Ibis Blackbird Send II 29" Rim

Introducing the Send rims from Blackbird, a new component brand for Ibis Cycles. When they set out to improve their industry-leading S35 rims, their mission was simple; eliminate pinch flats and keep the tire sealed no matter what you hit.

If you ride hard, you know you’re going to dent your aluminum rims eventually and it’s your rear wheel that takes the brunt of the damage. You can bend back a bead wall but dent your bead seat (where your tire seals) and you’ll be walking back to the trailhead. You can’t bend the bead seat back, which means you can’t run your tires tubeless — at that point they’re worthless because tubes are dead to us.

To reinforce the bead seat on the Send II rims, Ibis added a pair of ribs directly beneath the bead seat. The Send II gains ~45g per rim because of this reinforcement but it is a small penalty compared to the weight of the insert you need to protect flimsier rims.

To eliminate pinch flats, Ibis designed their bead walls with a hollow box-section profile to remove the sharp edges and create a broad contact point with the tire. This box-section results in a stronger bead wall that doesn’t slice tire sidewalls and it doesn’t add any additional weight. Ibis' unique bead wall is used on both the Send 1 and Send 2 rims, but the Send 2 gets extra reinforcement.

Which rim do you need?

Are you looking for a lightweight aluminum rim with good strength? You’ll want the Send I. Need something a bit burlier? Choose the Send II that has extra reinforcement. Ibis' Enduro World Series Team has been riding with the Send I in the front and Send II in the rear with great results.

Single graphic line over valve hole signifies Send 1 rim. Double graphic line over valve hole signifies Send 2 rim.