$1,400 Industry Nine Enduro 300 Wheelset - Long-Term Review 20

Endless debates brew in our forums surrounding the dark arts of spoke tension, rim material, and vertical and lateral compliance on ride quality. But if we take off our tinfoil hats, most of us are happy with wheels that can weather constant abuse, don't weigh a ton, and complement our shredding.  

Industry Nine's newly released Enduro 300 wheels put durability on a pedestal, delivering aggressive riders a hack-proof alloy wheelset with a competitive weight and carbon-like responsiveness. They do retail for $1,430 USD, but Industry Nine is wagering that the long-term durability, customization, hub performance, and solid ride feel will justify the investment. 

Highlights

• Intended use: aggressive all-mountain
• 27.5" and 29" (can be purchased individually or mixed)
• Triple cavity aluminum rim with Hollow Bead Wall design
• Asymmetrical rim profile
• 32 spoke count
• Inner rim width: 30mm
• Outer rim width: 37.6mm
• Tire width: 2.3" - 2.8"
• Max ride weight: 290 lbs (132 kgs)
• Approved for use on Class 1 e-bikes
• 11 customizable anodized colors
• Verified weight (29-inch): 1866 grams (front - 869g // rear - 997g)
• MSRP: $1,430+ USD 

Overview

The EN300 wheelset is made for high-intensity riding, where big impacts and high-stress situations are commonplace. Depending on your terrain or riding style, the wheels will perform best mounted to a 130-160mm travel bike, including e-bikes. Designed as a system with Industry Nine's iconic aluminum, straight pull spokes and high engagement, hissing Hydra hubs, it's what's on the inside that makes the EN300 unique. 

The rim features a triple-cavity design with a hollow bead wall extrusion that increases impact protection and overall structural support. The dual-wall bead is harder to crumple than a typical single-wall bead thanks to the extra bracing, and the extra width makes it less likely to penetrate sidewalls. The outer edge of the bead is also rounded to reduce pinch flats further. The rim profile is wide and fairly shallow, theoretically increasing radial or vertical compliance. An asymmetric spoke bead offers a more even spoke tension throughout the wheel, allowing the head of the nippleless spoke to sit flush. 

Despite the added cavity inside the rim, the EN300 only weighs 1,866g (dual 29-inch, XD driver), which is reasonable and competitive for an aluminum wheelset. For comparison, Reserve's 30|HD aluminum wheels weigh 2000g+, Specailized's latest Traverse Alloy wheels weigh 1900g, DT Swiss EX1700 Spline wheels weigh 1980g+, and Industry Nine's own EN325/310 carbon wheelset weighs 1740g.  

The EN300 wheels are only sold as completes but can be purchased individually front or rear. Every wheel is hand-built by one of Industry Nine's wheel gurus in Asheville, North Carolina, and is only available with their masterfully crafted Hydra hubs. Riders can order wheels through their local dealer or Industry Nine's online wheel configurator. There, you can pick between 11 anodized colors and go crazy with individual spoke and hub colors. Depending on how vibrant you make your wheels, or if you choose ceramic over steel bearings, it's possible to build a $2,000+ EN300 wheelset.   

While we are discussing price, let's address what everyone is thinking, "$1,400 for an aluminum wheelset?!" Yes, they're expensive, and you can get rolling on aluminum wheelsets for much cheaper. If price is the driving factor behind your next purchase, you are better off looking somewhere else for wheels. The most valuable 'selling points' of the EN300 wheels that can help justify the price tag are the bombproof rim design (they can take a beating, as I'll get into below), the Hydra hubs (since few aluminum wheels come with premium hubs), and the ability to build one-off wheelsets if you please.   

The downside is the limited 2-year warranty that only covers material and workmanship defects. Riders will have to decide if the cash saved up front to ride an Industry Nine aluminum wheelset is worth the lack of a lifetime warranty that accompanies carbon models. The EN300s carbon counterpart, the EN325/310, starts at $2,380 before custom colors are applied but carries a lifetime warranty to the original owner should you cause a failure. It's a tough call since we aren't talking about chump change, but that is the cost of doing business when riding premium components from brands like Industry Nine. 

On The Trail

Back in June, Industry Nine sent us a gold-spoked set of EN300 wheels that I slapped on a Transition Relay. Looking like Jaxson Riddle's doppelganger minus the super seat grabs, I rode the wheels all summer, smashing down trails in Tahoe, Portland, Bellingham, Squamish, Whistler Bike Park, and southern California. Wheel reviews are my favorite because they give me the green light to ride with minimal care. A stark contrast to my formative years of riding wheels well past their expiration date, I spent the summer deploying a pull-and-pray approach to line choice. It was awesome, freeing, and terrifying. 

I tested the wheels with the Relay as a mountain bike about 70% of the time and an e-bike about 30%. At 41 pounds with the battery removed, it was heavier than most bikes I imagine riders will pair the wheels with. I set up the wheels with a 2.5" WTB Vigilante up front in their Tough casing, and a 2.5" Vee Attack FSX in their GXE Core casing in the rear. Tire pressure ranged from 23-25psi in the front and 25-28psi in the rear. 

Hack-Proof Durability 

As I said at the beginning of this review, my favorite wheels give me the least trouble and provide a ride quality that compliments my riding. Durability before weight and predictability in any situation are my north stars of wheel performance. The EN300s have been just that: a worry-free wheelset that can take an impact right on the nose while delivering the support I desire for aggressive trail and enduro riding. 

They've emerged after nearly six months of what I'd call 'destructive testing' without requiring any maintenance, and despite my purposely poor line choice, I've only acquired one minor dent in the rear. Both wheels are as straight as the day they arrived, the rim tape is still lying flush, and hub bearings have yet to show signs of wear. No smoke and mirrors; they've simply worked day in and day out. 

The amount of abuse the EN300s have weathered places them at the top of my 'bombproof wheelset' list, carbon included. Two weeks in the Whistler Bike Park and trails in the surrounding valley solidified my confidence in the rim's ability to handle head-shaking impacts. I ran into plenty of rocks that caused audible rim dings and pulled over numerous times, expecting to have folded in the bead wall, but the stubbornness of the rim reigned victorious. Label me impressed. I sure wish I had had such durable rims a decade ago when I was racing downhill.  

I don't regularly pinch flat tires. Maybe it's my riding style; maybe it's Maybelline. I have no way of quantifying if the extra width from the triple cavity bead wall improved pinch flat and sidewall protection, but I've yet to slice a tire with the EN300 wheels. I'd expect most riders who ride the wheels will combine them with thicker casing tires, so the odds of damaging a sidewall are seemingly low. 

Ride-Feel and Support

The Relay was an awesome testing vessel due to its amount of travel and extra weight. The inability to meticulously pick lines, matched with the urge to recklessly attack trails, led to a lot of force being sent through the wheels. The EN300s delivered a deadened ride feel that was soft on the hands through chatter, matched with plenty of stiffness to withstand big compressions and tight corners. 

They never squirmed as I bounced through rocks and roots but took the edge off impacts just enough, making it easy to keep my front wheel tracking where I wanted. They delivered the calm ground feel that I love about aluminum rims, but with more support in high-energy situations that reminded me of carbon. Conveniently, I swapped to a carbon wheelset during my last few days in Whistler, and the difference in damping was quite noticeable. Support and wheel flex were comparable when loading up the wheels through corners or deep g-outs, but everywhere else, the EN300s rode softer, hugging the ground for a smoother ride. I also found it easier to gauge and find traction. 

Crazy solid when you want them to be, with none of the unwanted attributes of a 'stiff' wheelset, the EN300s made it easier to hold on down rough descents while still delivering support through ugly sections of trail. 

What's the Bottom Line?

It's hard to put a price on peace of mind. But for Industry Nine, that price is $1,430, and the return is a nearly unbreakable aluminum wheelset. Stiff, responsive, and built to power through big hits, the sweat sauce that makes the EN300s stand out is their damp feel that pays dividends in comfort and traction. 

Yes, they're more expensive and lack a lifetime warranty like some aluminum wheelsets. But I don't think that is a deal breaker. Industry Nine makes premium products, and the price reflects their craftsmanship and attention to detail. You match that with the ability of the EN300s to take a beating, and they don't need a lifetime warranty to withstand years of aggressive riding. 

For more information about the EN300 wheels, please visit industrynine.com.

View key specs, compare wheels, and review the Industry Nine Enduro 300 Wheelset in the Vital MTB Product Guide.

About The Tester

Jason Schroeder - Age: 28 // Years Riding MTB: 16 // Height: 6' (1.8m) // Weight: 180-pounds (79.3kg)

A once-upon-a-time World Cup downhill racer turned desk jockey, Jason has spent years within the bicycle industry from both sides of the tape. A fan of all-day adventures in the saddle or flowing around a bowl at the skatepark, he doesn't discriminate from any form of two-wheeled riding. A SoCal native who doesn't spend too much time in any single place, you can find Jason camped out in his van most weekends somewhere on the West Coast.