Teravail Fluent Carbon Rim
The Teravail Fluent is the carbon mountain rim from the tire company, and it is a well thought-out one: 30mm inside, 25mm deep, about 450 grams, hookless with an extra-thick bead flange that resists pinch flats and rim damage, tested to ASTM category 3 for trail and all-mountain use, with front- and rear-specific drilling that improves the bracing angles on each wheel, a reinforced spoke bed built with washers, and a lifetime warranty. It comes in 29in with 28 and 32 hole for 2.4 to 2.6in tires, and it is happy with anything from a 42mm gravel tire to a 3.0in plus tire.
This page covers the Teravail Fluent Carbon Rim in 29in. The Fluent 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
Teravail shaped the Fluent's bead flange thicker than most hookless rims, which is where a carbon rim takes rock strikes, and gave it a 30mm inner width that squares up a 2.5in tire at low pressure. The spoke holes are drilled differently for front and rear rims so each wheel gets the best bracing angle for its hub, and the spoke bed is reinforced and built with washers to spread nipple load. Teravail recommends one layer of its 33mm tubeless tape per rim. External nipples, standard J-bend spokes, disc only, lifetime warranty.
How it rides
A Fluent wheel is stiff, precise and tough. The thick flange takes the strikes that crack lighter hookless rims, the 30mm bed keeps a 2.5in tire stable, and the front- and rear-specific drilling makes a wheelset that builds to even tension and stays true. It is a trail and all-mountain rim at a sensible carbon price with a warranty for life, and it is a rim we recommend for trail bikes on 29in wheels.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 592 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 30 mm |
| Depth | 25 mm |
| Drillings | 28h |
| Weight | 525g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 28h, about 525g, 30mm inside, 25mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the Fluent have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The disc version of the Fluent 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 Teravail Fluent Carbon Rim comes in 29in and 28h drilling, in front- and rear-specific versions; check the name on this page. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the Fluent on Industry Nine Hydra 2 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 with the supplied washers.
Tire range on the Fluent is 2.3 to 2.6in, with 42mm to 3.0in compatible, tubeless-ready tires only on the hookless bead. Pick your bike type and weight in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Testing, standards and warranty at Teravail
Teravail, a Quality Bicycle Products brand in Bloomington, Minnesota, offers two carbon rims: the Circos gravel rim (30 mm internal, 30 mm deep, hookless, 370 g, 38-55 mm tires) and the Fluent trail rim (30 mm internal, 25 mm deep, hookless, 450 g, 50-71 mm tires). Both are ETRTO compliant and disc-only. Complete wheels are hand-laced, tensioned and trued in Minnesota; Bikepacking.com lists the rims' place of manufacture as Taiwan.
Published limits (instructions dated 10/24): maximum spoke tension 1200 N for Circos and Fluent; nipple washers required; no hub motors; "For use on analog bikes only. Do not install on an e-bike." Pressure must not exceed the lower of tire and rim maximums; no per-rim maximum pressure or rider weight limit is stated.
Warranty: Limited Lifetime Warranty on rims for the original owner, covering material defects or rim system failures while riding within intended use - pothole damage and rock strikes on singletrack are listed as covered. Off-bike damage and downhill or e-bike use are excluded; an accident replacement program offers 50% off MSRP. Teravail's general warranty page states 24 months and excludes competition use.
Teravail's videos
Certifications
- ASTM 3 intended use — Circos and Fluent rims: "Compatibility & Intended Use: ASTM 3"; Fluent "Tested to ASTM category 3" (Wheel and Rim Instructions 85-001556_INST_A, 10/24) (source)
- ETRTO compliant — Circos and Fluent rims stated as ETRTO compliant for tubeless setup (source)
Sources on Teravail's site:
- Teravail Wheel and Rim Instructions (PDF)
- Circos Gravel Rim - Teravail
- Fluent Mountain Rim - Teravail
- Fluent Mountain Wheels - Teravail
- Circos Gravel Wheels - Teravail
Everything in this section is published by Teravail. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the rim reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Teravail makes the Fluent; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer, and Teravail's 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. Teravail tape and a valve are fitted on request.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is live.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Teravail warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by Teravail and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. Any wheel we build on this part carries ProWheelBuilder's one-year warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. Broken spokes are replaced for a year whatever the cause, and all wheel-side labor is included - truing, re-tensioning, rebuilding. Where the maker covers a failed rim or hub we handle that claim for you; where they decline, an eligible replacement comes at 25% off current retail. The customer covers shipping in both directions. Components supplied by the customer are not covered.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Fluent Carbon 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.
Why front- and rear-specific rims?
The spoke holes are drilled at different angles for the front and rear hubs, which improves the bracing angle on each wheel and builds a truer, stiffer set.
Is the Fluent hookless?
Yes, with an extra-thick flange. Use tubeless-ready tires and stay under the maximum pressure printed on the rim.
What tires fit the Fluent?
2.4 to 2.6in is the sweet spot; it is compatible from 42mm gravel tires to 3.0in plus tires.
What is the Fluent warranty?
Lifetime, from Teravail.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Teravail lists the Fluent Carbon 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.
