WTB HTZ I 25 Rim
The WTB HTZ i25 is the cross-country and light-trail member of WTB's heavy-duty HTZ family: 25mm inside for 2.2 to 2.4in 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 e-bikes on narrower tires and for heavy riders who want a 25mm rim that will not dent.
This page covers the WTB HTZ I 25 Rim in 29in. The HTZ i25 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
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 i25 wheel keeps a 2.35in tire round and fast on hardpack and takes rock strikes that would dent a cross-country rim. It is heavier than a KOM Tough i25, which an e-bike will not notice and a heavy rider will trade gladly for a wheel that stays true.
For 2.4in and wider tires the HTZ i27 and i30 are the better beds; for 2.2 to 2.4in tires on an e-bike or under a heavy rider, the HTZ i25 is the WTB rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 604 (29in) |
| Inner width | 25 mm |
| Depth | 20.5 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 645g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 3.5 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 32h, about 645g, 25mm inside, 20.5mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the HTZ i25 have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The disc version of the HTZ i25 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 25 Rim comes in 29in and 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the HTZ i25 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 i25 is 2.2 to 2.4in. Pick e-bike or your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and gauge.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the WTB Htz I 25 Rim — the link drops you into our Custom Wheel Program with this rim pinned, ready for you to choose the rest. It is set up for tandem and e-bike, MTB single-speed, mountain bike, fat bike and touring builds.
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.
Testing, standards and warranty at WTB
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
The figures, certificates and media above are WTB's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the rim.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
WTB makes the HTZ i25; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. 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
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 25 Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
25mm 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 i25?
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 i25 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 it tubeless-ready?
Yes. WTB lists the HTZ I 25 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.
