The last time we caught a glimpse of Martindale Cycling Components wheels was less than a year ago in China, where we took an in-depth look at Andrew Reardon's Team Sonic Racing Focus cyclocross bike complete with deep dish MC2 5.0 tubular rims from the small Nashville-based wheel company.
Since then, we recently received a pair of Martindale Cycling Components 29.0 XC wheels, a versatile, lightweight wheelset suited for cyclocross, gravel and mountain biking. They are not quite a road wheelset due to their recommended maximum 60 psi, but that pressure, combined with a wider tire, should be plenty for the average gravel adventure.
Martindale has joined companies such as Roval and ENVE by moving towards Hookless Rim technology for their tubeless wheels, which are lighter weight and easier to manufacturer with carbon fiber. The rim itself has an internal width of 22mm and and external width of 27mm, with a total rim depth of 24mm.
Our test set of Martindale wheels came built with White Industries CLD (Center Lock Disc) 15mm thru-axle hubs. We were awarded with a special visual touch of blue anodized hubs and spoke nipples, and the same configuration is also availble in red for consumers, with either option adding $80 to the total price of the wheelset (according to the owner and wheel builder Philip Martindale, orange and gold can also be special ordered).
Our CLD hubs came complete with a Titanium XD Freehub Driver. However, customers can chose their axle configuration and freehub bodies when purchasing the models. Martindale also notes that "While Mavic's 9mm QR axle caps do work well in converting the White Industries 15mm thru-axle, they are not typically provided."
After installing the valves and tubeless tape, we weighed out the wheels at 660g for the front and 780g for the rear, bringing the grand total to 1440g. The wheelset is built up with Sapim CX Ray spokes and Secure Lock nipples, with the maximum rider weight recommended at 21o pounds.
Use the slider below for additional information, photos and a complete spec list. More info: mc2bikes.com
The Martindale Cycling Components 29.0 XC Wheels are built up with Sapim CX Ray bladed spokes. © Cyclocross Magazine
