Editors Note: Yeah, yeah…..another year end review! Tis the season! So, here are my favorite things that have passed through the Twenty Nine Inches review process during the past year. I want to point out a few parameters that I used for what I chose here.

1. The product had to be in the review process during the time period of December 2009 through to the end of November 2010. Reviews that are currently in process I did not include and will be eligible for my 2011 Top Ten list.

2. They had to be products or bicycles that I personally used during this period. Nothing any of the other Twenty Nine Inches staff reviewed on their own could be considered for my list. This list doesn’t necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone but me, Guitar Ted.

3. The reviewed products were provided to Twenty Nine Inches at no charge for review. I was not paid or bribed for this review. I will give/gave my honest opinion or thoughts through out.

That said, let’s get on with this

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Number 5: Velocity P-35 Rim: Velocity, in conjunction with Kirk Pacenti of 650B fame, announced a new rim in August of 2009. The Velocity “P-35”, (“P” for “Pacenti”, “35” for the rim’s outer width in millimeters.), was to be offered in 26″, 650B, and 29″ sizes. Twenty Nine Inches received a pair of the P-35’s laced up to some nice Velocity hubs in December of 2009 and tested the wheels throughout most of 2010.

Why They Made The List: There are not many really wide 29″er rims out there. Kris Holm makes a couple, and there is the Salsa Cycles Gordo, (which we are hearing will be discontinued). So when we tested the Velocity P-35 rims it was with excited expectations that this rim would be a widely available, great performing set of hoops. They did not disappoint and Velocity even made a tubeless kit for them which came out in mid-2010. Bonus!

velocity09 002My Two Cents: The Velocity P-35 rims held up quite well for normal trail riding conditions. The generous inside rim width made our Maxxis Ardents (Number 10 on this years list) huge and would really work well with several other big, 2.4″ class 29″er tires. Velocity did their normal color tricks with the P-35 offering them in several anodized and powder coated options. What really elevated the P-35 on the list here is two things though: The P-35 is going to be the only widely available 28 plus millimeter rim option, and it now has a tubeless kit offered by Velocity to enable tubelessness. It is my opinion that any rim coming out going forward for 29″ers really needs to have a tubeless option, or be tubeless right out of the gate. Velocity didn’t have that when they introduced the P-35, but kudos to them for making the option available later. The kit works really well too, which is a definite plus, obviously. The P-35 is a great option for the front of a rigid single speed or rigid geared hard tail when matched up with a big, voluminous tire, or for light to normal full suspension duties on a 29″er. The P-35 is not the DH rim some may have wanted, but for the rest of us, it works a charm to put a bigger big wheeled footprint on our trails. That’s why it makes Number 5 on this years list.

Stay tuned for Number 4 on the Top Ten List Of 29″er Products For 2010.