e*thirteen TRS Race SL carbon wheels review

Lowdown: e*thirteen TRS Race SL Carbon Wheels

The e*thirteen SL wheelset is targeted squarely at the trail segment. It utilizes technology developed for Enduro World Series and World Cup downhill racing, but distills it in a package that weighs considerably less. Despite the impressive weight savings, e*thirteen claims these wheels are two times tougher than their predecessors. Learn more in our full review below.



Review: e*thirteen TRS Race SL Carbon Wheels

The current e*thirteen product line is divided into two main categories. The LG1 goods are designed for World Cup DH, while the TRS bits are built enduro tough. The one category in the brand's portfolio that appears underrepresented is trail. But with its new SL line of TRSr components, e*thirteen is righting that wrong. The first product in this new category lineup is the TRS Race SL carbon wheelset.


Rim Shape

The new SL rim is based on the current TRS Race rim. That rim was built to survive EWS levels of abuse, which means the priority was strength, not weight. Coming in around 1800g for a 27.5" wheelset (or 1890g for the 29er version), it wasn't particularly light.

E*thirteen wanted to retain that durability, but made weight reduction an important goal for the SL. To get there, they revisited the carbon layup, reduced the overall sidewall thickness by 0.5mm (from 3mm to 2.5mm), and pushed out the internal rim width by one mm to 28mm.


These modifications allowed e*thirteen to shave 30g per rim. When compared as a total package, the new SL wheelset comes in at 150g (or about ⅓ of a pound) lighter than the TRS Race. What's even more impressive, is that the company claims they've also doubled overall rim strength.

Despite all these changes, the wheelset remains on the heavy side for this category. Both ENVE's M60 wheels (with DT hubs) and Ibis 935 wheels (with I9 hubs) are far lighter at 1572g and 1590g respectively.


Hubs

The rims are laced to the new SL hubs that share the same design ethos as the current TRSr hubs, such as larger flanges for better triangulation. However, they ditch the carbon shell. The new aluminum shell is easier to manufacturer and weighs virtually the same.


Inside, you'll find a double notched three pawl setup, which delivers 60 points of engagement or six degrees between engagement points.


Options

You can order an SL wheelset in just about any configuration (except 26"). If you order a non-boost wheelset, you'll receive 12x142/12x135/ and QR adapters. Both the boost and non-boost hubs are available with Shimano and XD freehubs. Every wheel ships with tubeless tape installed and e*thirteen tubeless valves.

The wheelset sells for $1599. A front wheel costs $675, the rear is $824. That may sound like a lot, but it's in line with what you'd expect from a quality carbon wheelset. For comparison, a set of Roval Fatties or custom built Nox hoops with Hope hubs will cost around $1500.


Install

The standard tubeless valves we use today are terrible. You could literally cut a valve out off a tube and get the same results. But e*thirteen's valves are different. They use a two-piece system. The inner portion slips through the rim, which the outer then threads over. Both pieces use captured O-rings to create a leak resistant seal. The entire system is designed to maximize airflow, helping make seating tires easier.


The only issue we encountered with these valves is they don't play nice with every pump head. Despite our best efforts, we could not get tires to inflate with either a Lezyne ABS2 or Birzman Snap It valve head. You can work around the issue by using a Presta to Schrader tool.

On the tire installation front, things went smoothly. We were able to mount a set of Maxxis tires with bare hands and minimal swearing. Once the tires were mounted and the valve issue sorted, the tires seated with a standard floor pump. No fancy tricks or chamber pumps required.

Ride Impressions

All the technical facts are fun to geek out about, but the real question is how do these wheels perform? I hate to dish the generic "laterally complaint, vertically stiff" mantra, but I'm going to disappoint myself. If you've ridden e*thirteen's other carbon offerings, you'll understand why. The wheels are pleasantly stiff. I was previously running a set of lightweight carbon wheels, but the SL is noticeable stiffer. It makes holding rough lines that much easier and slapping into berms that much more fun. With some manufacturers, that stiffness comes at a cost. Those wheels can feel overly harsh or pingy, but you never that get rough sensation from this e*thirteen wheelset.


Some riders will complain that the internal width is too narrow, but most trail riders are probably running 2.3" or 2.4" tires making this less of an issue. Our test wheels were set up with 2.3" rubber front and rear. With this combination and tire pressures in the low 20s, the tires had a nice rounded profile and zero burping issues. Overall, the 28mm inner diameter feels like a good compromise.

With only a partial season of testing on these wheels, it's hard to comment on long term durability, but so far everything is holding up nicely. Both wheels were true out of the box and evenly tensioned. After a few rides, they're no worse for the wear.

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