Spec me some wheels for my new Croix de fer

bmxboy10
bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
edited February 2014 in Road buying advice
So after a few nice rides out on the new Croix I think I may treat myself to a new wheelset. I want handbuilts and have been thinking about novatec or even xtr hubs with architype rims but does anyone else have any opinions. I want the wheels to roll well and be strong as opposed to being super lightweight. Budget £300 to £400.

Comments

  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    screw your budget, get these

    More sensibly, skip xtr hubs for anything you're wanting to take off road. They're lovely but the cup and cones aren't ideal. Personally I'd go for hope pro 2 evo with iron cross or arch ex rims.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    XTRs are lovely, but you can get XTs for approximately a quarter the price. I recently paid £55 for a pair.

    Archetypes are a good choice, although not the lightest.

    Iron Crosses are cool too, but only really ideal for off-road since you are limited to 45psi. These are the wheels I built with the XTs: http://thesetbackpost.com/cyclocross/tsp/

    If you want something like the Stans but need higher pressures I'd look at the Alpha rims.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    I thought the 45 psi was only if running them tubeless.

    It's a shame as the really smooth cartridge bearing hubs are outside your budget, so you're kinda stuck with xt/xtr (smooth but more maintenance and prone to killing themselves due to the cup and cone) or going to the more draggy hope hubs.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • snipsnap
    snipsnap Posts: 259
    I've had a similar purchase for my croix recently.

    Shimano cx75 hubs on archetype rims.

    Lovely wheels, revitalized the bike.
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Really cup and cone not for off road. How come then I use Shimano hubs including XTR in bikes I ride only off road (MTB's in all conditions) and have nothing but smooth reliable hubs. The new generation of XT and XTR hubs are very easy to service. Maintain them and they will last a very long time indeed.

    CX75 hub on grey archetypes with silver spokes are just lovely. XT M785 hubs on black Archetypes is a fair bit cheaper and still a very good wheelset.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    thecycleclinic wrote:
    Maintain them

    CBA,

    cartridge bearings knock out both bearings and replace in 10 mins, rear takes slightly longer, 12 mins.
    If you want smooth running hubs then buy better hubs, dt swiss, e.13 etc.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Over the life time of a hub a cup and cone hub is cheaper to maintain. Good quality cartridge bearings do cost. also the when the bearings in your freehub go it may be new freehub time and that adds to the cost. A simple cup and cone hubs just need good grade 10 or 25 chrome loose balls these are cheap.

    I do not like it when a thread turns into a something vs something it happens too often and is rather boring. Cartridge bearing hubs are fine and so are cup and cone. One is not better than the other, they are different ways of doing the same thing. Both can be reliable or not depending on the design and the quality of the parts used. XT hubs are reliable hub at a fraction of the cost of Hope DT Swiss et.c, although the novatec D711/D712 hub set is quite decent and light.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    ride_whenever wrote:
    I thought the 45 psi was only if running them tubeless.

    Yes, I think you're right, I was forgetting that.

    I'd be a bit cautious though given the issues some have had running high pressures on the Alphas. And I'd be inclined to respect Stan's recommendation against tyres under 30mm:

    http://messageboard.notubes.com/viewtop ... f=1&t=6459
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    Are the shimano CX75 Ultegra level? I had Ultegra hubs once before and the wheels were great.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    I am so cool that I will be the first in the country to have a set of these...

    D542SB_large.jpg

    d541_sb_hub.png

    Shame they'll be for myself... 8)
    left the forum March 2023
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    They are, quite undeniably, cool.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    bendertherobot wrote:
    They are, quite undeniably, cool.

    They are very beefy, with 6 big pawls and 48 teeth or so, massive axle, huge flanges... I've been trying to get a pair for nearly one year and now it seems I am about to get one... not cheap... but same price as the standard Hope PRO 2, so not overly priced either
    left the forum March 2023
  • Lumpy Roads
    Lumpy Roads Posts: 91
    Hi Solboy,

    They are at the top of your budget but I think these are what you are looking for. Hope EVO Pro 2 Hubs, Archetype H Son Plus in slate grey with DT Swiss spokes. The Rotors will push you over the top, but only by a little. I have just built these for my Canyon Inflite 8S. The weather is still a bit nasty at the moment so I will continue to thrash the supplied wheels.
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    Thanks for posting. Yes I think I am sold on the grey Architypes and will need the builder to spec spokes for me. On the hubs I think I am down to the Novatec 711/712, the Hope Evo Pro2 or the Shimano CX 75. The Shimanos have a "centre lock" so I am not sure how they work with standard discs???

    Your wheels look nice and if I went Hope I could get red hubs:). Whats the deal with the Novatecs? Seems you can only buy them from China which is not very appealing.
  • snipsnap
    snipsnap Posts: 259
    solboy10 wrote:
    Are the shimano CX75 Ultegra level? I had Ultegra hubs once before and the wheels were great.

    Ultegra level aye.

    They are 11 speed though, so if running 10 speed you need a 1.85mm spacer
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    solboy10 wrote:
    Whats the deal with the Novatecs? Seems you can only buy them from China which is not very appealing.

    Nope, you can buy the 711/712 from the cycle clinic or from sdeals.com among others UK based
    left the forum March 2023
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    The D711/712 even come with a 10/11 speed freehub now.

    the CX75 hubs do take centre lock which means by a centre lock disc rotor or a centre lock to 6 bolt adapter like the one aztec do. Personally I like centrelock it has many advantages.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    thecycleclinic wrote:
    The D711/712 even come with a 10/11 speed freehub now.

    the CX75 hubs do take centre lock which means by a centre lock disc rotor or a centre lock to 6 bolt adapter like the one aztec do. Personally I like centrelock it has many advantages.

    This leads me to another question, are all rotors interchangeable? The brakes on the bike are Cx Hayes so will these work with the same diameter rotor form another manufacturer.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    solboy10 wrote:
    thecycleclinic wrote:
    The D711/712 even come with a 10/11 speed freehub now.

    the CX75 hubs do take centre lock which means by a centre lock disc rotor or a centre lock to 6 bolt adapter like the one aztec do. Personally I like centrelock it has many advantages.

    This leads me to another question, are all rotors interchangeable? The brakes on the bike are Cx Hayes so will these work with the same diameter rotor form another manufacturer.

    Yes
    left the forum March 2023

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