Derby Carbon TR 30I Disc Rim
These rims come from a small American maker who was building wide carbon mountain rims before the big brands caught on, and the TR 30i is the trail rim in the range: 29.5mm inside, made in the USA from unidirectional carbon with hookless walls a full 3mm thick and tubeless-ready bead-seat retention ridges that hold a tire at low pressure. The TR layup is Derby's trail layup, lighter than the DH; both take standard J-bend spokes and external nipples.
This page covers the Derby Carbon TR 30I Disc Rim in 29in. The Derby TR 30i comes from us only as a finished wheel: pick the hub, spokes and nipples, and we lace, tension and true it by hand in Georgia before it ships.
Design and construction
The rims are simple in the way good carbon rims are: a shallow hookless section with walls thick enough that a rock strike squeezes the tire rather than cutting it, a bead seat with a retention ridge that keeps a tubeless tire on at 18 psi, and a layup that puts the carbon where the loads are. The 30i takes 2.0 to 2.3in tires happily and 2.6in tires without complaint. The TR layup is for trail and all-mountain; the DH layup adds material for enduro and downhill and is rated for riders up to 300lb.
Every rim is molded in the USA, in 32 hole, disc only.
How it rides
A Derby TR 30i wheel is stiff, damped and hard to hurt, and it has a personality: these rims are wide and thick-walled, which makes a wheel that tracks straight through rock gardens and shrugs off hits that would dent an alloy rim, with a little more compliance than the stiffest big-brand carbon rims. The 30mm bed keeps a 2.4in tire square at low pressure.
For enduro and downhill the Derby DH 30i is tougher; for wider tires the TR 35i and 40i are wider. For trail riding on 2.3 to 2.6in tires, the TR 30i is the Derby rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 584 (29in) |
| Inner width | 29.5 mm |
| Depth | 31 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 495g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 28h, 32h, about 495g, 29.5mm inside, 31mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the TR 30i have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The disc version of the TR 30i has no brake track, so the sidewall is a plain extrusion that saves a little weight and never wears; it is the one to choose for any disc-brake frame. The rim-brake version, listed separately, has a machined sidewall.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Derby Carbon TR 30I Disc Rim comes in 29in and 28h, 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the TR 30i on Industry Nine Hydra 2 and 1/1, DT Swiss 350 and 240, Hope Pro 5, Onyx Vesper and Chris King MTB hubs, usually with Sapim Race, D-Light or CX-Sprint spokes or DT Competition, and brass nipples.
Tire range on the TR 30i is 2.2 to 2.6in, tubeless-ready tires only on the hookless bead. Pick your bike type and weight in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build a wheel around it
Offered for mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the DERBY CARBON TR 30i DISC RIM and the configurator pins it for you, then checks each choice you make against it.
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 pick.
Testing, standards and warranty at Derby
Derby Rims, based in Utah, designs its carbon rims in the US and has a partner factory in Asia make them; Derby states its rims were the first carbon rims strong enough for aggressive mountain bikers when it started in 2012. Derby publishes no laboratory impact or fatigue figures; it relies on ride testing. Derby states the Sol Rider line was tested by dozens of extreme MTB riders over 3 years with zero failures, including DH and Enduro racing and 35 foot gap jumps from 2018, and that the first Sol Rider was cracked in 2023 after more than 5 years. The Sol Rider uses Derby's Solstice layup, alternating a US-designed plastic composite fiber UD with UD carbon fiber; Derby states the plastic layers stretch under hard impacts to stop micro-fracturing, and that it was first with 3 mm thick hookless rim walls and bead seat retention ridges.
Derby's warranty is lifetime to the original owner: first replacement free within 5 years of purchase, later replacements 50% off MSRP; secondary owners get 50% off MSRP crash replacement regardless of age. Photos and serial number are required.
Certifications
- Warranty — Lifetime warranty to the original owner: first replacement free within 5 years of purchase, subsequent replacements 50% off MSRP; secondary owners 50% off MSRP warranty/crash replacement regardless of age; receipt, photos and serial number required (source)
Sources on Derby's site:
- Derby Rims - Rim Specs
- Derby Rims - Sol Rider
- Derby Rims - History
- Derby Rims - Terms, Warranty, Returns
- Derby Rims - FAQ
Derby publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
The TR 30i is made in the USA; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Every wheel we build on these rims gets spokes cut from the rim's measured ERD, is tensioned in stages with a gauge, stress-relieved and trued before it ships. Tubeless tape and a valve are fitted on request.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is live.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Derby warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by Derby and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Carbon TR 30I Disc Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 29.5mm inside this is a trail width, sized around 2.1 to 2.4in tires. That is wide enough to stop a modern trail casing rolling under you in a corner without pushing the tread so flat that it wears down the middle.
TR or DH layup?
TR for trail and all-mountain; DH for enduro, downhill and heavier riders, with a 300lb rider limit and more material at the bead and spoke bed.
Is the TR 30i hookless?
Yes. Use tubeless-ready tires and stay under the maximum pressure printed on the rim.
What tires fit the TR 30i?
2.2 to 2.6in. A 2.4in trail tire is the pairing most of our customers run.
Are these rims made in the USA?
Yes. Every rim is molded in the USA in small batches.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Derby lists the Carbon TR 30I Disc Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
Which spoke count should I choose?
It depends on your weight, terrain and the hub, not the rim alone. The configurator recommends a count from your bike type and rider weight, within the drillings this rim is made in.
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.
