BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
After establishing carbon wheels as mainstays in the high-performance wheel market, Chris King has introduced the MTN30 AL, an alloy mountain wheel said to rival the performance of its carbon forebear, with “increased durability and a dramatically lower price point.”
The business has been eager to do an aluminium King rim that would complement our hubs, and – as you’d expect of the brand – set some pretty big goals for the MTN30 AL wheelset.
Built around King’s legendary hubs, the MTN30 AL wheelset continues the company’s legacy of reliability, serviceability, and responsible manufacturing while still providing an unmatched ride quality reminiscent of the business’s carbon wheel offerings.
That obsessive attention to detail nature means “hours, days, months, and years riding, meeting, pouring over numbers, looking at shapes, talking about different grades of aluminium, as well as breaking rims in the lab”.
In sharing the news the business points out it “listened to riders out on the trails when they probably didn’t know we were listening and racked our brains on how to design an aluminium wheel to meet their needs”. So far, so Chris King.
Kirby Bedsaul president and GM, Chris King Precision Components, shares the following, as key objectives the team set for the development and delivery of an alloy wheelset include:
- Domestically manufactured ✅
- Compliance… we needed to find the sweet spot with the on-trail feel and good cornering performance. Aluminium can be jarring so we had to design some compliance into the rim ✅
- Strength… but there’s always a little trade-off to achieve compliance. Where’s that perfect zone ✅
- Reduce pinch flats and sidewall damage ✅
- Weight needed to be inline, not the lightest. Going too light compromises both strength and compliance ✅
- Tested on e-bikes ✅
- Crash replacement program ✅
- Timeless aesthetics to let the component colours lead the way ✅
Talk about the wheelset, Bedsaul comments: “We’re really stoked to introduce you to the new Chris King Precision Components MTN30AL wheelset. Since the start of this project, we have had the opportunity to ride so many different wheels. The CKPC team did a fantastic job at find the right balance.
Bedsaul also addresses price point head on, stating: “Yes, it might be a little more expensive, but when you actually do your research, and we did, it’s not really that much more for what you get. I don’t feel bad about our price at all. Matter of fact… I think it’s priced very well for what the consumer is getting.
Few Chris King fans, or long term riders, will question the logic behind “Quality and performance come at a cost”, and it’s here that Besaul reflects “I feel we nailed it. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to FusionFiber or carbon but still want the legendary King hub at the heart of the wheel… this is your new wheelset.”
Riders who buy the new MTN30AL wheelset will also be doing so knowing that, should they, at a later date, decide to upgrade to a FusionFiber / carbon rim later, that the hub can be moved over.
Specs. Specs. Specs.
The MTN30 AL is designed for trail and aggressive all-mountain riding. As with all King products, it is designed and manufactured in the US and comes in 29”, 27.5” and “mullet” mixed set configurations.
Rims come with a 2-year limited warranty against defects, a Lifetime Crash Replacement Program for the original owner, and hubs come with their usual King Lifetime Warranty.
Rim weights are 595g for 29”, and 565g for 27.5”.
MTN30 AL wheelsets will be built in-house at the King factory in Oregon using Sapim Race spokes and King Boost Centerlock, Boost 6-Bolt, or Superboost hubs.
UK RRP is TBC, whilst wheelsets are listed with a USA market MAP of $1250.
In the UK Chris King is distributed by Saddleback.
