£200ish Trail wheels

rockmonkeysc

I need a new set of wheels for my 456SS. I'm a bit tubby (15 stone) and ride fairly rocky trails on the Quantocks & Mendips though I don't seem to need to true my cheap Alex/Formula wheels very often.
I need 20mm front hub & qr 135mm rear and I use tubes. I want to go reasonably light
Would Mavic XM719 on switch evo hubs be a good choice? Or would the XC717 rims be better. Or something else?

mrmonkfinger

for that money, its hard not to recommend the superstar stans deal:

http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_ ... cts_id=496

rockmonkeysc

Do they have any advantage over the XC717 if your not using them tubeless?

warpcow

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Do they have any advantage over the XC717 if your not using them tubeless?

Weight and width, though perhaps not quite as strong if you're talking about the Crest. Personally, I'd never buy anything as narrow as a 717 unless I never planned on using tyres over about 2.1. The 719 is an okay middle-ground but weighs almost exactly the same as a Flow, which would be my number one choice (unless you went custom, in which case it would be the Arch EX). Stan's rims work just as well with tubes as without.

rockmonkeysc

Still haven't ordered a set yet. Other than being tubeless ready (I won't use it) do the Stans Flow's have any advantage over the Mavic XM719 rims?
The Stans are 30g per rim lighter so weight difference is virtually nothing and the Mavic's are £20 cheaper as a complete wheel on switch evo hubs. I had Mavic EX721 rims before & they were extremely strong for their weight.

supersonic

XM719 are 20g lighter than Flows - but narrower.

rockmonkeysc

I don't intend to run any wider than 2.3" tyres
I think I'm a bit heavy for Crests

ben11

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I don't intend to run any wider than 2.3" tyres
I think I'm a bit heavy for Crests

I'm looking at getting the crests... but how heavy is to heavy for them?

rockmonkeysc

Not sure but I'm 15.5 stone & don't give my wheels an easy life

toasty

Arch or Arch EX are more in line with XM 719s (and come out lighter). Flows are fractionally heavier but miles wider. Fantastic rims though, had a set for years now.

2.3" is wider than I'd stick on a 19mm rim personally, depending on the tyre brand, it's the very top end of Mavics recommendation for the rim. Flow's would be much happier with that sort of width.

lawman

Imo having used mavic, dt and now stans rims of comparable standard, 717's, dt4.2's and crests, the stans are miles, miles better, lighter, stiffer imo and seemingly stronger too, why you would pick anything other than stans is a mystery to me. Just for reference to the 719's a mate completely taco'd his front wheel after going over the bars at cannock, and it was hardly a huge crash, he's a similar weight to you too. get Arch ex's or flows, can't really go wrong with either.

supersonic

Wheels generally do that if they are not well built. I think the Mavic feel stiffer, the deeper section seems to add to this.

rockmonkeysc

I liked my EX721's, for a relatively light rim they were massively strong on my Superstar wheels

Rich_H

http://www.notubes.com/ZTR-Rims-C18.aspx

I faced a similar dilemma last week and ended up going for the Arch Ex, after reading the link above. My reasoning was that the Arch seemed to offer the best compromise. They were 244 from Superstars, as opposed to 220 for the CRest and Flows.

warpcow

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I liked my EX721's, for a relatively light rim they were massively strong on my Superstar wheels

Relatively speaking, 721s are light for a good, strong DH rim, but for the riding you describe in the first post they're probably overkill. 521/719/etc would be better suited or, even better imo, an appropriate Stan's rim (Arch EX, Flow or the new Flow EX for extra strength).

The Rookie

Easton EA70's?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Kits ... elID=85165

rockmonkeysc

The Beginner wrote:

Easton EA70's?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Kits ... elID=85165

Nice enough but no 20mm front axle option.

toasty

Narrow rims as well.

lawman

I see no reason whatsoever to save £20 for mavics, and atm, the crest/flow on switch hubs are £200, no brainer to me, get the flows!

stubs

Been using Mavic rims in a variety of flavours for over 30 years. Never once have I bust one apart from when I got wiped out by a red light jumping cnut and that would have bust anything short of a bullet proof vest.

Mavics arent the lightest, cheapest or prettiest but they are easy to build and they have been making them for decades and I reckon they know what they are doing. I cant see me ever using anything other than Mavic rims. Though I nearly bought some Stans Arch EX recently but got 719s in the end.

Mccraque

I am 15 stone and smash the crap out of a set of Crests on Superstar on a weekly basis. They cost £220 and weigh about 1650g for a set.

Best value, imo.

If you're woried about the strength....flows on superstar hubs.

rockmonkeysc

I think I'm going to buy xm719 rims on switch EVO hubs. I haven't seen anything to convince me that Stans rims are worth the extra cash. The mavic rims should be strong enough and light enough. Flows are a bit wider than I need for 2.2" tyres and crests are probably not strong enough.