ICANIAN’s latest masterpiece: 29er Full Carbon DH Wheelset Wide Flat Bead–DH40 Brutal Real-World Review

ICANIAN recently launched a 29er full carbon DH wheelset designed specifically for hardcore Enduro and Downhill riding—the ICANIAN-DH40. To show everyone its true performance, we sent this latest wheelset directly to a guy who has been a technician at a Specialized store for many years, spends every week at bike parks, and treats “torture testing” as his daily exercise. The following content is 100% from his real riding feedback over the past month in local parks, downhill tracks, and rock gardens—no filters, no compromises, just hardcore.

Who’s Testing It?

6’1” (185 cm), 168 lbs (76 kg). Full-time mechanic at a Specialized store — I do everything from basic tune-ups and brake bleeds to full suspension overhauls, custom wheel builds, and complete bike assemblies. Every day I set up bikes for riders of all levels, so I know exactly how modern Enduro and DH bikes actually feel on real trails, not just on paper.

I grew up on BMX and skateboarding, so manuals, jumps, and quick direction changes are second nature. That playful style carries straight into how I ride technical terrain today. I live for bike-park laps and gnarly natural lines, constantly experimenting with tires, suspension settings, and geometry to push confidence, grip, and speed to the limit.

I’m usually the fastest guy in the group at the local park, always helping friends dial their bikes in the parking lot, racing local events (with plenty of podiums), and staying deeply involved in the riding community.

Unboxing & Full Specs

This is the exact factory-direct configuration you’ll receive when you order — no custom tweaks, no funny business:

My Bike Setup

I threw them straight onto my park rig: an Xtension C165 long-travel freeride bike built for simplicity and abuse.

• Fork: RockShox ZEB
• Shock: Super Deluxe
• Converted to single-speed with a tensioner and bash guard — zero derailleur drama, zero worries.
• Tires: Maxxis Assegai 2.5″ 3C MaxxGrip front & rear + Tannus Armour inserts
• Tire pressure: 20–23 psi (insanely low — something I’d never dare on most carbon rims)

This bike is built for bike-park days and big jumps: ride hard, hose it off, repeat.

Real-World Testing — I Tried to Destroy Them

Test grounds: non-stop bike-park uplift days + two of the gnarliest black-diamond DH tracks nearby (wet roots, blown-out berms, square-edge hits, 20–30 ft flat landings). Intensity: 28 straight days of abuse, including a couple of local race days.

The single biggest impression? These wheels are stupidly tough.

• Rock gardens at mach 10: Old carbon or alloy wheels would ping and clang the whole way through. The DH40 is basically silent — just tire roar and suspension working.
• Wet roots & loose corners: The 31 mm internal width squares the tire profile perfectly. Sidewall support is insane — I could drift entire berms on the knob edges with zero fold-over.
• Big crashes & flat landings: One particular jump ends on a pile of sharp rocks. Previous carbon rims would at least “crack” on impact and send me straight to the workbench. The DH40? Not even a sound. Still perfectly true, still holding air.
• Side impacts: Twice I deliberately smashed the rim into rock walls to save a corner — came home with nothing more than light carbon fuzz. Zero structural damage.

After a full month:

• Never touched a spoke wrench
• Runout still under 0.05 mm
• Still holding perfect bead seal at 20–21 psi
• Hose off, ride again tomorrow

Pros & Cons (Being Honest)

Pros

• Insanely durable — easily the most bulletproof carbon DH wheelset I’ve ever ridden
• Runs super-low pressure with zero drama — grip, comfort, and confidence go through the roof
• Truly plug-and-play — factory build + DT350 hubs = zero maintenance
• Unreal value — same (or better) real-world performance than wheels costing 2–3× more

Cons (if I have to nitpick)

• ~1975 g set isn’t featherweight, but totally reasonable for serious DH/Enduro use
• 54T ratchet has slightly longer engagement lag than 18T — you just plan your pedal strokes a hair earlier coming out of turns

Final Thoughts

Every single product ICANIAN releases follows one rule: “Let the most critical, hardest-riding testers beat it to death in the real world first. Only when it’s 100% proven do we hand it to customers.” The DH40 is living proof of that philosophy. It’s not the lightest or flashiest wheel on paper, but on the trail it’s the toughest, most reliable, and the one you simply forget about — because it never lets you down.

The DH40 is living proof of that philosophy. It’s not the lightest or flashiest wheel on paper, but on the trail it’s the toughest, most reliable, and the one you simply forget about — because it never lets you down.

High-end riding performance doesn’t have to come with a luxury price tag. ICANIAN lowers the barrier and raises the reliability bar at the same time.

If you’re tired of pinched flats, dented rims, and loose spokes, and you want a carbon DH wheelset that’s truly “set it and forget it” — the ICANIAN DH40 is the answer. I’ll stake my race results on it.

Current factory-direct online price: only $998.68 (complete wheelset with DT350 EDG LTD hubs, Sapim Leader spokes, ready to ride).

ICANIAN DH40 29er Carbon DH Wheelset Wide Flat Bead

100% Toray T700 & T800 Carbon | 31 mm Internal Width | Widened Flat-Top Hookless | DT350 EDG LTD Hubs | EN Tested | 2-Year Warranty + Crash Replacement

Price: $998.68 – Factory-direct, worldwide shipping, in stock now

Shop here → icanian.com (official store)