Boyd Bracken Rim
Boyd's alloy trail rim at 30mm inside with a 3mm offset spoke bed - the shallow, tough one. It runs 30mm inside, which suits 2.2 to 2.6in MTB tires, and comes in 29in, 27.5in. Boyd Cycling design and roll their own rims in Greenville, South Carolina; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer.
We sell the Bracken as a hand-built wheel: pick the hub, spokes and nipples and we lace, tension and true it here.
Design and construction
The Bracken is a tubeless alloy rim aimed at trail riding. Boyd's alloy trail rim at 30mm inside with a 3mm offset spoke bed - the shallow, tough one.
The spoke bed is offset 3.0mm. That evens the spoke tension between the two sides of the wheel, which is most of why an offset rim holds its truth on a dished rear wheel.
How it rides
At 30mm internal it supports 2.2 to 2.6in MTB tires without the sidewall rolling in hard corners. In our own strength model it scores - out of 10 — a number worth reading against the other rims in the configurator rather than on its own.
Specifications
| Size | Inner | Outer | Depth | ERD | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29in | 30mm | 34mm | 19mm | 605 | 490g |
| 27.5in | 30mm | 34mm | 19mm | 567 | 475g |
Inner and outer width, depth and weight are Boyd's published figures. Boyd do not publish an ERD for this rim, so the figure above is derived from their depth using the constant we calibrated on Boyd's own rims, and our build team measures it on the first build. Boyd also publish rim NSD measurements, which is the number people most often mistake for ERD.
Build it into a wheel
This rim is live in our Custom Wheel Program for mountain bike and MTB single-speed builds. Start a build with the Boyd Bracken and the configurator opens with this exact rim pinned at the top of the Boyd list — you pick the hub, drilling, spokes and nipples, and it checks every combination as you go.
Spoke head is decided by the hub, not the rim: this rim builds equally well with J-bend or straight-pull spokes, and the configurator only offers the spokes that match the hub you choose.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
Available in 29in, 27.5in, disc brake only, for external nipples. Tubeless ready; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
Testing, standards and warranty at Boyd
Boyd roll their alloy rims in their own facility in Greenville, South Carolina, and brought carbon rim production to South Carolina in 2025 after acquiring Munich Composites. For impact they publish figures rather than adjectives — their Pinnacle Race is stated at 150 joules and the 55 Road Disc SL at 140J, against a UCI requirement of 40 joules — which is the kind of number worth comparing across brands.
Their repairs and warranty page covers the rim itself. ProWheelBuilder does not test rims; we report what Boyd publish and build to it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Spoke length comes from the measured hub and the rim's real ERD, and every wheel is laced, tensioned and trued by a person in Georgia rather than a machine.
Where the Bracken sits in Boyd's range
The Bracken is Boyd's aluminum mountain rim, 490g, offered here for cross-country and trail builds and listed in both 29in and 27.5in. Against the carbon Trailblazer it gives up about 100g; what it gives back is the thing aluminum always gives back - a rim that takes a rock strike and dents rather than cracks, and that costs a fraction to replace when it finally does. For a trail bike that sees rocks, that is a fair trade.
If the build is about outright weight, the Trailblazer is the one. If it is about a wheel you can stop worrying about, this is.
Warranty
Boyd's warranty. Boyd Cycling warrants carbon wheels bought new since 1 January 2018 for life against manufacturing defects and alloy wheels for three years, and runs a lifetime crash-replacement scheme that follows the wheel rather than the owner.
ProWheelBuilder. Built into a wheel by us, this part is covered by our own one-year wheel warranty on top of the maker's. For a year we replace broken spokes whatever caused them, and we cover the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild if it needs one. If a rim or hub fails and its maker covers it, we run that claim for you; if the maker says no, you get an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off retail. You pay the shipping each way. Wheels built from parts you send us are excluded.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Boyd Bracken questions
What tires fit?
2.2 to 2.6in MTB tires.
Can I have it with straight-pull spokes?
Yes — that is set by the hub you choose, not by the rim.
Is the ERD published?
No. Boyd publish depth and widths but not ERD, so ours is derived and then measured on the first build. We would rather tell you that than quote a number as gospel.
Which drilling should I choose?
It depends on your weight, terrain and the hub. The configurator recommends a count from your bike type and rider weight.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
