Race Face ARC Carbon Fiber Offset 31 Rim
The Race Face ARC Carbon Offset 31 is the carbon version of the ARC trail rim: 31mm inside, an offset spoke bed that balances tension on a Boost rear wheel, and a hookless tubeless bead, in a carbon layup that takes the ARC's tough-and-sensible character up a level in stiffness and weight. It is the rim Race Face builds its Next R carbon wheels on, and buying it bare lets you lace it to the hub of your choice.
This page covers the Race Face ARC Carbon Fiber Offset 31 Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The ARC Carbon 31 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
Race Face molds the ARC Carbon 31 with a 31mm inner width for 2.4 to 2.6in trail tires and a hookless bead that seats tubeless tires reliably and is stronger than a hooked carbon bead at the same weight. The spoke bed is offset, which on a Boost rear brings drive-side and non-drive-side tension close to equal and on a front balances the rotor side; the offset is why ARC wheels stay true. The layup is tuned for trail and all-mountain riding with reinforcement at the bead wall where rock strikes land. External nipples, standard J-bend spokes, disc only.
Hookless beads need tubeless-ready tires and the pressure limits printed on the rim.
How it rides
An ARC Carbon 31 wheel is precise and quick. The carbon rim tracks straight through rock gardens where an alloy rim flexes, accelerates noticeably faster, and takes hits that would dent the alloy ARC 30. It is not the most compliant carbon trail rim on the market and it is not trying to be; it is a stiff, direct wheel at a price well below the boutique carbon rims.
For a wider bed the ARC Carbon 36 takes plus and wide trail tires; for a lighter budget the alloy ARC 30 gives the same offset design.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 599.6 (29in), 554 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 31 mm |
| Depth | 24 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 525g (700c/29in), 494g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 4.5 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 27.5in, 32h, about 525g, 31mm inside, 24mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the ARC 31 have their own listings; this page is for this one.
This is the disc-brake ARC 31: 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 ARC Carbon Fiber Offset 31 Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the ARC Carbon 31 on Race Face Vault hubs, DT Swiss 350 and 240, Industry Nine 1/1 and Hydra, 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 ARC Carbon 31 is 2.3 to 2.6in, tubeless-ready tires only. 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 tandem and e-bike, mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the Race Face Arc Carbon Fiber Offset 31 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 Race Face
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 ARC Carbon 31; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer, and Race Face's warranty rides with the rim. Offset rims need the spoke lengths calculated per side, which we do from the rim's measured ERD and offset; every ARC Carbon 31 wheel 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
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. 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.
ARC Carbon Fiber Offset 31 Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
31mm inside is an enduro width, meant for 2.3 to 2.6in tires. It gives a big casing a square, supported profile so you can drop pressure for grip without the tire folding, which is the whole point of a rim this wide.
What does hookless mean for the ARC Carbon 31?
Use tubeless-ready tires and stay under the maximum pressure printed on the rim; for a 2.5in trail tire that is far above what you would run anyway.
ARC Carbon 31 or alloy ARC 30?
Carbon for a stiffer, lighter, more precise wheel that resists dents; alloy for the same offset design at a much lower price.
Is the ARC Carbon 31 e-bike rated?
For trail e-bikes with the right spokes, yes. For heavy e-MTB use an alloy ARC Heavy Duty 30 is the safer choice.
Is the ARC Carbon 31 tubeless?
Yes. It is a hookless tubeless rim; we tape and fit a valve on request.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Race Face lists the ARC Carbon Fiber Offset 31 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.
