Race Face AR Offset 25 Rim
The Race Face AR Offset 25 is the cross-country and light-trail rim in the AR range: 25mm inside, 20mm deep, about 450 grams in 29in, welded alloy, with a 3mm offset spoke bed that balances tension on a Boost rear wheel. It is the rim for riders on 2.2 to 2.4in tires who want a light alloy wheel that stays true.
This page covers the Race Face AR Offset 25 Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The AR 25 is sold here only inside a wheel we build: choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator and the finished wheel ships from Georgia, laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
The AR range shares one profile in three widths: 25, 30 and 25mm inside, 20mm deep, with the spoke bed offset 4.5mm on the 30 and 35 and 3mm on the 25. Offsetting the bed toward the non-drive side narrows the difference in bracing angle between the two sides of a rear wheel, so both sides sit near their ideal tension; on a front disc wheel the same trick balances the rotor side. The result is a wheel that goes out of true less and can be built to higher, more even tension.
How it rides
An AR 25 wheel is quick. The rim is light enough that a cross-country wheelset on it accelerates well, and the 25mm bed keeps a 2.35in tire round and fast-rolling on hardpack. The offset rear holds true through a season in a way symmetric alloy rims do not.
For trail riding on 2.4in and wider tires the AR 30 is the better bed; for cross-country and down-country, the AR 25 is the Race Face rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 600 (29in), 562 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 25 mm |
| Depth | 19.5 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 470g (700c/29in), 448g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 3 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
This version
This version is the AR 25 in 29in, 27.5in, drilled 32h, about 470g, 25mm inside, 19.5mm deep, disc. Where the same rim is sold in another size or brake type, that is a separate listing with its own page.
This is the disc-brake AR 25: plain sidewalls, no brake track to wear, a touch lighter. It fits any disc-brake bike and it is the version most of our customers now build; the rim-brake version is a separate listing.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Race Face AR Offset 25 Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the AR 25 on Race Face Trace and Vault hubs, DT Swiss 350, 240 and 180, Industry Nine 1/1 and Hydra, Hope Pro 5 and Bitex BX 211 hubs, usually with Sapim Laser, D-Light or Race spokes or DT Competition, and brass or alloy nipples.
Tire range on the AR 25 is 2.1 to 2.4in. The configurator recommends spoke count and lacing from your bike type and weight.
Build it with us
We build this rim to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the Race Face AR Offset 25 Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed, touring, mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds, and the configurator will not let you assemble a combination we would not build.
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.
How Race Face tests its rims
Race Face publishes no impact-energy, fatigue-cycle or standards figures for its rims. Its ARC Offset, ARC HD Offset and Turbine alloy rims are made from 6069 aluminum, which Race Face states gives "superior strength" and a better strength-to-weight ratio than its earlier ARC rims; the asymmetric nipple bed is intended to balance spoke tension. The ARC Carbon rim uses a unidirectional carbon layup at 24mm height with 4.5mm offset. Turbine and Era rims carry the Anvil Edge, a wider 2.5mm rim edge that "disperses the energy of a pinch flat across a broader, flatter surface."
Warranty: Race Face states that wheels are covered by its Lifetime Warranty, "Crashes Included," which "covers all product failures related to riding, inclusive of crashes." Race Face states that if you dent or flat spot a Turbine rim and the tire still holds air, the warranty does not apply, and that roof-rack or intentional damage is excluded. In countries such as Germany the coverage runs 10 years. Products not covered may receive a crash-replacement discount.
Certifications
- Lifetime Warranty, Crashes Included — Wheels and ARC/Turbine rims covered for riding failures including crashes; 10-year term in countries such as Germany (source)
- System weight rating (Era wheels) — 140kg (306 lbs); eMTB maximum drive assist torque 65Nm (source)
Sources on Race Face's site:
- Explore Lifetime Warranty – Race Face
- Warranty Information – Race Face
- Turbine is the Alloy Answer to MTB Wheels – Race Face
- ARC Offset Rim – Race Face
- ARC HD Offset Rim – Race Face
The figures, certificates and media above are Race Face's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the rim.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Race Face makes the AR 25; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Offset rims need the spoke lengths calculated per side, which we do from the AR 25's measured ERD and offset; every AR 25 wheel is tensioned in stages with a gauge, stress-relieved and trued before it ships. Tubeless tape and a valve are fitted on request.
The configurator filters to what fits, crosses out what is not made, and prices the build as you go.
Warranty
Race Face's warranty. Race Face's lifetime warranty covers many of its hard goods, wheels included, and extends to parts broken while riding. Products outside that program are covered for two years, or longer where local law requires. In countries that restrict lifetime warranty claims the term is stated as ten years.
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.
AR Offset 25 Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
25mm inside is the all-road and gravel width. Think 32 to 45mm tires: wide enough to support a gravel casing properly so it holds its shape at low pressure, narrow enough that a 30mm road tire still sits right if you swap wheels between bikes.
What does offset mean on the AR 25?
The spoke holes are moved 3mm off center, which evens out spoke tension between the two sides of a disc or geared wheel. The AR 25 stays true longer and can be built stiffer.
Is the AR 25 tubeless?
Yes. The AR 25 is tubeless-ready with a strong retention bead; we tape and fit a valve on request.
Is the AR 25 e-bike rated?
For light trail e-bikes with the right spokes, yes. For heavy e-MTB use Race Face makes the ARC Heavy Duty 30.
Which spokes suit the AR 25?
Sapim Race or D-Light, or DT Competition, with brass nipples for most riders; the configurator recommends from your weight and bike type.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Race Face AR Offset 25 Rim?
No. Race Face makes the rim. ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia that builds it into a finished wheel to your spec.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Race Face lists the AR Offset 25 Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
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.
