Upgrade Wheelset Advice

oxocube1

So I'm looking to possibly upgrade the wheelset on the Spesh but am not sure what to go for as I have a few different choices in mind.
First off, my riding consists of Trail/All Mountain riding, at UK Trail centres and 'off route' trails.
Secondly, I need QR front and rear but want the flexibility of Switch Hubs so future upgrades can be made without the need for new hubs.
Lastly, my budget is £200.

A few options I'm looking at include:

Superstar Tech 3 EVO AM Wheelset - Has anyone used the AM490 rims on these? If so what are they like?

Switch EVO Hubs on Stans Crest/Flow - Decent deal, Anyone have preferences over the Flows compared to the Crest? (obviously Crest is lighter and thinner but are the Flows much stronger for the extra weight?)

Superstar AMX Wheelset - Cheapest option here, but does not allow for tarty red bling

These are all Superstar products i know! But I can't see anywhere else that does Switch Hubs for their prices.

I don't currently have any plans for going tubeless so would there be any point in getting the Stans Rims? Or are they generally good anyway regardless of whether you are running tubeless?

Cheers in advance!

supersonic

Switch Evo/Crest for more XC oriented rides (and if you are a light rider), take the Flows if you are heavier, peace of mind or plan to tackle harder terrain, drops, jumps etc.

Even with Flows, they are still lighter (or similar in the case of the Tech 3) than the two other wheelsets and are a more tried and tested rim.

I'd err towards the Crests myself - I have an FSR XC Pro, is more XC than AM.

Twelly

Be warned - Crests are frustratingly hard to get some tyres on. I bled and swore a lot getting tubeless ready Nobby Nics on. Lovely wheels though and my build seems to be good so far. So light!

oxocube1

supersonic wrote:

I'd err towards the Crests myself - I have an FSR XC Pro, is more XC than AM.

Yea with the Float 140s I have on mine now it's more of a trail bike and rides well aggressively. I am leaning towards the Crests. I don't usually worry about weight of components but they are (supposedly) a fair bit lighter than the Flows and I am a light rider, all 10.5 stone of me!

Cheers for the heads up on the hard tyre fittings. I won't be running tubeless though so I many not have the same problem.

I've heard mixed reviews on the Superstar Hubs, most appear to be good, just cannot justify buying Hope Hubs!

sprite1275

Flows are 250g heavier then the crests. Ive read a lot of reviews of the crests and only found a couple saying they had bent them or they have to true them up quite a bit.
Regards finding it hard to get tyres on I think that's more to do with tyre selection and not about going tubless.

Myself I opted for white flows with red hubs as I wanted peace of mind with the strength, had a fast crash the other week and the wheels are still as true as they were before. I run Michelin mountain dry tyres at the moment and they fit on the rim with hardly any effort at all.

Greer_

Flows are downhill rims, the crests should be fine. It's a brilliant deal! Just be prepared to replace the bearings sooner than you'd like to ... got round to doing mine today, they only lasted from february.

I find it easier to get tyres on these rims - I can get them on with my hands, couldn't with my non-tubeless rims before. Same tyres too - Schwalbe Nobby Nics ORC

sprite1275

I wouldn't say flow are downhill rims, more of a strong all rounder according to notubes http://www.notubes.com/ZTR-Rims-C18.aspx

Kowalski675

That link shows a Flow and a Flow EX - which is it on the wheelsets in the original link?

oxocube1

Cheers for the input guys. Still not entirely sure which ones i would go with!

And just to throw another spanner in the works I found out that Evans does the Arch EX Rims on Hope Hubs. I have a good friend who works there and can get me trade prices . I Believe the Arch sits between the Crest and Flow? Tell me if i'm wrong but that sounds ideal to me!

oxocube1

Kowalski675 wrote:

That link shows a Flow and a Flow EX - which is it on the wheelsets in the original link?

Thats a good point but I would assume the rims in the Superstar Deal are just standard Flows, not the EX version.

Kowalski675

oxocube1 wrote:

Kowalski675 wrote:

That link shows a Flow and a Flow EX - which is it on the wheelsets in the original link?

Thats a good point but I would assume the rims in the Superstar Deal are just standard Flows, not the EX version.

The Flow doesn't feature in the intended usage table thingy though, just the EX.

felix.london

oxocube1 wrote:

I Believe the Arch sits between the Crest and Flow? Tell me if i'm wrong but that sounds ideal to me!

You believe right and they're also a great wheel - extremely tough and stiff and very light too...perfect for what and where I ride

oxocube1 wrote:

Thats a good point but I would assume the rims in the Superstar Deal are just standard Flows, not the EX version.

You assume right, not the EX version on the Superstar deal...still a great wheel and an amazing deal though!

benpinnick

On the hubs the Teslas are great and worth the upgrade IMHO. Unfortunately my experience of superstar built wheels is not so great. I bought a set around 3-4 weeks ago. Already trashed. I think I will be just buying the hubs and building the wheels myself from now on.

The Rookie

I just got a set of used SS wheels, swapped on the rims I wanted and changed the bearings - much cheaper than buying new (and I even got a few quid back on the rims!)

Kowalski675

Noticed two guys both with Flows at Stainburn this evening, nice looking wheel. They were testing them a lot harder than I could, lol.