. The rim now weighs a super-light 378 grams. As with the THREE ZERO EN, the THREE ZERO XC wheelset also comes with DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs and DT Swiss Aerolite straight-pull spokes. Total weight: 1380 grams. Cost: also 1899 euros. The 2699 euro SL version has DT Swiss 180 EXP hubs with SINC ceramic bearings and weighs 1335 grams.
Worth knowing: Bike Ahead Composites
Bike Ahead Composites is a brand of All Ahead. The company was founded in 2010 by Christian Gemperlein on the basis of an innovative carbon wheel. Based in Veitshöchheim near Würzburg, the factory produces cockpits, seat posts, saddles and frames in addition to wheels. The frames are built on behalf of Stoll Bikes, Last Bikes and other brands that do not wish to be named. A new addition to the Bike Ahead programme is a hardtail frame under its own label - at 795 grams in size M, it is one of the lightest on the market. This is manufactured 50 per cent (laminating, cheeks) at Carbon Team in Portugal and 50 per cent (finish) in Veitshöchheim. We were able to the unique hardtail already test.
Max Fuchs
Editor
