WTB HTZ I 23 Rim
The WTB HTZ i23 is the narrowest member of WTB's heavy-duty HTZ family: 23mm inside for 2.1 to 2.35in tires, with walls about 20% thicker than the KOM Tough, 6069 alloy, the I-Beam center support, asymmetric spoke drilling and the TCS tubeless bead. It is the rim for cross-country e-bikes, heavy riders on narrower tires and anyone who wants a narrow alloy rim that will not dent.
This page covers the WTB HTZ I 23 Rim in 29in. The HTZ i23 is sold here only inside a wheel we build: choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator and the finished wheel ships from Georgia, laced, tensioned and trued by hand. Like every HTZ it is 32 hole, disc only and made for 35mm TCS tape, which we fit with a valve.
Design and construction
The HTZ takes the KOM's I-Beam section and adds material everywhere: thicker bead walls to resist dents and pinch flats, a thicker spoke bed for the higher tensions an e-bike wheel wants, and 6069 alloy, which is stronger than the 6061 most rims use. The spoke drilling is asymmetric, offset toward the non-drive side, which brings drive-side and non-drive-side tension close to equal on a Boost rear and makes a stiffer, longer-lived wheel. The TCS bead seats a tubeless tire with a floor pump and needs 35mm TCS tape.
How it rides
An HTZ i23 wheel is narrow, tough and precise. It keeps a 2.25in tire round and fast on hardpack, and the thick walls take rock strikes that would dent a cross-country rim. It is heavier than a KOM Tough i25, which a cross-country e-bike will not notice.
For 2.4in and wider tires the HTZ i27 and i30 are the better beds; for narrower tires on an e-bike or under a heavy rider, the HTZ i23 is the WTB rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 604 (29in) |
| Inner width | 23 mm |
| Depth | 20 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 626g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 2.5 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
This version
This version is the HTZ i23 in 29in, drilled 32h, about 626g, 23mm inside, 20mm deep, disc. Where the same rim is sold in another size or brake type, that is a separate listing with its own page.
The disc version of the HTZ i23 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 WTB HTZ I 23 Rim comes in 29in and 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the HTZ i23 on DT Swiss 350, Industry Nine Hydra 2 and 1/1, Hope Pro 5 and Chris King MTB hubs, with Sapim Strong, Race or DT Alpine III spokes and brass nipples.
Tire range on the HTZ i23 is 2.1 to 2.35in. Pick e-bike or your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and gauge.
Build it with us
We build this rim to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the WTB Htz I 23 Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for tandem and e-bike, MTB single-speed, mountain bike, fat bike and touring 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.
How WTB tests its rims
WTB (Wilderness Trail Bikes, California) builds its rims around the TCS tubeless system. WTB states the Beadlock bead profile is "Designed to ISO/ETRTO standards", that 4D drilling angles each spoke hole toward the hub flange, and that most alloy rims are sleeve-jointed, the rim ends hydraulically pressed over an extruded aluminum insert reinforced with industrial epoxy. KOM and HTZ rims use 6069 aluminum for its "high tensile and fatigue strength"; HTZ e-bike rims add 20% wall thickness over KOM Tough.
Testing: WTB states the CZR carbon rims went through hundreds of rims, dozens of layups, three rounds of rider testing and nearly a year on the final design without a broken rim. WTB also states it sent CZR rims to "an unbiased third-party lab" for destructive testing against competitor carbon rims, finding the CZR i23 "38% more impact resistant than their direct competition" and the CZR i30 "10% more impact resistant." The lab is not named.
Warranty: WTB guarantees its products "for at least two years"; Ci24/Ci31 carbon 36 months. CZR carbon rims carry a Limited Lifetime warranty for the original owner plus the Ride With Confidence Guarantee: a CZR broken while riding is replaced free with a free rebuild; one damaged while not riding is replaced at 50% off current MSRP.
WTB's videos
Certifications
- ISO/ETRTO bead design — WTB states its TCS Beadlock profile is "Designed to ISO/ETRTO standards" and CZR TCS 2.0 is ETRTO/ISO compliant (source)
- CVX spoke-bed technology — Stated as patented by WTB (source)
Sources on WTB's site:
- Rim Technology - WTB
- Warranty - WTB
- Ride With Confidence Guarantee - WTB
- CZR i23 Rim - WTB
- CZR i30 Rim - WTB
WTB publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
WTB makes the HTZ i23; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Spokes are cut from the ERD we measure on the actual rim, the wheel comes up in stages on a tensiometer, and it is stress-relieved and trued before it goes in the box; tape and a valve go on if you ask.
The configurator filters to what fits, crosses out what is not made, and prices the build as you go.
Warranty
WTB's warranty. WTB's cover depends on the rim: CZR and CGR carbon rims carry a limited lifetime warranty to the original owner, Ci24 and Ci31 carbon rims three years, and every other rim 24 months, all against defects in material and workmanship. A CZR rim broken while riding is replaced free; damage from a non-riding incident is replaced at half the current list price. Claims must be raised within 60 days of finding the defect.
ProWheelBuilder. Built into a wheel by us, this part is covered by our own one-year wheel warranty on top of the maker's. For a year we replace broken spokes whatever caused them, and we cover the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild if it needs one. If a rim or hub fails and its maker covers it, we run that claim for you; if the maker says no, you get an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off retail. You pay the shipping each way. Wheels built from parts you send us are excluded.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
HTZ I 23 Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
23mm inside is the all-road and gravel width. Think 32 to 45mm tires: wide enough to support a gravel casing properly so it holds its shape at low pressure, narrow enough that a 30mm road tire still sits right if you swap wheels between bikes.
Which spokes and nipples suit the HTZ i23?
For most riders a double-butted spoke such as Sapim Race or DT Competition with brass nipples; lighter riders can go to Sapim Laser or CX-Ray. The configurator recommends a gauge and count for the HTZ i23 from your bike type and weight.
HTZ or KOM Tough?
HTZ for e-MTBs, downhill, park and riders who dent rims; KOM Tough for trail bikes without a motor, where its lighter walls are plenty.
Which HTZ width should I choose?
i23 and i25 for cross-country e-bikes, i27 and i30 for trail and enduro e-MTBs on 2.4 to 2.6in tires, i35 and i40 for plus tires.
What does asymmetric drilling do?
It moves the spoke holes toward the non-drive side, which evens out spoke tension on a Boost rear wheel so the wheel stays true longer under e-bike torque.
Is the HTZ tubeless?
Yes. It has WTB's TCS bead and needs 35mm TCS tape, which we fit with a valve on request.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the WTB HTZ I 23 Rim?
We are not. WTB manufactures the rim; ProWheelBuilder's part is the wheel: measuring, lacing, tensioning and truing it here in Georgia.
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.
