You open a product page and see the Anath 423 next to the Anath 423 SL, and further down the Avalon SL5 Ninefold. Same family, three names, and Ninefold wheels sit at the top. This is what they mean, and what you actually get for the difference.
One rim, built the light way
Until a few years ago we made two kinds of rims from the same moulds. The standard rim used a mix of T700 and T800 carbon. The lighter version, which we called Ninefold, had a lighter lay-up and used T800 and T1000 carbon. The lightest rims also came with a lower maximum rider weight.
Today every rim we make is the light version. With current materials a rim can be light and strong at the same time, so we dropped the difference between 9th Wave and Ninefold rims. All our rims are what we used to call Super Light (SL), even when SL is not in the name. Each product page lists the maximum rider and gear weight for that wheelset.
Standard or SL: the difference is in the parts
Because the rim is the same, the difference between a standard wheelset and an SL no longer sits in the rim. It sits in the other components: lighter, higher-grade parts on the SL. Take the Anath 423 and the Anath 423 SL. Both have the same 42mm deep rim with 33mm internal width. The Anath 423 has DT Swiss 350 hubs and brass nipples and weighs 1460g. The Anath 423 SL has DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs and aluminium nipples and weighs 1377g.
The Anath 423 suits riders who want a wheel for gravel and beach racing, with brass nipples for corrosion resistance. The SL is for riders who want the lowest rotating mass and the lighter hub, for climbing and racing.
Ninefold wheels: the full package
The name Ninefold is now reserved for our most special high-end builds. The Avalon SL5 Ninefold, for example, has carbon spokes and our own Onda-R Ceramic hubs with ceramic bearings. Every component is chosen for low weight and performance. On road and gravel wheels we use Alpina Carbolite carbon spokes. On our MTB Ninefold wheels we chose Sapim RC1 spokes, for their ride feel and strength.
Here is what that package changes on the scale, compared with the SL version of the same wheel:
- SandStone SL, 1388g, against SandStone SL Ninefold, 1225g
- Avalon SL3, 1248g, against Avalon SL3 Ninefold, 1025g
- Yarrow SL32, 1435g, against Yarrow SL32 Ninefold, 1275g
The saving comes from the hubs and the spokes, not from the rim. To see why carbon spokes go where they do, read our article on carbon spokes on a gravel wheel, or on why weight matters most on the climbs.
What happened to Ninefold Ultimate
The Ninefold Ultimate was a special edition with Dyneema spokes from Berd, which saved another 90 to 100 grams. Those spokes needed some care to keep them clean and the tension right. We no longer build wheels with Berd spokes: our Ninefold wheels now use Alpina Carbolite or Sapim RC1 carbon spokes. Henrique Avancini won the 2023 marathon world title on a Ninefold Ultimate wheelset: read about it in our article on his world title.
Which one fits how you ride
Choose the standard build if you want a wheel for everyday use or for the beach, with parts that need little attention. Choose the SL if you want the lowest rotating mass from proven hubs and spokes. Choose Ninefold if you want everything on the wheel built for performance. Whatever you choose, the rim is the same ART rim, and every wheelset is handbuilt in the Netherlands.
View the Avalon SL5 Ninefold or browse all wheels in our webshop.
