Stans Alpha A340 Tubeless Rims

Weeman1973

I am thinking of trying some Tubeless wheels and the Stans A340 look a good proposition, paired with some lightweight Novatec hubs are coming in at around 1500g for the pair.

I am a very slight rider at around 57kg so putting weight through them isn't an issue, just wondered if anybody else had tried these rims tubeless or any other tubeless recommendations and wanted to share their experiences with me, good or bad.

Any reason not to try tubeless, are they what the blurb tells us (ie a smoother ride, less prone to punctures etc.)? What's the deal if & when you do puncture out & about (I take it you carry a spare tube & just use that to get you home?).

Do the benefits of riding tubeless outweigh the pitfalls or vice versa...............

ugo.santalucia

I have a set of the newer A 340, which I do run tubed, simply because I change tyres often and can't be bothered with the latex faff, otherwise I would run them tubeless.
Are they better than cheaper rims? No, I had a set of Velocity A 23 on the same hubs before and they were pretty much the same thing at a fraction of the price... the weight difference comes un-noticed. They have better looking stickers, I give you that.

If you run them tubeless I am led to believe Stan's is easier than Velocity.

Is tubeless a good idea for road cycling? I am in two minds about it... the benefit of tubeless is that you can run low pressure, so have a lot of grip on the mud, but if you ride on the road, you'll probably still pump your tyres at 90-100 PSI, so not much difference.
The puncture issue is largely a non issue, you will still need to carry a spare tube and a pump as the latex will not seal all punctures, only the tiny ones

My thoughts are here

http://paolocoppo.drupalgardens.com/con ... eless-road

Weeman1973

Cheers Paolo for the quick response. I already have a set of Ultegra wheels which I believe are Tubeless ready but have never tried. The main reason for looking at the Stans rims was because of the alleged low weight which appealed to me.

More than anything I am after a set of wheels that are light enough to climb well on, offer a very comfortable ride and can be maintained relatively easily. I ride RS80's on my 'best' bike with Veloflex Master Clinchers (25mm) and Latex tubes which do offer a comfortable (ish) ride at low pressure (100psi on rear & 95psi on front typically) but I got to thinking that tubeless maybe more comfortable still? I am not a power house so speed isn't the biggest concern as I am more at home plodding all day in sportives than racing.

Maybe something like Archetype or Velocity A23 rims maybe a better option, paired with a lightweight, low spoke count hub & latex tubes? Latex tubes still bother me in terms of reliability and seating correctly on the rim but then I guess a wider rim would help with that too?

term1te

I built up a set of Stan's Alpha 340s on Novatec lightweight hubs last year. I used DT revolution spokes, 20 radial up front and 28 2 cross at the back, come in at under 1400g. So pretty much broke all the rules for building a durable set of wheels. I'm 67kg and don't notice excessive flex. The only problem, and it is quite a big one, is that when you fit and inflate a tubeless tyre the spoke tension drops, noticeable on the rear wheel. I use a Park tool spoke tension guage, so was fairly confident the tension was even and in the right ball park before inflation. In the end I retensioned them with the tyre on and inflated, after that they worked fine without the need for any further attention all last summer.

I've got Schwalbe Ultremo tubeless tyres, which I run at around 90 psi. Very comfortable to ride on, seem good at cornering, but they do wear surprisingly fast.

I'll see if I can upload some photos if you're interested.

Weeman1973

Term1te wrote:

'll see if I can upload some photos if you're interested.

That would be great if you could - thanks.

ugo.santalucia

In this case I only speak by direct riding experience, I have built only this set of Stans and a lot of A 23 and Archetype.

Personally I don't think they add anything to justify double the price tag over an A 23. Have not noticed the tension dropping once the tyre is on and inflated, but I only use 50-60 PSI on rather big tyres

6wheels

I have a pair of A23's on their way to me. They are being laced to a pair of Taiwanese 28h hubs 2x front and rear (I'm 80+ kilos), and the build cost should come to about £200 with weight c.1500 gms.

This project is solely so I can try tubeless, and have the experience of building a set of wheels.

Ain't got a clue regarding wheel building , so wish me luck. :-)

cycleclinic

I am with ugo on this. The stans rim is very expensive for the money. I would rather spend less on an archetype or A23. In March the Ryde Pulse Comp will be out. £75 ish and it will weigh 430g (given the disc version of this rim came in at 337g claimed is 330g I am confident about the claimed weight). This rim is 18mm internal width and 25mm deep. For an extra 45g per rim and an extra 1mm internal width I know which I would rather have.

The stans rim is just to pricey for what it offers. The Kinlin XR-200 is less than half the price same weight O.K it is narrower needs soft brake pads e.t.c but it cheap.

ugo.santalucia

thecycleclinic wrote:

I am with ugo on this. The stans rim is very expensive for the money. I would rather spend less on an archetype or A23. In March the Ryde Pulse Comp will be out. £75 ish and it will weigh 430g (given the disc version of this rim came in at 337g claimed is 330g I am confident about the claimed weight). This rim is 18mm internal width and 25mm deep. For an extra 45g per rim and an extra 1mm internal width I know which I would rather have.

The stans rim is just to pricey for what it offers. The Kinlin XR-200 is less than half the price same weight O.K it is narrower needs soft brake pads e.t.c but it cheap.

I think the OP is interested in tubeless.
As far as I know, Stan's have the easiest tubeless fit over other rims, which might be a good enough reason to spend the extra cash

Weeman1973

ugo.santalucia wrote:

thecycleclinic wrote:

I am with ugo on this. The stans rim is very expensive for the money. I would rather spend less on an archetype or A23. In March the Ryde Pulse Comp will be out. £75 ish and it will weigh 430g (given the disc version of this rim came in at 337g claimed is 330g I am confident about the claimed weight). This rim is 18mm internal width and 25mm deep. For an extra 45g per rim and an extra 1mm internal width I know which I would rather have.

The stans rim is just to pricey for what it offers. The Kinlin XR-200 is less than half the price same weight O.K it is narrower needs soft brake pads e.t.c but it cheap.

I think the OP is interested in tubeless.
As far as I know, Stan's have the easiest tubeless fit over other rims, which might be a good enough reason to spend the extra cash

Thanks all for the input so far. I am interested in running tubeless, but not if that means spending extra cash on a wheelset that may not be as good as something cheaper, purely because it is easier to run tubeless.

Ideally I want something light, comfortable to ride on & easy to maintain, so I am not against a wider rim (Archetype or A23) with low spoke count hubs and using them with Latex tubes (don't mind the hassle of inflating them every time I ride etc.) if that will do the job the Stans rims will but for less cash

ugo.santalucia

My advice is start by buying a set of Dura Ace hubs... 24/24 for your light frame... they are on offer at the moment... and then see what you can get with the money that is left.

The Novatec light are a non starter... I can take the front, but the rear is endless trouble. Rear Dura Ace front Novatec as a compromise

maddog 2

big fan of tubeless myself but my handbuilts use Archetypes which are a tad beefy for a wee sprat like yourself.

Weeman1973

ugo.santalucia wrote:

My advice is start by buying a set of Dura Ace hubs... 24/24 for your light frame... they are on offer at the moment... and then see what you can get with the money that is left.

The Novatec light are a non starter... I can take the front, but the rear is endless trouble. Rear Dura Ace front Novatec as a compromise

Where are the Dura Ace hubs on offer Paolo - 7900 10 speed I take it rather than 9000 11 speed?

term1te

Here are the photos I promised:






I haven't had a problem with the Novatec light rear hub, when in use, although the free hub is made of cream cheese and the splines get chewed by the cassette, even with the special steel guard section.

Should have given them a clean before photographing them.

ugo.santalucia

Evans have the 9000 on offer, with the spacer they take 10 speed too