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Bontrager Kovee3 new carbon wheels for racers

Sebastian Brust

 · 25.08.2022

Bontrager Kovee: 3 new carbon wheels for racers
Photo: Trek Bikes

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At 1199 grams, the new Bontrager Kovee RSL are the lightest MTB wheels in the company's history to date, but they also come in at just under 2500 euros. The cheapest member of the new Kovee carbon wheel family weighs 386 grams more, but costs less than half as much.

Bontrager is the name of the component brand from Trek Bikes, where the cross-countryImpellers of the Kovee series for 2023. The newly designed carbon rims, now with an inner width of 29 millimetres, are flatter, which saves material and therefore weight.

The flatter rim profile is designed to absorb bumps in the road more flexibly, which increases comfort. The rim flanges, which are now further apart, are additionally reinforced, which reduces the susceptibility to punctures and increases the durability of the rim.

Flat and wide: the new 2023 Kovee carbon rim.Photo: Trek BikesFlat and wide: the new 2023 Kovee carbon rim.

All good and important, especially if you can't afford to break down when racing against the clock. And the fact that the Kovee RSL carbon wheels are primarily good for top times on the race track has already been proven by the previous versions in combination with the Trek Supercalibre proven: Jolanda Neff won gold at the Olympics in Tokyoher team-mate Evie Richards the XC World Championship 2021. The new race wheels should be even faster.

In addition to the top model RSL 30, the 2023 Kovee family includes two other carbon wheelsets, all of which are offered with the same rim design and Boost standard in 29 inches. What they also have in common is the lifetime warranty for first owners and the lack of weight restrictions for riders.

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DT's fine 240 hub with straight-pull spokes on the Kovee top model RSL.Photo: Trek BikesDT's fine 240 hub with straight-pull spokes on the Kovee top model RSL.

The Kovee carbon wheels, which are now available, weigh between 1585 and 1199 grams and cost between 950 and 2500 euros per set thanks to the different amounts of material used for the rims as well as different hubs and spokes.

A large selection of MTB wheels can be found here.

Bontrager Kovee 2023 - Facts & Figures

Good: Kovee Elite 30 TLR

  • Weight/set: 1585 grams
  • Weight/rim: 425 grams
  • Hub: Rapid Drive 108 XC (standard j-bend spokes)
  • Freewheel: XD
  • Brake disc mount: 6-hole
  • Price/set: 949,98 Euro

Better: Kovee Pro 30 TLR

  • Weight/set: 1385 grams
  • Weight/rim: 375 grams
  • Hub: Rapid Drive 108 XC (straight-pull spokes)
  • Freewheel: XD
  • Brake disc mount: 6-hole
  • Price/set: 1399,98 Euro

Best: Kovee RSL 30 TLR

  • Weight/set: 1199 grams
  • Weight/rim: 315 grams
  • Hub: DT Swiss 240
  • Freewheel: Ratched EXP XD
  • Brake disc mount: Centerlock
  • Price/set: 2499,98 Euro
Kovee Pro 30 hub with straight-pull spokes.Photo: Trek BikesKovee Pro 30 hub with straight-pull spokes.

Sebastian Brust was born in 1979 and was originally socialised on his grandmother's folding bike, but has mainly been riding studded tyres since his fifth birthday. Loves all kinds of bikes - and merging with nature. Believes that disc brakes are much safer today than they were 15 years ago and thinks he has helped with his brake and pad tests. However, the trained vehicle technology engineer very much regrets that the bicycle industry is orientating itself on what he considers to be the wrong ideals of the car industry. At BIKE, he corrects, produces and organises digital content on the website.

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