Reviewed: Knight 95 Carbon Rim Wheel
We review the Knight 95 Carbon Rim Wheel as part of our 2020 wheel roundup.
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Knight 95 Carbon Rim
$2,000; 1825g, available in rim or disc, clincher only
95mm deep, 25.5mm external width, 16mm internal width
knightcomposites.com
Though a 95mm rim is certainly not for everyone, every course, or every condition, there are still times when something this deep is the right choice. That said, while the price may not seem budget, there aren’t a lot of options for wheels this deep, so expect this pricepoint to actually be on the lower end for this much carbon. These strikingly deep wheels from Knight are most definitely race-day ready—and probably not much else. At 95mm deep, these are just about the deepest wheels out there, and while we wouldn’t recommend these for every situation, they are a powerful tool to add to the toolbox when the course is flat. In fact, Knight says their parabolic rim actually creates a “sail effect” with negative drag at certain speeds and yaw angles.
Once up to speed, these wheels really start to shine, holding momentum and pace as well as any wheel we’ve tested. When it came time to stop, we were still impressed with their performance—particularly given the amount of material we’re slowing to a halt. Additionally, the Knight branded hubs are more than adequate, especially considering the $600 you’ll save over the same rim built around DT240S hubs. Also, the options for different decal colors is a fun touch for those who like to customize their setup. A couple of features do seem behind the times, unfortunately: tubeless would be a nice option, but alas you will have to use a tube with the 95s. Also, the external rim width is relatively narrow (by today’s standards) at 25.5mm. On the plus side, this also means that these will likely fit older frame specifications. I suspect Knight will update this rim to meet today’s fast-changing wheel trends. In the meantime, the Knight 95s would make a great speed upgrade for your perfectly good, but maybe slightly behind-the-times rim-brake race machine.