HTZ i40

Shop the HTZ i40 Wheel, designed for maximum durability and reliability in e-bike adventures. Enhance your ride with this robust rim. Buy now for optimal performance!

$439.95

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Variant

SKU: W045-0267

Free shipping $100+Contiguous US only

Free shipping for orders over $100, excluding deliveries to Hawaii and Alaska.

Orders are typically processed within 1-2 business days and shipped via UPS standard ground service from our warehouse in San Rafael, California.

30 day return policy

Decide a product wasn't for you? Return any unused product for up to 30 days with no questions asked.

Warranty policy

We guarantee our products for at least two years.

Usage E-Bike

Product description

HTZ i40 is a purpose-built 27.5" eMTB wheel for riders who run a mullet setup with a wide 2.8" tire on the rear. HTZ wheels allow you to smash through rock gardens with confidence and not worry about if your wheels will make it through the ride. What makes HTZ wheels e-bike specific? An asymmetric rim design with 20% thicker walls, a heat-treated steel freehub body with six pawls of simultaneous engagement, oversized 17mm axle sleeves, double-stacked Enduro sealed bearings at the inboard end of the driver body and rotor mount heat sinks all create a bombproof wheelset specifically tailored to meet the demands of full-power eMTBs. Every component of our new HTZ wheels was meticulously designed to create the most dependable e-specific wheels on the market.

HTZ i40

$439.95

20% THICKER RIM WALLS

HTZ i40 tubeless-ready rims boast an increased wall thickness of 20% over our already-burly KOM Tough enduro rims to help ensure they’re capable of withstanding the additional forces of modern eMTBs. We didn’t simply add material and call it good, though. Asymmetric spoke offset helps balance spoke length and tension to create a more stable wheel while a symmetric outer rim profile distributes impact forces evenly through the rim. HTZ rims also feature a vertical I-Beam support within the inner rim cavity to drastically increase the strength and rigidity of our toughest alloy rims.

PURPOSE-BUILT E-BIKE HUB

Features a heat-treated steel freehub body, which eliminates gouging and prevents pawl socket failure under load. HTZ hubs feature a 6-pawl ratchet system with simultaneous engagement of all pawls to distribute pedaling forces more evenly and improve reliability on bikes with high-torque motors. The outer diameter of the rear axle sleeve has been increased from 15mm to 17mm to increase durability while remaining compatible with traditional 12mm thru-axles. This reduces axle flex while cornering and pedaling, which results in improved ride quality and bearing longevity. Double-stacked, sealed Enduro bearings at the inboard end of the driver body further improve durability and extend bearing life.

13-GAUGE BUTTED SPOKES

Wheel strength is limited by its weakest point, which is why the complete build spec is as meticulous as the component designs themselves. HTZ wheels feature 13-gauge butted (2.3/2.0mm) spokes that are oversized at the hub to increase wheel stiffness and durability, with the thickest section at the hub to counteract the higher braking forces and increased motor torque of an e-bike.

SOLID STRIP AND ON-RAMP

WTB's unique Solid Strip is a durable nylon strip that lies between the rim and tubeless tape to prevent tubeless tape from pushing into the spoke holes and therefore ensures a smooth interface between the tire and rim. The smooth surface makes it easier to mount a tire by preventing air from escaping around the bead at each spoke hole indentation during inflation. Solid Strip also protects the airtight system from puncture in the case of a broken spoke. On-Ramp provides a consistent slope away from the rim valley and allows a tire bead to quickly mount on the rim. On-Ramp also allows riders to easily pop the tire bead to the rim valley during tire removal.

OVERSIZED 17MM AXLE SLEEVE

We increased the outer diameter of the rear axle sleeve from 15mm to 17mm to increase durability while remaining compatible with traditional 12mm thru-axles. This reduces axle flex while cornering and pedaling, which improves ride quality and bearing longevity. Double-stacked, sealed Enduro bearings at the inboard end of the driver body further improve durability and extend bearing life.

ROTOR MOUNT HEAT SINK

HTZ hubs feature a heat sink behind the 6-bolt rotor mount to dissipate heat up to 10% better on long descents. Cooler rotors increase braking power and provide the rider with more confidence despite the extra weight of an e-bike.

PERFECT FOR 2.8 x 27.5" REAR TIRES

The 40mm inner rim width of our HTZ i40 27.5" wheel makes it the perfect option for mullet setups with a 2.8" wide tire on the rear. We suggest pairing it with our Vigilante 2.8 x 27.5" to achieve unbeatable traction in terrain ranging from smooth-and-fast to steep-and-deep.

HOW DOES RIM WIDTH AFFECT TIRE VOLUME AND PROFILE?

Wider rims will cause a tire to also have a wider width, with more air volume within the tire and a flatter tire tread profile than designed for. As a general rule of thumb, a 2mm increase or decrease of inner rim width will result in a tire section width increase or decrease of 1mm. For example, our Vigilante 2.5 tire has a tire section width of 60mm on a 30mm inner rim width, however it will have a tire section width of ~62.5mm on a 35mm inner rim width.

DO HTZ WHEELS COME WITH TUBELESS TAPE AND VALVES?

All aftermarket WTB wheels ship with our unique Solid Strip, tubeless tape and valves preinstalled on the wheel. This means that all WTB wheels are ready for tubeless-ready tires the moment they arrive in your garage!

WHAT WIDTH TCS TUBELESS TAPE FOR MY WHEELS?

All WTB wheels are sold with TCS Tubeless Tape preinstalled. If you need to replace it at any time, WTB recommends using tape that is 5mm wider than your inner rim width. For example, an i30 rim would require 35mm TCS Tubeless Tape.

WHICH LENGTH OF TCS TUBELESS VALVE FOR MY HTZ WHEELS?

All WTB alloy rims and wheels are best paired with a 34mm valve stem, which is preinstalled on every HTZ wheel.

ARE THERE TRICKS TO INSTALLING A TIRE ON AN ASYMMETRICAL RIM?

Asymmetrical rims feature a "short" and "long" side. It is helpful to always mount both sides of the tire onto the rim on the "short side" of the rim. The short side of the rim provides the shortest distance between the rim leg/bead and the valley of the rim. Once the first tire bead is completely on the rim, it can be pulled over the rubber portion of the valve and positioned at the deepest part of the rim valley. The other side of the tire can then be installed onto the rim with the least amount of resistance.

HOW DO YOU INSTALL TIRE INSERTS ON AN ASYMMETRICAL RIM?

Features

20% THICKER RIM WALLS

PURPOSE-BUILT E-BIKE HUB

13-GAUGE BUTTED SPOKES

SOLID STRIP AND ON-RAMP

OVERSIZED 17MM AXLE SLEEVE

ROTOR MOUNT HEAT SINK

PERFECT FOR 2.8 x 27.5" REAR TIRES

Technology

TCS (Tubeless Compatible System) is our industry-leading tubeless rim/tire system designed to international ETRTO and ISO standards.

6069 is the perfect aluminum alloy for bicycle rims due to its high tensile and fatigue strength, minimal weight, and excellent anti-corrosion properties.

Purpose-built e-bike components are specifically designed to prioritize durability, strength and longevity above all else.

Asymmetrically offset spoke holes create a stronger wheel by placing the holes more in line with the center of the hub and more evenly distributing spoke tension.

Spoke holes are drilled at an angle to match the natural spoke path between a rim and hub. Eliminates binding and lateral loading of the nipples to increase wheel durability.

Vertical support within the inner rim cavity that drastically increases the strength and rigidity of our toughest rims.

Installed between the rim and tubeless tape to prevent tape from sagging at each spoke hole and make tire inflation easier while also preventing puncture from a broken spoke.

Dissipates heat away from the hub shell and rotor up to 10% better on long descents. Cooler rotors increase braking power and increase rider confidence.

Introducing the freehub body to extreme heat hardens the steel to increase durability, eliminate gouging and prevent pawl socket failure under load.

6-pawl ratchet system that all engage simultaneously to evenly distribute torsional forces that are multiplied by a high-torque motor.

Specs

SPECIFICATIONS: (Max spoke tension range: 110-120KgF)

Product	Wheel Diameter	Position	Spacing	Spoke Holes / Offset	Driver Body	Rotor Mount	Inner Rim Width	Rim ERD*	Weight**	Max Rider Weight	Part Number
HTZ i40 x 27.5" wheel, 148 x 12mm, 32h, 6-Bolt, Shimano HG 11sp	27.5"	Rear	148x12mm	32-hole / 6mm	Shimano HG 11spd	6-bolt	40mm	569	1507g	330 lbs	W045-0267

*Frequency hub dimensions can be found on our Resources and User Manuals page.

**Wheel weights include the Solid Strip, tubeless tape and valve installed on each wheel.

Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DOES RIM WIDTH AFFECT TIRE VOLUME AND PROFILE?

DO HTZ WHEELS COME WITH TUBELESS TAPE AND VALVES?

WHAT WIDTH TCS TUBELESS TAPE FOR MY WHEELS?

WHICH LENGTH OF TCS TUBELESS VALVE FOR MY HTZ WHEELS?

All WTB alloy rims and wheels are best paired with a 34mm valve stem, which is preinstalled on every HTZ wheel.

ARE THERE TRICKS TO INSTALLING A TIRE ON AN ASYMMETRICAL RIM?

HOW DO YOU INSTALL TIRE INSERTS ON AN ASYMMETRICAL RIM?

MARK WEIR APPROVED

“E-bikes get you deeper, farther, and faster than a traditional bike. Having strong, durable parts is crucial to prevent getting stranded out in the woods. HTZ wheels give me the extra security and peace of mind I need when I’m deep in the pines.”

- Mark Weir, godfather of American enduro and daily e-bike thrasher

HAND-BUILT IN CALIFORNIA

Every HTZ wheel sold in North America is hand-built at our wheel building facility in California, while wheels sold in Europe are hand-built in Italy. Both facilities follow a six-step dewinding process to deliver equal spoke tension and worry-free riding. This process eliminates any winding stresses in the spokes that would otherwise release while riding. Combine this process with mechanically locking nipples and HTZ wheels will hold tension and stay true even through the most strenuous of rides.