Arch on AM bike with heavy rider

cat_with_no_tail

Ok, I know this has been done to death, and I know plenty of people who DO use Arch rims on AM bikes. But I just want to be sure they're up to handling AM with someone who is not 8st dripping wet *cough* Lawman *cough*

The Wheels are to go on the Edison. I generally don't get much gnarly air or do anything particularly rad - dudes. Still, there are plenty of trails here that tend to give wheels a good working if you're going fast. I'm pretty sure the archs would handle that easy enough, but I'm just wondering how well they'd cope with that PLUS my 16st.

I'm not against fitting flows, my old wheelset had flows and it handled everything I threw at it with no worries whatsoever, and that wheelset had a much harder life that this one will. I'd just quite like to drop as much rotating mass as possible but don't want them to fold in on me on the first rock.

bails87

Why not the Arch EX?

cat_with_no_tail

I would. But the thinner walls concern me. I dont see how it can be lighter, thinner AND stronger at the same time.

I also think they look like they'd not take tubeless tyres as well as the previous Arch / Flow.

I'm quite happy to be corrected on that though.

lawman

8st?! I wish!!! more like 12 nowadays tbh, but I no doubt think that you will be fine with arch's, my crests have had a hard time over the last year, and the archs should be stronger still. mate of mine has xm719's and other than a taco'd front when he went over the bars on the werewolf at cannock, they have been spot on and he's a similar weight to you, so I imagine you should be fine with archs

bails87

I might be wrong, but I was under the impression that the Arch EX was in the middle of the Crest and Flow, kind of like the Arch, but it had the wide rim profile of the Crest/Flow, rather than the narrower one of the Arch.

Looking at them, is the wall of the Arch EX thinner that the wall of the Arch, or is the bead hook just smaller? It's thicker than the Crest, while keeping the same internal width. The Arch EX looks like a slightly scaled down Flow, with the same internal width, but bigger outside width than a Crest.

I'm interested in what someone better informed than me says, because I'll be building/buying a similar set of wheels at some point in the future.

Lawman: 12?! It was 11 about a week ago in one of your posts!

lawman

well it fluctuates from week to week was just over 12 over crimbo, down to around 11st 9lb ish pigged out abit (well alot) at uni has not helped things and my actual ride time has gone down to gaz's level

cat_with_no_tail

Ok, I stand corrected.

http://www.notubes.com/ZTR-Arch-EX-26-3 ... -P889.aspx

From the webby:

The new Arch EX is lighter, wider and tougher than the original Arch rim!

The name was making me think this was the case, but the cross-section was making me think otherwise.

Still not convinced about the tubeless capabilities, but as Stans made a name for theirselves in this area, I'm willing to assume they thought about it.

Lawman, are you running tubeless on your crests? They seem to have a similar looking bead hook.

lawman

yep run tubeless with regular tl ready (non snakeskin) nobby nics, have a tiny leak in the front, goes down over a week or two, but not totally flat, could probably be down to lack of sealant in there, as others I know have run them tubeless no problem

jairaj

The Arch EX is supposed to be everything the old Arch was but better. Its lighter and stronger at same time. It also has Stan's updated bead technology same as the one on the Crest so will cope with tubeless no problem.

jairaj

fyi - I've been running Crests tubeless for about a year. Used them with Spec 2 bliss, normal Maxis and Schwalbe tyres with a bit of yellow tape and a squirt of sealant. I've had no problems what so ever.