Industry Nine Grade 300 Wheels Review

Industry Nine manufactures some of the nicest mountain bike and road bike wheelsets on the market. Their wheels are all designed, machined, anodized, and assembled right in Asheville, North Carolina. Here in this review, Max Morgan is going to be riding the all new Industry Nine Grade 300 downhill wheelset that was released in fall of 2017. When the Grade 300s were first revealed, we were immediately excited to get out and test the new wheels. 

Wheelset Specification

The Grade 300 wheels are Industry Nine's premier downhill offering, designed and built for punishment. After a huge success with Industry Nine's Enduro 305 rims, the Grade 300 rims follow a very similar design and can be thought of as a big brother to the Enduro 305.

The new Grade 300 rim is designed for more impact resistance, an optimized 30mm inner rim width, significantly improved strength to weight ratio, larger tire bead seat for improved tubeless perfromance, and narrower rim bed channel for easier tubeless inflation.

Other than the rim design, the rest of Grade 300 wheelset remains the same, using the same unique aluminum spoke chassis and quick engagement Torch hubs. Now let's check out what Max thinks about the all new Industry Nine Grade 300 wheels!

Riding and Performance

Pros 

• Mounting Tires Tubeless - Most of the time I am able to get a downhill tire mounted on to the rim for a tubeless setup without using any tire levers. That was certainly the case with the previous I9 Grade rims. Even though it was a little bit tougher to get the tire on to the Grade 300 rim, the tight fit made it super easy to air up the tire tubeless. I threw on a used set of Maxxis tires on to the Grade 300s and aired them up tubeless with just a tire pump no problem. No air compressor needed!

• New Graphics - At the same time Industry Nine released these new wheels, they also introduced a new logo and rim graphics that will be used on future wheels. I know in the past customers and OEM hesitated towards Industry Nine wheels because the rims had some red color in them. I personally didn't think that would be a big issue but I guess the new updated graphics are more color neutral and I think they look pretty sweet.

• Impact Resistance - The new Grade 300 is most definitely a step in the right direction. When it comes to impact resistance, they are an improvement compared to the previous Grade and Enduro 305 rim. Overall, they ride and feel like a stouter version of the Enduro 305. The old Grade rim I think was more designed to be used with tubes even though it could easily be setup tubeless. The Grade 300 rim doesn't fold over compromising the rim air in your tires on those large impacts. Right now this is my choice for wheels and rims on my downhill bike. 

• Torch Hubs - Industry Nine claims the driver mechanism can withstand 700 ft lbs of torque. That is just insane! The 3 degrees of engagement feels like an almost immediate power transfer on the trail and in my opinion, the Torch hubs have a really nice sound. For those who think the Industry Nine hubs are too loud, try a different freehub lube for a different sound. 

• Aluminum Spokes - While most classic J-bend spokes are steel, Industry Nine Torch spoke chassis uses aluminum thick gauge spokes that thread directly into the hub shell. The aluminum spokes keep the overall weight of the wheels down and give them good lateral stiffness. All of Industry Nine's spokes and hubs can be anodized in 11 different colors and assembled in any custom combination. That is pretty sweet I think. Get exactly what you want to match your bike. Industry Nine Ano Lab

• Quality - Everything Industry Nine makes you can expect to be top of the line quality. You pay for what you get and these wheels might as well also be considered a piece of art to hang on the wall. The fit and finish is top notch and that's what everyone seems to love about Industry Nine. To learn more about how all i9 wheels are made, scroll all the way down to check out their Made With Love video.

Cons

• Expensive - Industry Nine Torch wheels aren't cheep. They will cost you a pretty penny, but in the end you do get what you pay for. They also offer their S series wheels at a lower price point, which use Industry Nine Classic hubs and steel J bend spokes mounted to the same rims.

• With Torch Series, You Can Only Use Industry Nine Spokes - If you were to break  a spoke, you can only use Industry Nine spokes. It is important to have a few extra laying around. Thankfully they give you two spokes extra per wheel just in case. 

What's The Bottom Line?

The Industry Nine Grade 300 wheels are a much needed revision to the outdated previous Grade rims. The Grade 300 wheelset uses Industry Nine's unique aluminum spoke design and popular Torch series hubs to create a top of the line product. The all new Grade 300 rim looks like a beefed up version of their popular Enduro 305 rim. This new design made the rims more durable and impact resistant on the trail. With a 30mm internal rim width, the Grade 300 wheels gave the Maxxis Shorty and Maxxis DHR II tires used here a nice shape that wasn't too round or too square.  

If you are looking to special order the Industry Nine Grade 300 Wheels, please contact us here. If you are interested in any other I9 Wheelsets, click the link below.

About Me

Max Morgan is 25 years old, and lives in Brevard, North Carolina. Max grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and started racing downhill at the age of 15. He has now been racing professionally for the last 7 years, competing in the U.S. Pro GRT series and UCI World Cup series. Check out Max's rider spotlight here! 

Also check out Max's latest edit riding at Neko Mulally's Windrock Bike Park.
Instagram: @mxmorgan77

Industry Nine Made With Love Video