Spank 359 Spike Vibracore With White Decal Rim
The Spank Spike 359 Vibrocore is the 29in downhill and freeride rim in the range, and it has a trick nobody else uses: a biodegradable foam core inside the rim section that damps the vibration a hard alloy rim transmits to your hands and raises the inner wall's strength and fatigue life, for about 40 grams. The Spike 359 is rated ASTM category 5 for downhill, freeride, e-bike and all-mountain use, has a 30.5mm inner width for 2.0 to 2.6in tires and plus sizes, and uses the Sacred Geometry hollow bead wall and Bead Bite tubeless hooks to resist pinch flats and hold the tire at low pressure.
This page covers the Spank 359 Spike Vibracore With White Decal Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The Spike 359 Vibrocore 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
Vibrocore is a closed-cell foam that the factory injects into the rim cavity; it weighs almost nothing, damps the high-frequency buzz that an alloy rim carries from the trail to the handlebar, and supports the inner rim wall so it resists denting and fatigue. Sacred Geometry is the hollow, oval bead wall, which spreads a rock strike over a wide, rounded surface instead of a sharp edge, and Bead Bite is the pair of ridges on the bead shelf that lock a tubeless tire in place at low pressure. The Spike profile is 19mm deep and 30.5mm wide inside, welded, in 32 hole.
The Spike 359 is the 29in Vibrocore rim; the Spike 369 is the 27.5in version; the Spike Race 33 is the 27.5 and 26in race rim. Standard nipples, J-bend spokes, disc only.
How it rides
A Spike 359 Vibrocore wheel is the alloy downhill wheel that does not beat you up. The foam core takes a surprising amount of the chatter out of a rock garden, the hollow bead wall shrugs off strikes that would flat-spot a conventional rim, and the Bead Bite ridges keep a 2.5in tire seated at 18 psi. It is heavier than a trail rim and it is not trying to be light; it is trying to survive a season of park laps, and it does.
For 27.5in bikes the Spike 369 Vibrocore is the same rim; for downhill, freeride, park and e-bikes on 29in wheels, the Spike 359 Vibrocore is the rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 602 (29in), 564 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 30.5 mm |
| Depth | 19 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 610g (700c/29in), 574g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
This listing
This is the 29in, 27.5in listing of the Spike 359 Vibrocore, 32h, about 610g, 30.5mm inside, 19mm deep, disc. Pick the size that matches your frame; the profile and construction are the same across the range.
The disc version of the Spike 359 Vibrocore 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 Spank 359 Spike Vibracore With White Decal Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the Spike 359 on Spank Hex hubs, Industry Nine Hydra 2, DT Swiss 350, Hope Pro 5, Onyx Classic and Chris King MTB hubs, usually with Sapim Race, Strong or CX-Sprint spokes or DT Competition and Alpine III, and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Spike 359 is 2.3 to 2.6in, with plus tires possible. Pick downhill, freeride or e-bike as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
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 Spank 359 Spike Vibracore With White Decal Rim and the configurator opens with this exact rim pinned at the top of the Spank 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.
What Spank says about testing
Spank states its rims are "precision handcrafted in our own factory, FRATELLI INDUSTRIES" and that "Each rim undergoes 12 quality control checks before it reaches you." Rims are sleeved rather than welded; Spank states "A sleeved joint also offers the highest strength-to-weight ratio", and rims are shotpeen finished so "no material is removed". Vibrocore models carry a foam inner well that Spank states "reduces the transmission of harmful vibration frequencies & increases the fatigue life of the rim". Vital MTB's factory tour reported seam tests to 180Kg and impact testing to "3 times the international standard, or 2.5million impacts with 150lb".
Warranty is "two (2) years from the original date of purchase" against defects, excluding wear, impact and e-bikes outside the EPAC / Class 1 standard. Crash replacement for the original owner gives 50% off MSRP under 1 year, 40% at 1 to 2 years and 30% at 2 to 3 years.
Spank's videos
From Spank
Certifications
- In-house test lab correlated with SGS — Spank states EN/ISO, internal and Electric+ tests are run in-house and "regularly correlated within 3rd Party Test Labs such as SGS" (source)
- EN/ISO test requirement doubled (Spank internal standard) — "Our more extreme SPANK Internal Test Requirement, doubles EN/ISO testing severity" (source)
- Made in own factory, Taiwan — "precision handcrafted in our own factory, FRATELLI INDUSTRIES"; HQ in Taichung, Taiwan (source)
- ASTM 4 & 5 / Electric+ e-bike qualification — Products recommended for ASTM 4 & 5 are rated suitable for E-MTB (pedelec) use under Spank's Electric+ standard (source)
Sources on Spank's site:
- SPANK Buyers' Guide - Rims
- SPANK Industries Rim Chart (PDF)
- SPANK 359 Vibrocore Rim
- SPANK 350 Vibrocore Rim
- SPANK Warranty Application
Spank publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
The Spike 359 is made by Spank; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Every Spike wheel we build gets spokes cut from the rim's measured ERD, 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
Manufacturer's warranty. Spank warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by Spank and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
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.
359 Spike Vibracore With White Decal Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 30.5mm 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 Vibrocore?
A biodegradable closed-cell foam injected into the rim cavity that damps vibration and supports the inner rim wall, raising strength and fatigue life for about 40 grams.
Spike 359 or 369?
359 is 29in; 369 is 27.5in. Same profile, same Vibrocore, same ASTM-5 rating.
Is the Spike 359 e-bike rated?
Yes. ASTM category 5 covers downhill, freeride, e-bike and all-mountain use.
Is the Spike 359 tubeless?
Yes. The Bead Bite hooks hold a tubeless tire at low pressure; we tape and fit a valve on request.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Spank lists the 359 Spike Vibracore With White Decal Rim as a clincher rim. Ask us about tubeless conversion if you need it.
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.
