Race Face ARC Carbon Fiber Offset 36 Rim
The Race Face ARC Carbon Offset 36 is the wide carbon rim in the ARC range: 36mm inside for 2.6 to 2.8in tires, an offset spoke bed that balances tension on a Boost rear wheel, and a hookless tubeless bead, in a carbon layup that gives a wide-tire trail bike a stiff, light wheel with the biggest footprint the ARC family offers. It is the rim Race Face builds its widest Next carbon wheels on.
This page covers the Race Face ARC Carbon Fiber Offset 36 Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The ARC Carbon 36 is built to order here. Choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator; the wheel leaves Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
Design and construction
Race Face molds the ARC Carbon 31 with a 36mm 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.
How it rides
An ARC Carbon 36 wheel with a 2.6in tire is grip and precision together: the wide bed lets you run the tire soft, the carbon rim keeps the wheel tracking straight, and the offset rear stays true. It is lighter than the alloy ARC 35 and 40 by a margin you feel on every climb.
For 2.4 to 2.5in tires the ARC Carbon 31 is the better bed; for 2.6 to 2.8in, the ARC Carbon 36 is the Race Face rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 599.6 (29in), 554 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 36 mm |
| Depth | 24 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 563g (700c/29in), 530g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 4.5 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the ARC 36 in 29in, 27.5in with 32h drilling, about 563g, 36mm inside, 24mm deep, disc. If you need it in another size or for the other brake type, it is listed separately.
This is the disc-brake ARC 36: 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 36 Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the ARC Carbon 36 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 36 is 2.5 to 2.8in, tubeless-ready tires only. Tell the configurator your bike type and weight and it suggests a spoke count and lacing pattern to suit.
Build it into a wheel
This rim is live in our Custom Wheel Program for tandem and e-bike, mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds. Start a build with the Race Face Arc Carbon Fiber Offset 36 Rim and the configurator opens with this exact rim pinned at the top of the Race Face list — you choose the rest of the parts and it validates 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 pick.
Race Face's testing and certifications
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
Everything in this section is published by Race Face. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the rim reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Race Face makes the ARC Carbon 36; 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 ARC Carbon 36's measured ERD and offset; every ARC Carbon 36 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 shows only hubs and spokes that match the ARC Carbon 36 drilling, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel 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 36 Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 36mm inside this is a plus or fat width, for tires from about 2.6in upward. Running a narrow tire on a rim this wide leaves the casing stretched and vague, so match it to the tire it was designed around.
What does offset mean on the ARC Carbon 36?
The spoke holes are moved to one side off center, which evens out spoke tension between the two sides of a disc or geared wheel. The ARC Carbon 36 stays true longer and can be built stiffer.
Is the ARC Carbon 36 tubeless?
Yes. The ARC Carbon 36 is tubeless-ready with a strong retention bead; we tape and fit a valve on request.
Is the ARC Carbon 36 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 ARC Carbon 36?
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 ARC Carbon Fiber Offset 36 Rim?
No. The rim is made by Race Face; we are the wheel builder in Georgia who laces it into a finished wheel to your spec and stands behind the build.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Race Face lists the ARC Carbon Fiber Offset 36 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.
