Handbuilt or factory wheelsets ?

broachboy

Hi forum people,

Pretty straight forward question today, I want to change the stock crappy wheels on my Beone hardtail, for which the main uses are XC, trail & some road & commuting. :?: Should I go for a handbuilt Mavic xc717 disc on Hope pro or similar, or should I buy a factory wheelset like the crossride / trail ?

Plus anyone recommend a builder ? if custom builds are the way to go.

Many TIA

supersonic

How much money to spend (and what bike was it?)

120 quid buys some very good wheels ie XT hubs on Mavic 717 rims. The Fulcrum Red Metal rims are a light weight factory built set which many people are reporting are excellent. Other factory builds tend to be a little more expensive for what you get, and spares can be harder to come by.

nicklouse

Very much personal choice but IMHO handbuilt by
www.wheelpro.co.uk

broachboy

supersonic wrote:

How much money to spend (and what bike was it?)

120 quid buys some very good wheels ie XT hubs on Mavic 717 rims. The Fulcrum Red Metal rims are a light weight factory built set which many people are reporting are excellent. Other factory builds tend to be a little more expensive for what you get, and spares can be harder to come by.

Hi supersonic, I have shifted over to mtb after 25 years on the road bike. I don't mind spending upto say £300 for the wheelset inc the cassette, I want to get a quality, strong & lightweight wheelset.

I had noticed the Fulcrums and was very interested, saw alot of thier wheels out on the road and was well impressed - do they do a Shimano compatible freehub ?

My bike is a Beone 'Ten'

http://www.beone-bikes.com/EN/products/ten.html

The frame is good IMHO and a nice base to biuld up onto.

broachboy

nicklouse wrote:

Very much personal choice but IMHO handbuilt by
www.wheelpro.co.uk

Thanks for your reply and link...

supersonic

The reason why I asked what bike is I was wondering about your long term goals with it. Gonna keep it and upgrade slowly the parts? Or is this a one off spend? If so I would split the budget, as the fork on that bike is, I am afraid to say, dire! It weighs 5.5lbs, and you'd get much more benefit upgrading the fork than wheels.

Anyway, that's just my thoughts, I will answer your question! The Fulcrum MTB wheelsets are all Shimano and SRAM freehub compatible. You might also want to look at an XTR hubset on Mavic rims - lighter than hopes, and with a titanium freehub body.

broachboy

supersonic wrote:

The reason why I asked what bike is I was wondering about your long term goals with it. Gonna keep it and upgrade slowly the parts? Or is this a one off spend? If so I would split the budget, as the fork on that bike is, I am afraid to say, dire! It weighs 5.5lbs, and you'd get much more benefit upgrading the fork than wheels.

Anyway, that's just my thoughts, I will answer your question! The Fulcrum MTB wheelsets are all Shimano and SRAM freehub compatible. You might also want to look at an XTR hubset on Mavic rims - lighter than hopes, and with a titanium freehub body.

Yeah supersonic, the fork on the bike is crap - I would love so much to dump it 1st, I intend to keep the frame and build on it... The forks have just gotta and soon, but the choice for a novice like me is just too much - I mean what fork would I look a first ? I know where you're coming from when you mention the split budget and dumping the fork for weight, but isn't rotational weight an issue in MTBing like in road racing ?

Just another thing, I read to steer clear of XT disc hubs, is that correct ?

supersonic

That's a very good hub! Will not find much better for that money!

Rotational weight is an issue, but much of this is the tyre. The rims you will get on an upgrade may not actually be any lighter than the ones you have (or just tens of grams) - the hubs will be though. Overall you are looking at saving 3-400grams.

A good fork to upgarde to would be the RockShox Reba:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=produ ... egoryId=18

At 3.5 lbs, you are saving a WHOPPING 900g over the Dart, and will improve perfromance no end! This is a top quality fork, adn for 230 quid would be far and away the best upgrade to make first.

broachboy

supersonic wrote:

That's a very good hub! Will not find much better for that money!

Rotational weight is an issue, but much of this is the tyre. The rims you will get on an upgrade may not actually be any lighter than the ones you have (or just tens of grams) - the hubs will be though. Overall you are looking at saving 3-400grams.

A good fork to upgarde to would be the RockShox Reba:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=produ ... egoryId=18

At 3.5 lbs, you are saving a WHOPPING 900g over the Dart, and will improve perfromance no end! This is a top quality fork, adn for 230 quid would be far and away the best upgrade to make first.

supersonic - I love them forks - I had in mind a set up that alloy steer & uppers, they look the dog bollox.

here are some reviews that I found on the XT disc hub, I know to take them with a pinch of salt...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Revi ... delID=3987

I will take a look at the Fulcrums, I may have to stick with the base model or what I've got if I go for the Reba SL 8)

supersonic

The M756 is a bit older - newer ones are better sealed.

Many tend to fail beause not looked after properly - they take precise adjustment. But will last years when done properly.

If you have the money, XTR are the better option.

broachboy

..is the newer one available in 6 bolt ?, I could only see a splined type of mount

supersonic

I think so - adaptors available anyhow.

Just a point, the crank is quite weighty.

I bought a BeOne Drone last year, great frames!

The Big Cheese

re: Rebas - I was about to waste a lot of money on top o' the range reba teams but sonic (and nicklouse) steered me(pardon the pun) to the Reba SL's mentioned above.

They are a lovely fork and quite light too.

I don't think you can beat them for the money, and in the flesh they look great.

I have XTR M975 hubs on DT4.2's from merlin cycles - great, lightweight wheels and I am running a DT Swiss 'center lock to 6 bolt' adapter which weighs less than 6 normal bolts

The XTR hubs are VERY smooth

broachboy

supersonic wrote:

I think so - adaptors available anyhow.

Just a point, the crank is quite weighty.

I bought a BeOne Drone last year, great frames!

re the cranks supersonic - I know, same type of situation here as with the forks, what do I go for :?: What are the new Shimano outboard bearing cranks like ? is there an alternative ?

Looked at a couple of drones before I brought the Ten - nice bikes

broachboy

Cheesey wrote:

re: Rebas - I was about to waste a lot of money on top o' the range reba teams but sonic (and nicklouse) steered me(pardon the pun) to the Reba SL's mentioned above.

They are a lovely fork and quite light too.

I don't think you can beat them for the money, and in the flesh they look great.

I have XTR M975 hubs on DT4.2's from merlin cycles - great, lightweight wheels and I am running a DT Swiss 'center lock to 6 bolt' adapter which weighs less than 6 normal bolts

The XTR hubs are VERY smooth

Thanks for the info cheesey maybe XTR is the way to go with the hubs then :?: I like the DT 4.2 - looks a classy rim and up to the job. Nice to know from you guys that there is an adaptor available

supersonic

I picked the Drone up for 600 quid - now its 500! With Xmax wheels, Skarebs, XT - superb.

Outboard bearings are the hyped ones, but they simply arent as durable (yet) as their predecessors, namely Octalink.

This is a bargain:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=produ ... egoryId=12

And what I am running at the minute. It weighs less than LX HT2 (the new external one) is cheaper and will last longer)

broachboy

supersonic wrote:

I picked the Drone up for 600 quid - now its 500! With Xmax wheels, Skarebs, XT - superb.

Outboard bearings are the hyped ones, but they simply arent as durable (yet) as their predecessors, namely Octalink.

This is a bargain:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=produ ... egoryId=12

And what I am running at the minute. It weighs less than LX HT2 (the new external one) is cheaper and will last longer)

Cheers for the link matey - bargain

Do you have any prob's with the cranks coming loose ? The 105 octalink I had on my road bike used to come un done regularly

supersonic

Nah! Loctite the bolts, torque to whatver it says (usually f*cking tight on the old torque meter)

broachboy

supersonic wrote:

Nah! Loctite the bolts, torque to whatver it says (usually f*cking tight on the old torque meter)

Nice advice We got plenty of Loctite at work, I'll (ahem) borrow some off them - I think its 542 off the top of me head :?

The Spiderman

Just seconding the reccomendation to change the forks first.I too have the Reba SLs.They are great forks and are by far and away the best upgrade I made.Wheels make a difference,but a good fork makes a huge difference,to the spped and confidence at which you can attack bumpy terrain.

broachboy

Cheers Spiderman, comments noted.

broachboy

supersonic wrote:

A good fork to upgarde to would be the RockShox Reba:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=produ ... egoryId=18

I contacted Merlin today regards the Reba SL, it has an International Standard brake mount :?: Please excuse me I am new to this game :oops: Would I need an an adaptor to fit my Juicy 3 calipers to them :?: which are post mounted at the moment...

supersonic

If you don't already have one, yes. They are easy to fit, and widely available.

supersonic

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=20304

broachboy

supersonic wrote:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=20304

Cheers supersonic thanks for all your help