Reserve 30 HD Aluminum Clincher Rim
The Reserve 30|HD is the carbon rim Santa Cruz's wheel brand built for riders who break things. It has a 30mm inner width, a heavier layup than the 30|SL, an asymmetric profile with the spoke holes offset 4mm for even tension, and the lifetime warranty that made Reserve's name: if you break a 30 HD riding it, Reserve replaces it, no questions about how. It comes in 28 hole only, in 29in and 27.5in, for 2.3 to 2.6in tires.
This page covers the Reserve 30 HD Aluminum Clincher Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The 30 HD 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
Reserve lays up the 30 HD with more material in the bead wall and spoke bed than the 30|SL, which is where an enduro rim takes its abuse, and shapes the bead to spread a square-edged hit over a wider area. The 30mm inner width gives a 2.4 to 2.6in tire a stable, square profile at low pressure, and the hookless-style bead is tubeless from the box. The 4mm asymmetric offset brings drive-side and non-drive-side spoke tension closer together on a Boost rear, so the wheel stays true longer and the spokes live an easier life.
Reserve designs the rims in Santa Cruz, California, tests them to destruction on its own machines and on the Santa Cruz Syndicate downhill team, and molds them with external nipples so a wheel can be trued with ordinary tools. 28 hole, standard J-bend spokes.
How it rides
A 30 HD wheel is stiff, damped and hard to hurt. Reviewers who have ridden it in the rocks say the same thing we hear from customers: it takes hits that would dent an alloy rim and crack a lighter carbon rim, and it comes home true. The layup is tuned so the rim is not harsh; there is enough compliance that a long rocky descent does not beat your hands up the way some stiff carbon rims do.
The 30 HD is the rim for enduro, bike park and aggressive trail riding. For lighter trail and cross-country the 30|SL and 28|XC are quicker; the 30 HD is the one you buy when you would rather not think about your rims again.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 596 (29in), 558 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 30 mm |
| Depth | 22 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 580g (700c/29in), 540g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 3.6 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 27.5in, 32h, about 580g, 30mm inside, 22mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the 30 HD have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The disc version of the 30 HD 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 Reserve 30 HD Aluminum Clincher Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the 30 HD on Industry Nine Hydra and 1/1, DT Swiss 350 and 240, 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; Sapim Strong on the drive side for e-bikes.
Tire range on the 30 HD is 2.3 to 2.6in. Pick your bike type and weight in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Testing, standards and warranty at Reserve
Reserve Wheels, Santa Cruz Bicycles' wheel brand, designs and tests its rims in Santa Cruz, California. Reserve states its rim shapes were developed "with information from testing in our carbon lab" and that "each wheel goes through a thorough human and machine-aided inspection before it gets put in the box." Press coverage (NSMB, 2017) described the in-house impact test as one side of the rim landing on a square-edged rock from over 3 feet with a tire at 25 psi, unlike the UCI test that strikes both rim walls with a flat pad and no tire. Reserve publishes no joule or fatigue-cycle figures and does not state where the rims are molded.
Warranty: Reserve states a lifetime warranty for the original owner on any rim "damaged or destroyed by riding," with reduced-cost crash replacement for accidents. Aluminum rims are covered for dents that will not hold air, seam separation and spoke-hole cracks.
Reserve's videos
Certifications
- ASTM use classification — Dealer tech doc (7-10-26) lists ASTM Condition 1 (road), 2 (gravel), 3 (28|XC, 30|XC), 4 (30|SL, 30|HD carbon), 5 (30|HD AL, 30|DH, 31|DH) (source)
- E-bike approved — 30|HD and 30|DH product pages state E-Bike Approved: Yes (source)
- Lifetime warranty — Original owner, lifetime of the rim, registration required (Safety Instructions rev 12.19.2025) (source)
Sources on Reserve's site:
- Frequently Asked Questions – Reserve Wheels
- Our Promise To You – Reserve Wheels
- Reserve Engineering – Reserve Wheels
- Technical Documents – Reserve Wheels
- Reserve Wheels Safety Instructions (PDF, Dec 2025)
Reserve publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Reserve makes the 30 HD; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer, and the Reserve lifetime warranty rides with the rim. We measure the rim before we cut a spoke, bring the wheel up in three or four rounds with a gauge, stress-relieve it between rounds and true it last, then tape it and fit a valve if you want it tubeless.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is live.
Warranty
Reserve's warranty. Reserve, made by Santa Cruz Bicycles, covers its rims for the lifetime of the rim to the original owner: a rim broken while riding is replaced, and damage from a non-riding incident is covered by a low-cost crash-replacement program.
ProWheelBuilder. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
30 HD Aluminum Clincher 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 is the difference between the Reserve 30 HD and the 30 SL?
Same 30mm width and asymmetric profile. The 30 HD has a heavier, tougher layup for enduro and park; the 30 SL is lighter for trail riding.
Does the Reserve lifetime warranty apply to a rim bought here?
Yes. Reserve's lifetime warranty covers the rim regardless of who built the wheel; keep your order confirmation as proof of purchase.
Is the 30 HD e-bike rated?
Yes. Reserve approves its MTB rims for e-bikes; pair it with e-bike-rated spokes, which the configurator does when you pick e-bike.
Why 28 hole only?
Reserve designs the layup for 28 spokes at high tension, which is plenty for an enduro wheel on a modern hub and keeps the rim's weight down.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Reserve lists the 30 HD Aluminum Clincher 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? Email info@prowheelbuilder.com (fastest) or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
