IN BRIEF
FSA is launching the KFX i30, a carbon wheelset aimed at cross-country, XCO and marathon riding, claimed at 1,250g — against 1,556g for the i28 it replaces, according to the specialist press relaying the announcement. The carbon rim is asymmetric and hookless tubeless in design, with a 30mm internal width and a 36mm external width; the offset spoke bed serves to better balance tension between the drive side and the non-drive side. FSA sticks with its PRS X-900 hubs and their 72-tooth ratchet, compatible with Microspline and XD. The European price is given as €2,189 by the German press and €2,190 by the Canadian press, and £1,999 in the United Kingdom.
| Claimed weight | 1,250g a pair |
| Rim | asymmetric carbon, hookless, tubeless |
| Rim width | 30mm internal, 36mm external |
| Hubs | FSA PRS X-900, 72-tooth ratchet |
| Bearings | 7 sealed cartridge bearings (2 front, 5 rear) |
| Freehub body | Microspline and XD |
| Disc mount | 6-bolt ISO |
| Spokes | flat straight-pull, Alpina ABS nipples |
| Claimed use | XC, XCO and marathon |
| Europe price | €2,189 (German press) or €2,190 (Canadian press); £1,999 in the United Kingdom |
Some wheels are seen racing long before anyone can buy them. The KFX i30 were among them: raced as prototypes at World Cup level, they are finally reaching the catalogue.
FSA KFX i30: 306 grams lighter than the i28
The figure that frames the announcement is the weight. Bike-magazin reports a system weight of 1,250g for the pair, which in its view puts the KFX i30 among the very best cross-country wheels currently available. Cycling Magazine gives the same figure and supplies the point of comparison: the i28 they replace was claimed at 1,556g. The FSA Pro Shop listing also states 1,250g.
The rest of the build is consistent with that goal. The rim is carbon, hookless and tubeless in design, and above all asymmetric. Bike-magazin describes the principle: the spoke bed is offset, so as to better balance tension between the drive side and the non-drive side. The technique is familiar to wheel builders, and bike-magazin makes it one of the key features of this rim.
FSA also claims what it calls an “Impact optimised rim profile.” Bike-magazin describes sidewalls meant to better absorb square-edge impacts and reduce the risk of punctures, completed by a rim flange design intended to help prevent pinch flats; for Cycling Magazine, it is this new profile that accounts for most of the weight saving.
On dimensions, the i30 name says most of it: 30mm internal width, for 36mm external width. A figure that places these wheels on the side of the high-volume tyres now common in cross-country.
PRS X-900 hubs with a 72-tooth ratchet
FSA keeps its PRS Ratchet system, fitted here in X-900 hubs, as Cycling Magazine notes. The ratchet has 72 teeth, which the magazine presents as the guarantee of fast and reliable engagement under hard accelerations — a quality that, in XC, is judged on every corner exit.
The FSA Pro Shop listing details the internals: seven sealed cartridge bearings, two at the front and five at the rear. Freehub body compatibility covers Microspline and XD, which opens the door to Shimano and SRAM drivetrains alike, and the discs mount on a 6-bolt ISO pattern.
The lacing, finally, uses flat straight-pull spokes and Alpina ABS nipples. Cycling Magazine states that FSA uses these flat spokes to fine-tune the wheel’s behaviour.
According to bike-magazin, the brand produces and hand-assembles carbon rims and hubs in-house, and includes this wheelset in its lifetime warranty programme; the FSA Pro Shop listing, for its part, confirms fully in-house manufacture and assembly.
A racing past, and a price
These wheels have a racing past. Bike-magazin reports that, according to FSA, they were used in particular for the world championship wins of Alan Hatherly and Luca Martin. A marketing argument, obviously, but one that indicates the level being targeted: the magazine explicitly places the KFX i30 in XC, XCO and marathon use.
The price, for its part, calls for a caveat. Bike-magazin gives €2,189; Cycling Magazine writes £1,999 in the United Kingdom and €2,190 for the rest of Europe. As of 21 September, fullspeedahead.com was refusing access to its pages, so the one-euro gap between these two independent reports of the same announcement remains unresolved. For North America, Cycling Magazine quotes a recommended price of CA$4,030.
