Nextie Premium VM carbon rim
The VM is Nextie's lightest Premium cross-country layup: 280 grams for a 29in rim with a 30mm inner width, and the rim Nextie filmed taking an 80-joule impact without failing. It is a Premium-edition rim with a three-year warranty.
Nextie designs and molds the rim; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. We build it into a complete wheel: pick the hub, spokes, nipples and lacing in the configurator and it ships laced, tensioned and trued.
Who it is for
The VM is for cross-country and marathon riders who want a light, modern-width carbon wheel without stepping up to the Supreme edition. The 30mm bed suits 2.2 to 2.4in race and down-country tires. Drilled 24, 28 or 32 holes, rated for a 137kg maximum system weight.
Sizes, weights and prices
1 size, in 29in / 700c, drilled 24h, 28h, 32h. Rim weights are Nextie's published figures; ERD is the effective rim diameter we cut spokes to, listed per wheel size.
| Size | Wheel | Inner width | Depth | ERD | Weight | Tire range | Drilling | Rim price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VM 35 | 29in / 700c | 30mm | - | 590 | 280g | 2.0-2.75in | 24, 28, 32 | $305 |
How it compares
The Supreme Omega 36U is the step up at 260 to 280 grams with a five-year warranty and a higher published impact figure. For trail and enduro, the Omega 36 adds reinforcement. The XD is the Premium downhill rim.
What the designations mean
Standard, Premium and Supreme
Nextie builds every rim in one of three editions. The mold is the same; the carbon grade, the spoke-bed process, the tolerances and the warranty step up with each tier.
| Standard | Premium | Supreme | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon fiber | Full Toray T700 | T700 with high-modulus T800 | T800 with ultra-light T1000 |
| Spoke bed | Standard layup | Independent mold for consistent spoke-hole thickness | Advanced Single-Point independent mold |
| Roundness / flatness | within 0.25mm | within 0.20mm | within 0.15mm |
| Factory warranty | 2 years | 3 years | 5 years |
| Built for | Reliable, cost-effective baseline | Balanced stiffness, deflection control and weight | Minimum weight with maximum impact resistance |
Tier specifications as published by Nextie.
Series codes
Every size in the list carries Nextie's own series code. Road and gravel codes are width classes, which set the tire size and the aero profile; MTB codes are duty cycles.
| Premium | Premium is Nextie's balanced edition: a T700 and high-modulus T800 carbon mix, an independent spoke-bed mold for consistent spoke-hole thickness, roundness and flatness within 0.20mm, and a 3-year factory warranty - stiffness, deflection control and weight in balance. |
|---|---|
| UM / VM / XM / XML / XD | Premium MTB duty codes: UM = XC ultralight, VM = the lightest Premium XC layup, XM = Trail / all-mountain (balanced compliance and multi-directional strength), XML = Enduro (about 30g more carbon than Trail, reinforced spoke bed and hooks), XD = Downhill (the thickest, most reinforced layup). |
Material and construction
The Nextie Premium VM is molded from carbon fiber in Nextie's Xiamen factory, in a UD (unidirectional) weave with a matte finish. Premium is Nextie's balanced edition: a T700 and high-modulus T800 carbon mix, an independent spoke-bed mold for consistent spoke-hole thickness, roundness and flatness within 0.20mm, and a 3-year factory warranty - stiffness, deflection control and weight in balance. The bed is tubeless-ready. Nextie rates this rim for a maximum system weight of 137Kg (rider plus bike and gear).
How Nextie tests the Premium VM
Nextie publishes its own lab results rather than a marketing line. Rims are impact-tested on a drop hammer to the UCI wheel-approval protocol and beyond it (a weighted hammer dropped onto the built, tensioned wheel until the rim fails, the energy recorded in joules), checked for positive and lateral stiffness under load, pulled to destruction at the spoke hole, measured for runout and roundness as a built wheel, and heat-soaked at 80°C for four hours. Every edition also carries a roundness and flatness tolerance, an ASTM riding-condition rating, a maximum system weight and a factory warranty, listed below.
Premium mountain rims are tested with a flat hammer and no tire, the UCI-style protocol: Nextie's video shows the 280g Alpha NXT29VM35U cross-country rim taking 80J (a 22.5kg hammer from 363mm on a 28-hole wheel at 120 to 130kgf spoke tension) without failing, which passes the Premium XC standard. The layup mixes Toray T700 and high-modulus T800 in an independent spoke-bed mold, roundness and flatness are held within 0.20mm, rims are rated ASTM condition 3 with a maximum system weight of about 137kg for the cross-country sizes, and the factory warranty is three years.
Nextie's test videos
Certifications
The UCI's wheel approval procedure is the only independent certification that exists for bicycle rims: a wheel built on the rim is impact-tested and inspected under the UCI's protocol before it may be raced in UCI-sanctioned road, cyclocross and gravel events, and the certificate is published. Nextie has held UCI approval since September 2021 and adds models each year; it also states that its factory holds SGS test certification and industry production-system certifications, and it rates every rim to an ASTM riding-condition class.
UCI wheel approval applies to road, cyclocross and gravel racing, not mountain biking, so no MTB rim carries a certificate; the approvals below are Nextie's road and gravel certificates, from the same factory and test lab.
- NXT45RC Premium road rim — UCI wheel approval, September 2021 (certificate PDF)
- Alpha 50 Supreme road wheel — UCI wheel approval, 8 October 2025 (certificate PDF)
- Alpha 40 Supreme road rim — UCI wheel approval, 29 May 2026 (certificate PDF)
- Alpha 45G Supreme gravel rim — UCI wheel approval, 21 July 2026 (certificate PDF)
- Alpha 55G Supreme gravel rim — UCI wheel approval, 21 July 2026 (certificate PDF)
Source documents on nextie.com:
Figures, certificates and media are Nextie's own, published on nextie.com; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not run these tests.
Weight
Nextie lists this rim at 280g. Rim weight is rotating weight at the outside of the wheel, so a gram saved here is felt more than a gram saved on the frame. The 30mm inner width decides the tire.
Value
The VM matches the weight of Supreme cross-country rims for much less, because the Premium T700 and T800 layup is where Nextie's factory-direct pricing pays off most. Built here on the hub you choose, a VM wheel set is the most cross-country wheel per dollar on the site.
How we build it
Choose the size, the wheel diameter and a drilling (24h, 28h, 32h), and the configurator only offers hubs, spokes and lacing patterns that can actually be built with that combination. Start a build with the Nextie Premium VM and the Custom Wheel Program opens with this rim already selected; from this page, the Build button carries the size, drilling and diameter you picked straight into the build. You can also send us a rim you already own with the supply-your-own option.
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.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Nextie warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by Nextie and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. Wheels we build around this part are covered by our own one-year warranty alongside the maker's. Within the year: broken spokes replaced regardless of cause, and the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning or a complete rebuild - included. A manufacturer-covered rim or hub failure is a claim we make and manage for you; one they will not cover is answered with an eligible replacement at 25% off retail. Shipping each way is yours. Parts you supply yourself fall outside it.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Nextie Premium VM questions
Is the VM the rim in Nextie's 80J impact video?
Yes. Nextie's video shows the 280-gram NXT29VM35U, this rim, taking 80 joules from a 22.5kg hammer on a 28-hole wheel without failing, which passes Nextie's Premium cross-country standard.
Is the VM suitable for trail riding?
It is a cross-country layup. For regular trail riding, rock gardens or heavier riders, the reinforced Omega 36 is the better rim.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Nextie Premium VM?
No. Nextie designs and manufactures the rim. ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia: we buy the rim from Nextie and build it into a finished wheel to your spec.
Can I buy the Nextie Premium VM on its own?
No. We supply Nextie rims only as part of a wheel we build, so every rim is laced, tensioned and trued here before it ships.
How long will the wheel take?
Build time comes down to parts availability rather than bench time. The estimated ship date is shown in the configurator before you check out.
Not sure which size? 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.
