Tech

Review: cSixx XCM 9Series Wheelset

Review by Iwan Kemp.

· By Bike Hub Features · 0 comments

cSixx is a South African mountain bike component company based in the heart of Cape Town at the foot of Table Mountain.

Founded by Mark Hopkins, who has had a hand in Leatt Protection neck braces and Pyga bikes, cSixx has grown to an established industry player with an ever expanding range.

ccs-62657-0-36651900-1506946179.jpg

Other than the wheels on review here, they also offer handlebars, chainrings, chain guides and other bits and pieces like mudguards, headset spacers, grips and chainring bolts – all in a variety of colours. They also offer a customization program to colour match your fork decals, chain guide, handlebar, and wheels.

ccs-62657-0-31319000-1506946178.jpg

The cSixx XCM 9series 29″ wheelset weighs in at a scant 1,650g as supplied with the XD driver freehub body, tubeless tape, and valves. The wheelset features a 430g rim with a 26 mm internal diameter and the option of 28 or 32 holes. These wheels were designed and tested for riders who are smashing trails during the week and doing stage races on the weekend.

All cSixx products are tested beyond FEA and the newest ISO standards in Cape Town using their own Drop Test rig and other destructive testing methods.

Rims are comparatively tested head-to-head with all major carbon rim manufacturers including the likes of DT Swiss and ENVE. With these tests giving them the confidence to offer a free crash replacement policy for 2 years extending to 50% off the purchase price for 5 years.

The internal width is narrower than South Industries’ 29XC (internal diameter 28 mm), but on par with American Classic’s Carbonator (internal diameter 26 mm). If you’d like to go wider, cSixx also offer an enduro rim that grows to 32 mm internally and picks up only 20 grams per rim in the process.

ccs-62657-0-32113700-1506946175.jpg

Specifications

Wheelset: Standard Build

  • Spokes1.5 / 2.0 Double Butted
  • Hole count28 Hole
  • NipplesBlack Aluminium Nipples
  • Build Type2-Cross
  • HubscSixx
  • Weight1,650g
  • PricingFrom R 19,750

Custom Build Specifications and Options

  • Spokes1.5 / 2.0 Double Butted or 1.8 / 2.0 Double Butted
  • NipplesAluminium (Black, Red, Blue) or Brass (Black)
  • Build Type2-Cross or 3-Cross
  • HubsHope Pro4 or cSixx

cSixx XCM 9Series Rim

  • Rim typeDeep asymmetric profiled, hookless carbon rim
  • Internal diameter26mm
  • BeadHookless
  • Wall thickness3.5 mm
  • Hole count28h or 32h
  • Depth25 mm
  • Asymmetric profileFront: long side to disc; Rear: long side to drive
  • Weight430 g
  • ERD579 mm
  • Offset3 mm spoke hole offset

cSixx Rear Hub

  • Engagement3 Pawls with 30 points of engagement, 12° engagement angle
  • FlangesAngled for better spoke angles
  • Widths142mm or 148mm widths
  • Holes28 hole
  • Disc mount6-bolt
  • BodyAluminium with 6902 Bearings
  • Freehub bodySRAM XD or Shimano 10/11Speed
  • Weight274g (142mmx12mm)
ccs-62657-0-19209000-1506946173.jpg
ccs-62657-0-35131300-1506946181.jpg

On the Trail

The cSixx XCM 9series wheels have been fitted to a Momsen VIPA Trail, a 120mm 29er trail bike. My use leans towards the trail riding side of things and (much) less so marathon – evident in my choice of tyres with a Maxxis High Roller in front and Maxxis Aggressor out back, both measuring a healthy 2.3″.

ccs-62657-0-25792600-1506946174.jpg

On technical climbs that weave through trees and around switchbacks, the slowish engagement of the rear hub is noticeable. Although not as slow as an American Classic hub, it is slower than Hope’s Pro4 and quite a bit behind Industry Nine’s Torch hubs, although those will set you back a pretty penny. If this is something that might bother you, cSixx, fortunately, offer the Pro4 hubs as an option on the custom built wheelsets.

Get the wheels up to speed though and there is not much telling them apart from their rivals. The cSixx XCM 9series wheelset spins up fast and holds momentum well. Lean on them hard through berms and corners and there won’t be any signs of strain or flex.

I tested an aluminium wheelset with the exact same internal width, but weighing in about 100 grams more, to get a feel for carbon versus aluminium . It was immediately evident how much more wheel deflection there was through rough terrain on the aluminium wheels with the carbon cSixx wheels doing a great job staying on course without being too harsh or unnecessarily stiff. Stiff yet compliant, one could say.

I found the width of the rim to be good – wide enough to offer extra traction and grip, but not too wide so as to square off tyres. Consider that not too long ago Stans’s Flow EX rim (built for freeride, all mountain, and downhill riding) measured 25.5mm internally and you will soon realise that 26mm on a marathon / trail wheel is plenty wide.

ccs-62657-0-22825000-1506946176.jpg

Verdict

cSixx’s XCM wheelset offers a great balance between weight, stiffness, and design for marathon and trail riders. The product finish and overall quality are high and what one would expect from the best of the best. That said, more aggressive trail riders might want to look to the Enduro rims for their added strength and width.

Pros

  • Local Flavour
  • Custom options
  • For mountain bikers by mountain bikers who shred
  • 2 Year Crash Replacement Policy and 5 Year replacement policy at 50% of original purchase price

Cons

  • Although competitively priced, carbon is still not cheap
  • Hub engagement can be faster

Time for a wheel upgrade?

Buy or sell in our marketplace here.

Related posts

Comments

There are no comments yet. Why not add yours below.

Add a comment

You must log in to comment