The Reynolds gravity wheels have become somewhat of a gold standard in the industry and amongst athletes due to their nearly indestructible nature and race-winning performance. The collection’s universal praise was earned as much through numerous victories at the world’s highest stage as it was by single wheelsets competing and winning over the course of complete EWS and UCI DH seasons. The Reynolds engineering department, steadfastly dedicated to continuous innovation, felt there were opportunities to build even more performance into what was already hailed as the competitive standard. The fruit of their labor comes in the form of the new Reynolds 307 and 309 Gravity wheel collection that represents a whole new level of performance while maintaining the Reynolds calling card of durability.

In developing the new collection, working closely with the world’s strongest athletes in both DH and Enduro proved integral not only to identify areas where performance could be increased but also to test all iterations at the absolute highest level for approval and validation. Feedback from prestigious athletes at the pinnacle of sport such as Pivot Factory Racing, whose palmares in both DH and ENDURO speaks for itself, would prove integral to the overall design direction and development of the new wheels. While conventional mindsets were looking for stiffer wheels, the testing with Pivot Factory Racing highlighted that adding compliance to the wheelset actually increased tracking capabilities and control, translating to better handling and faster overall performance.

The groundbreaking revelation in performance through compliance resulted in a wildly different rim design when compared to previous iterations. The rim design of the new BL307/BL309 is visibly different, even to the naked eye, as it is markedly shallower and slightly wider. The new profile is 5.5mm shallower, going from 26mm in the previous version to a vastly shorter 20.5mm which aids in vertical compliance to the tune of nearly 40% in the IDM/Black Label version (30% in the TR version). The 30mm wide internal channel (37mm external) makes for a better tire interface and adds additional compliance through better overall tire performance. The new, low profile rim design is also slightly asymmetric which allows for more equal spoke tensions which result in an extremely robust and reliable wheel build.

The Reynolds gravity wheels have become somewhat of a gold standard in the industry and amongst athletes due to their nearly indestructible nature and race-winning performance. The collection’s universal praise was earned as much through numerous victories at the world’s highest stage as it was by single wheelsets competing and winning over the course of complete EWS and UCI DH seasons. The Reynolds engineering department, steadfastly dedicated to continuous innovation, felt there were opportunities to build even more performance into what was already hailed as the competitive standard. The fruit of their labor comes in the form of the new Reynolds 307 and 309 Gravity wheel collection that represents a whole new level of performance while maintaining the Reynolds calling card of durability.

As important as added compliance, better handing and more efficient power transfer might be towards overall performance, they mean little if the wheel is not reliable. The caveat in the development of the new wheels was that no design element was sacred but both performance and reliability could only improve. The all new BL307/309 wheels represent the absolute fastest wheel solutions available for DH and Enduro but also lead the industry in terms of impact resistance and durability. Such reliability derives from the Reynolds IDM Matrix which is a combines the highest-quality carbon fibers, a unique resin with exceptional impact dispersing characteristics and meticulously studied layup and orientation of the two. The IDM matrix technologies allow Reynolds to develop wheels that stand alone in their strength to weight ratio…making for wheels that not only are extremely reliable but represent no compromise in terms of weight.

Available in both 29 and 27.5” versions and also separate models for Enduro or DH competition. The enduro wheels receive a 28 hole build in an effort to further increase the compliance and lower weight. The 28 hole build tends to be a bit more forgiving and necessary for the longer descents and lighter as the enduro athlete must overcome the rigors of long climbs as well. The DH version on the other hand gets a 32 hole build as the downhill athlete requires a slightly stiffer, more precise performance, with less emphasis on overall weight.

Such a complete package was a difficult feat to achieve and while the role of the athlete feedback was integral to the development of these wheels, their success and approval was absolutely vital in determining validation of the final product. The Pivot Factory Racing team certainly tested yet also competed on this new rim for an entire season of UCI DH World Cup racing and the results were amazing. Overall team success, Bernard Kerr’s best season of his career and a World Champion jersey for Jenna Hastings would serve as all the proof necessary that the new Reynolds gravity wheels were ready for launch.

The previous version represented the most durable DH and Enduro wheels available, capable not only of surviving entire seasons underneath world class riders at the highest level in the most extreme racing circumstances…but winning also and were considered game changers as a result. Using this industry leading durability and performance as a foundation upon which to build more compliance, better handling and, consequentially, more speed is redefining what the pinnacle of competitive gravity wheels should be. Reynolds BL307/309 gravity wheels: industry leaders for durability, compliance and control…and as a result, speed.