Race Face ARC Offset 30 Rim
The Race Face ARC Offset 30 is the alloy trail rim we build when a customer wants a wide, tough, sensibly priced rim with one detail most alloy rims lack: an offset spoke bed. Race Face moves the nipple holes 4.5mm to one side, which brings drive-side and non-drive-side spoke tension close to equal on a Boost rear wheel and makes a stiffer, longer-lived wheel. The ARC 30 is extruded from 6069 alloy, which Race Face chose for a strength-to-weight ratio well above the old 6061 ARC, and it is tubeless-ready with a strong tire-retention bead. About 525 grams in 29in, 20mm deep, 32 hole.
This page covers the Race Face ARC Offset 30 Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The ARC 30 is not sold bare. You choose the hub and the rest of the build in the configurator, and it ships from our shop in Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
The ARC range shares one profile in four widths: 25, 30, 35 and 30mm inside, 20mm deep, with the spoke bed offset 4.5mm on every width except the 25, which gets 3mm. 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 against the non-rotor side. The result is a wheel that goes out of true less and can be built to higher, more even tension.
The 6069 alloy is stronger than the 6061 most alloy rims use, which let Race Face keep the ARC 30 light for its width. The bead is tubeless-ready with a pronounced retention lip that keeps a tire seated at low pressure. Standard nipples, J-bend spokes, disc only.
How it rides
An ARC 30 wheel is a wide, stable trail wheel. The 30mm bed gives a 2.4 to 2.6in tire a square, supportive shape at low pressure, the offset rear stays true far longer than a symmetric alloy rim, and the 6069 alloy takes rock strikes that would dent a softer rim. It is not the lightest 30mm alloy rim but it is one of the toughest at its weight.
For cross-country the ARC 25 is lighter; for plus tires the ARC 35 and 40 are wider; for downhill and e-bikes the ARC Heavy Duty 30 is stronger. For trail and all-mountain riding on 2.4 to 2.6in tires, the ARC 30 is the Race Face rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 598 (29in), 562 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 30 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 525g (700c/29in), 494g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 4.5 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
This listing
This is the 29in, 27.5in listing of the ARC 30, 28h, 32h, about 525g, 30mm inside, mm deep, disc. Pick the size that matches your frame; the profile and construction are the same across the range.
The disc version of the ARC 30 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 Race Face ARC Offset 30 Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 28h, 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the ARC 30 on Race Face's own Vault and Trace hubs, DT Swiss 350 and 240, Industry Nine 1/1 and Hydra, Hope Pro 5, Onyx Vesper and Bitex BX 211 hubs, usually with Sapim Race, D-Light or DT Competition spokes and brass nipples.
Tire range on the ARC 30 is 2.3 to 2.6in. Give the configurator your bike type and weight; it picks a sensible spoke count and lacing pattern, which you can override.
Build it with us
We build this rim to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the Race Face Arc Offset 30 Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for tandem and e-bike, 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.
What Race Face says about testing
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 30; 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 rim's measured ERD and offset; every ARC 30 wheel is tensioned in stages with a gauge, stress-relieved and trued before it ships. Tubeless tape and a valve are fitted on request.
In the configurator you will only see parts that fit this drilling; combinations that are not made are struck through, and the price updates as you pick.
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 Offset 30 Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 30mm 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.
What does offset mean on the ARC 30?
The spoke holes are moved 4.5mm off center, which evens out spoke tension between the two sides of a disc or geared wheel. The wheel stays true longer and can be built stiffer.
ARC 30 or AR 30?
The ARC is Race Face's current 6069-alloy rim; the AR is the earlier generation with the same offset design. Both build well; the ARC is stronger for its weight.
Is the ARC 30 tubeless?
Yes. It is tubeless-ready with a strong retention bead; we tape and fit a valve on request.
Is the ARC 30 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.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Race Face lists the ARC Offset 30 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.
