Black Inc Thirty Four gravel wheelset review

Designed primarily to pair with sibling brand Factor’s gravel race bikes, the Black Inc Thirty Four wheelset sets its stall out as being capable of going head-to-head with road wheels too.

It blends the strength needed for gravel riding with low weight, with the intention of delivering performance across all terrain.

These gravel wheels have proven fast and adaptable in testing, but you’ll need to part with a lot of money for the privilege of owning them.

Black Inc Thirty Four details and specifications

At the heart of the Thirty Four is Black Inc’s own hookless rim. The 25mm internal width suits gravel tyres up to 700 x 50c.

Factor says the hookless rims have been optimised to help the tyre stay seated, and provide an aerodynamic performance advantage from a wider gravel tyre.

The shallow 34mm-deep profile helps keep weight down to a very respectable 1,557g a pair (including valves and tapes).

By using 24 spokes front and rear, Black Inc claims to have added a bit of vibration-absorbing compliance to the ride.

The brand certainly hasn’t cut corners with the specification – its own-design hubs come with CeramicSpeed ceramic bearings as standard.

While this should bring longevity and a little less weight, it's reflected in the £1,740 price tag.

Black Inc Thirty Four ride impressions

The Thirty Four's rim tape arrived factory-applied (in my experience, this is all the better to avoid home-application mistakes).

Fitting tyres was an easy operation, although I didn’t find it markedly more straightforward than the best experiences, despite claims of simpler seating.

The wheelset was true out of the box, and I didn’t detect any spoke pings or bedding in over time.

The rim depth on the Thirty Four is only 3mm different from the Parcours Alta, so I was expecting a much more challenging ride in terms of stiffness.

However, that was not the case. Considering the rim depth, the Thirty Four proved a comfortable wheel on all but the rockiest terrain.

The ride feel on gravel roads is plush and the wheels feel solid uphill, sucking up any buzz and vibration.

The Thirty Four feels fast-rolling and lively on climbs. It helped my test bike deliver precise steering, although sometimes I experienced the briefest of pauses to engage on the exit of corners.

Throw in loose or rocky sections and they can take a good deal of punishment, deflecting easily and bouncing off bigger roots and rocks with something of a twang. That said, even after taking a big hit, the wheels have always stayed true.

This is not the quietest wheel – the freehub is loud, and on tarmac the rim gives off a hollow resonance similar to that of a disc wheel.

The ceramic bearings are, on paper, a premium inclusion in any wheelset. That said, even though these run fast and smooth, ceramic bearings aren’t necessarily better in use (ENVE, for example, chooses not to spec ceramic bearings on its wheels for this reason).

However, in terms of longevity, with care they have the potential to outlast ‘ordinary’ steel bearings.

Black Inc Thirty Four bottom line

The Black Inc Thirty Four is a wheelset that's better suited to gravel roads and hard-packed trails, rather than anything more extreme.

That limitation aside, it’s responsive, stable and comfortable. It is expensive, however, and the question will remain one of personal choice as to whether the ceramic bearings are worth the extra spend.