Reserve 30 HD Carbon Fiber 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 Carbon Fiber Clincher Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The 30 HD 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
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 | 598 (29in), 559 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 30 mm |
| Depth | 20 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 516g (700c/29in), 497g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 3.6 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the 30 HD in 29in, 27.5in with 28h, 32h drilling, about 516g, 30mm inside, 20mm deep, disc. If you need it in another size or for the other brake type, it is listed separately.
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 Carbon Fiber Clincher Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 28h, 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. Tell the configurator your bike type and weight and it suggests a spoke count and lacing pattern to suit.
Build a wheel around it
Offered for mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the Reserve 30 Hd Carbon Fiber Clincher 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.
Reserve's testing and certifications
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)
The figures, certificates and media above are Reserve's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the rim.
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. The build is the same every time: measured ERD, spokes cut to the half millimeter, staged tensioning with a gauge, stress relief, a final true, and tubeless tape and a valve on request.
The configurator shows only hubs and spokes that match the 30 HD drilling, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel 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 Carbon Fiber 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 ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Reserve 30 HD Carbon Fiber Clincher Rim?
No. Reserve 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. Reserve lists the 30 HD Carbon Fiber Clincher 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.
