strong tough but light wheels ??

hubba

Ok my bonty race lite rear wheel is showing signs of getting to end of life ( i think this is the last spoke replacment that the rim can take), also there is some extra play in the cassette hub (more than the norm). the alloy nipples are starting to show stress wear, the slightest tru'in and they snap in other words.

so i'm in the market for getting somthing decent yet not gold plated when it comes to buying it.

i'd like tough/ strong - durable.
not massive on purchse cost
purpose use is only cross country with the odd bunny hop or small air of hump in path (no table top jumps or huge air etc..)
built for the stocky build (no weight weenie here)
brass nipples requried
open to spoke type/ rim type/ hub type etc..

my likes are i like the sound of the Hope pro 2, but don't like the machine built rims.

my ideas so far could be somthing like a mavic 819/ dt swiss 5.2 rim on hops pro 2 hub and i've been told about some really strong flat blade spokes but at a cost of around £3 per spoke (£96 for 32hole rim, £108 for 36hole)
my LBS suggested mavic cross ride rear wheel comming in at a cost of £360 but i think i can get better by hand building a wheel rather than factory purchse.

anyway thoughts suggestions would really help in my future rear wheel set up, open to front / rear wheel deal too if price is right.

supersonic

You don't need bladed spokes - standard 14/15 gauge double butted are fine for just about everybody.

Hope Pro 2 rear, XT, or Superstar hub on a Stans Flow or Mavic 719/819 would be my choice, with double butted spokes.

Rushmore

Halo 4xR

cat_with_no_tail

I've got a set of Superstar Switch EVO hubs and Flow rims. Had them about a month and they are VERY strong wheels. They also have the added bonus of looking pimp-tastic.

Come in at about 1950g for the set, which is not bad for a wheelset more than capable of doing DH on.

dan1502

Given your intended use it sounds to me as though flow would be over the top. You could consider arch rims but if built well, crest would probably be fine. I've had a set of wheels hand built by Goldtec and went for Stans Arch on Goldtec All Mountain and Pro Competition Hubs. Mine are 29er wheels but still came in at just over 1800g for the pair with brass nipples. I was discussing wheels with them again as I need a pair for my wife's bike and they've suggested I go for Crests.

I'm about 100kg or more kitted out. They've suggested I put the Crests on my bike and only use the Arches when doing proper all mountain rides. I think Crests would come in around 1650g and less if I decide to use alloy nipples and bear in mind these are 29er weights.

http://www.mountainbikecomponents.co.uk ... and+Wheels

Speak to Kev if you are inerested.

hubba

i've only ever heard chris king and hope of the upgraded freewheel sound, what are goldtec like for sound ?, also superstarswitch evo ?

also wheel build wise i have an old mavic dh rim 36hole and a real old hope hub but i really notice the difference when this is fitted, so a little concerened on weight against durability.

it's to fit on my bionicon edison so size wise i guess i'm looking at a standard size (as from looking at the link there is multiple rear hub sizes which baffled me straight off...

andyrm

hubba wrote:

i've only ever heard chris king and hope of the upgraded freewheel sound, what are goldtec like for sound ?, also superstarswitch evo ?

also wheel build wise i have an old mavic dh rim 36hole and a real old hope hub but i really notice the difference when this is fitted, so a little concerened on weight against durability.

it's to fit on my bionicon edison so size wise i guess i'm looking at a standard size (as from looking at the link there is multiple rear hub sizes which baffled me straight off...

CWNT - another member of our gang!

Not heard a Superstar hub yet - to be honest, from what you have described, I'd go for a Hope Hoops wheelset.

Tough, reliable and consistent build and excellent customer service in the event of anything going wrong (very rare) either warranty or not.

njee20

Superstar hubs have 120 (?) engagement points, so they'll likely be a loud, high pitched King-esque noise. No doubt like all the others certain greases and lubes will make a difference. Do people really buy/not buy a hub based on the freehub noise!?

I'd not shy away from Hope Hoops myself, they're just such good value. If you're really worried about the build quality you could take them apart and rebuild and still come in cheaper than a custom build! And I've not seen much to suggest they're an inferior build, mine have been great so far, and we sold plenty, never had one come back.

The Northern Monkey

njee20
I thought you weren't happy with your hope wheelset?

spongtastic

I'm still trying to kill my XT/XM719 wheels and failing.

jairaj

njee20 wrote:

Superstar hubs have 120 (?) engagement points, so they'll likely be a loud, high pitched King-esque noise..

AFAIK only Trizoid (or what ever its called) is 120 engagement. The Switch has an average loudness. Louder than my Shimano XT hub but quieter than all my mates' hope hubs.

miss notax

supersonic wrote:

You don't need bladed spokes - standard 14/15 gauge double butted are fine for just about everybody.

Hope Pro 2 rear, XT, or Superstar hub on a Stans Flow or Mavic 719/819 would be my choice, with double butted spokes.

I run Hope hubs with Mavic 719 and i've been really happy with them so far - no issues at all

Pretty light, not too pricey and plenty strong enough for me / what I ride.

The Northern Monkey

XT 719 is a good combo!

hubba

thanks for all the responses.

i think that i need to look a little more into the hope arena, as i said my old standard hope hub with dh style rim and 36hole very strong spokes fitted is rather on the heavy side.
it could be an option to get a hope hoop deal with mavic rims and see how it goes..

i think reading between the lines it seems hope is the right price range for durability and weight so i'll go do some searching and see what i decide on.

whats the service element like for hope hubs (i'm not a great one for keeping up with service reguarly but more of a fix when it goes wrong kinda thing.)

cheers
hubba.