Sector wheels are new from Kinesis UK, the brand bringing carbon gravel and 29er wheelsets to the table in the first instance. The carbon wheels use tech from Innegra and TeXtreme®​, creating wheels with a particular layup of carbon which Kinesis UK says allows for 50% more vertical compliance than a standard carbon rim.

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Sector is the name of the new branding for Kinesis UK wheels, rather than speccing Kinesis branded wheel on their bikes, you'll see these Sector branded wheels appearing on new Kinesis bikes from here on in. Rory from the brand told us that they hope to widen the appeal and reach more customers with the new branding. 

We saw two examples of the new wheelsets at the 2019 Cycle Show last week, the 700c gravel set and a wider 29er mountain bike set. Both share the use of Innegra fibre layup in the carbon and the same distinct and striking cross-hatched aesthetics.  

What is Innegra?

All Sector rims had a fibre called TeXtreme® Innegra added to the carbon layup. TeXtreme® is the development of a novel method of aligning fibres in carbon tapes by a Swedish-based company named Oxeon. This company spread individual fibre 'tows' into flat arrays rather than twisted round yarns which means they are both thinner and of higher density. The result is a flat, very thin, unidirectional tape that can be laid out on its own or further woven into fabrics. There are more details and tech in this interesting article here or here on the Kinesis website.

TeXtreme says the tech is flexible and can be tailor-made for specific needs, they also say without sacrificing rigidness or strength it also can improve impact tolerance. Here the company, that usually work with carbon fibre, has spread Innegra fibres, a synthetic fibre which claims to be the lightest commercial fibre available. The TexTreme fabric used in the layup of rims is a Spread Tow fabric built from a hybrid of Innegra and T700 carbon fibres.

The layup leads to this interesting raw finish on the rims where the stips of material are clearly visible. We think it'd look great on a Ti gravel bike, specced with all black components, it would certainly a head-turner.

This gives rise to Kinesis' claims that the wheels have a 75% higher impact resistance than standard carbon rims of the same profile and are have 50% more vertical compliance than a standard carbon rim. Kinesis say that these wheels "exhibit high energy absorption and superior vibration damping, with none of harsh stiffness associated with carbon. These are lightweight carbon wheels, that have the sought-after ride characteristic of a premium alloy wheelset." Something that might please our Jon, after his recent rant, it's clear he's not dreaming of a new carbon wheelset....

Sector MTB i9 wheelset

The 9i is the 29er wheelset which has a 29mm internal width, 35mm external width and weighs 1,700g (rim weight is 428g). The wheels are 25mm deep, have 32/28 spokes (rear/front) and are tubeless ready from the box. The hubs uses are an own brand Boost only hub with Revo Cream bearings and a feehub with 6 pawls and 72 tooth engagement (5 degree pickup).

There is a 7i (27.5") option on the way too, plus there is a DH rim with 32 spokes front and rear and a 33mm internal width in the making. 

Sector GCi wheelset

The GCi (standing for Gravel Carbon Innegra) 700c wheelset has a 38mm deep rim and has a 24mm internal width (34mm external). The wheelset weighs 1690g with the rim only weighing in at 440g. The gravel wheels have 24 spokes front and rear and again use an own brand hub with Revo Cream bearings and a freehub with 6 pawls and 72 tooth engagement (5 degree pickup). The rims are ready for tyres from 30mm to 50mm width and as above are tubeless ready straight from the box. 

Both will retail at £1,100, both get a lifetime warranty, 9i wheels are available now andGCi wheels will be available late October. 

• www.sectorwheels.cc​

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