Trade 9 (i9) earned its status by creating bulletproof, lovely billet aluminum elements in Asheville, N.C. Its mountain bike hubs earned an envious place as a best choice for riders constructing high-end customized wheelsets. The Solix SL AR40c companions the acquainted i9 hub design ethos with its personal new, fashionable carbon all-road rims.
I examined the Trade 9 Solix SL AR40c wheels for 10 months on a gravel bike that I used when there was a considerable quantity of pavement on the deliberate route. In my space, tough, blown-out chip seal roads barely large enough for 2 lanes join sections of hard-packed caliche byways. The typical velocity of those rides was on the quick facet of my multisurface jaunts.
Briefly: The Trade 9 Solix SL AR40c all-road wheelset proved to be a high-performance alternative for cyclists who need to go quick on each tarmac and filth roads. It closely skewed towards the quick and environment friendly facet of the size versus the adventurous and cozy finish. The Solix wheels are a great alternative for gravel racing, and the hubs backed up the i9’s status for creating bulletproof however engaging merchandise.
On the lookout for a brand new gravel rig? Try our information on the greatest present gravel bikes.
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Quick and environment friendly really feel -
Trade 9’s status for sturdy, serviceable hubs -
Mild for the rim depth -
12 out there anodized colours for hubs and spoke nipples
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Straight-pull, direct thread spokes may be exhausting to search out -
Not as snug as extra adventure-oriented gravel wheels
Trade 9 Solix SL AR40c Evaluation
The numbers on the Solix SL AR40c level towards gravel racing or quick all-road/gravel driving. Trade 9 affords this wheelset in 700c solely, and the MSRP is $2,330.
These i9 Solix SL Hubs
It doesn’t do justice to not focus a bit on the Solix SL hubs, as Trade 9 has solid a rock-solid status for producing a number of the greatest.
The aesthetics of the Solix SL hubs are exhausting to miss. The straight-pull hub shells are immaculately milled and completed, and i9 affords them in 12 colours. Clients also can specify the colour of the spoke nipples.
The patented freehub mechanism makes use of 5 spring-loaded pawls to mate with a 121-tooth drive ring. This produces an unbelievable 605 factors of engagement for a 0.59-degree engagement angle. Of all of the hub specs, this group of numbers is essentially the most spectacular.
The billet aluminum hub shells have a deeply scalloped, minimalist-looking physique, which Trade 9 claims maintains power whereas shaving weight. The bearings are the identical measurement on the drive and non-drive facet, which isn’t all the time the case. i9 claims this equalizes the load positioned on the hub shells. Moreover, the radial lip seals on these bearings are user-replaceable.
The Trade 9 Solix SL hub’s direct-thread holes are configured for CX-Ray bladed spokes laced in a two-cross sample. i9 solely affords the Solix SL hub with Heart Lock brake rotor mounts.
AR40 Carbon Rims
To go together with the brand new Solix SL hub, the model laced it to a brand new AR40 carbon rim. From the surface, the i9 rim seems like many mid-deep aero highway rims. However the AR40 rim does have one function that’s changing into much less widespread — a hooked sidewall that may be a stout 4mm thick.
The model states that the hooked rim permits larger air pressures with out growing the chances of tire blow-off, and the thick bead space protects the tire higher towards pinch flats by spreading influence forces. Trade 9 states that the layup is purposefully strong to raised match the potential abuse of gravel driving.
As is the development, gravel wheelsets are more and more targeted on aerodynamic effectivity. And i9 used Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and claims that the rim profile was chosen to fend off the results of crosswinds whereas nonetheless being aerodynamically environment friendly for tires as much as 42mm extensive.
Driving the Trade 9 Solix SL 40c Wheelset
The Trade 9 Solix SL AR40c wheels felt environment friendly immediately. It wasn’t delicate; it was apparent that this wheelset i9 aimed the wheels at gravel racing or high-performance driving.
Solix SL Hub Efficiency
The very first thing I felt was the freehub’s extremely fast engagement. The tiniest ahead pedaling movement locked the rear hub into drive mode. I by no means felt any “spooling up” or hesitation, and the engagement didn’t produce any noticeable suggestions. It immediately, easily, and quietly turned chain rigidity into ahead drive — and this sensation was compared to a number of the costliest wheels on the planet.
Trade 9 hubs have a widespread status for producing the sweetest free-coasting sound. Certainly, the sound of that freehub after I stopped pedaling was such a delight (to a complete bike dork) that I discovered myself sacrificing ahead momentum simply to hearken to it intently.
Dealing with
The edges delivered an analogous racy vibe because the hubs. The AR40c rims felt very stiff laterally in comparison with different gravel-oriented wheels. This additionally meant they weren’t as vertically compliant because the extra adventure-oriented wheels I used to be concurrently driving. They undoubtedly felt constructed for velocity over offering consolation.
I opted to max out the tire width at 42mm and run decrease pressures to fight the vertical stiffness of the carbon rims. This was the candy spot for me for the standard longer rides I do round my house.
Loops of hard-packed and rock-strewn gravel linked collectively by tough and poorly-maintained chip seal roads. The Solix SL 40c wheels with the 42 mm extensive tires, inflated to the excessive 20s, felt quick and environment friendly sufficient on the roads whereas nonetheless giving me sufficient bump compliance and traction within the filth.
The wheels’ lateral stoutness paid off huge time within the dealing with division. The Trade 9 Solix SL AR40c wheels made carving the gaps between embedded rocks really feel telepathic. Once I needed to decelerate to select my method by way of basketball-sized rocks, the torsional stiffness was appreciated; I by no means had that unnerving feeling that I needed to exaggerate steering inputs to compensate for a entrance hub twisting throughout the wheel.
These wheels will not be for touring or cruising. They’re greatest suited for individuals who have section targets on Strava and perceive {that a} stage of stiffness within the wheels is critical to ship an environment friendly and quick really feel. The wheelset’s claimed weight of 1,430 g reinforces the necessity for velocity ethos.
Sturdiness
I handled the Trade 9 Solix SL AR40c wheels like several wheelset focused towards filth: poorly. I by no means washed them, even once they had a thick coat of mud on them, and I couldn’t inform what shade the hubs have been. However I did let torrential rain try this for me. Though i9 labels them as all-road wheels, a good portion of my native gravel roads simply qualify as tough gravel territory.
The axles spun extra easily and freely between my fingers than after I unboxed the wheels. Credit score the tip cap-mounted proximity seal and radial contact seal on the ABEC 5 Enduro bearings for conserving the bearings clear.
Ought to you have to service something, the Solix SL hubs use widespread meeting; swapping the available bearings may be accomplished with a typical bearing press. The one factor that I thought of “non-standard” was the direct-thread spokes, which aren’t as out there as J-bend spokes.
Trade 9 constructed a well-deserved status for sturdiness and serviceability with its mountain bike hubs, and I strongly suspect the Solix SL hubs would be the identical.
The wheels spun as true after 10 months of driving because the day I first mounted tires. A lifetime guarantee covers the edges towards defects and influence injury.
Conclusions: i9 Solix SL AR40c Gravel/All-Street Wheelset
Gravel racing and high-performance driving are having a second. Some lament that the adventuresome “spirit of gravel” appears to be dying a sluggish demise. People appear unable to withstand racing or pushing private efficiency.
This was my go-to wheelset for the complete testing interval when any vital quantity of highway miles was on the menu. I appreciated the quick and environment friendly really feel whereas making an attempt to beat encroaching darkness or warmth. The moment engagement of the freehub added to the sensation that I used to be spinning wheels crafted to interrupt private bests.
The wheels additionally felt like merchandise of tremendous and meticulous craftsmanship, and understanding i9 fabricated them within the path city of Asheville was a welcome bonus.
The worth is steep however within the ballpark of different premium carbon wheelsets made within the U.S. Nonetheless, homeowners can take consolation in the truth that the hubs are serviceable, the bearings are widespread, and each different half is replaceable. And, Trade 9 backs its carbon rim with a lifetime guarantee.
In case you have a look at Strava section standings and curse the rider that always steals your KOM, the Trade 9 Solix SL AR40c all-road wheelset is price consideration.