Downhill Rims advise please!

gustie

Hi

I recently bought a set of wheels which had brand new Hope pro 2 EVO hubs laced to some Sun Ringle Double Track rims.

I got a pretty good deal since I got both front and rear complete wheels for the price of the Hope hubs.

I have put them on my Mondraker summum and they are so HEAVY!!! I since found out that each rim is 850g!

Riding it yesterday at Cwmcarn it felt odd with such heavy rims and dual ply tyres also.


So now I want to by some lighter rims - that can take some DH abuse. 26 inch - 36 spoke.

What sort of rims can you recommend please? I see people running "enduro" rims on DH bikes now? What is the best way to go weight over strength wise? These double tracks are beasts lol

I don't do MASSIVE air or anything - This is how i ride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YwHwso55C8

lighter rims need Please advise me some to choose.

Thanks all

gustie

Had a dig about and found these as candidates. Seem light but strong enough?

mavic EX721 DH - 590G
DT Swiss - FR600 600g DH
DT swiss FR500 500g FR

Also which Stan rims are good?

rockmonkeysc

I used to use all of those you listed. The DT Swiss rims dent really easily, Stans Flow EX are better but I wouldn't have thm again.
The Mavic 721's are pretty solid but if you use Continental or Schwalbe 2.5" tyres they are too narrow and give a weird tyre profile. Fine with a Maxxis 2.5" though.
I would go for either Spank Spike Race or Hope Tech Enduro. Dont be put off by the enduro name on the Hopes, they are bomb proof and a reasonable weight. I have a set on my DH bikes. I have seen several very quick DH racers using them. The Spank rims are equally good.

gustie

Thanks mate

What put you off getting Stan's Flow EX again?

I Will give the DT swiss a miss then...

the Mavic EX721's - a bit narrower? I must check that out. I am running Minion DHF front and rear 2.5in but wouldnt mind trying dirty dans or magic mary's at some point.

I can only find those spanks with 28 hole. Have you seen 36 hole version? I don't really want to buy new hubs as I have Hope Pro2 Evo's 36h.

The Hope Tech enduro - Have you seen rim only anywhere? I can only seem to find wheelsets.

Thanks

rockmonkeysc

The Stans rims dented too easily. Not as bad as the DT's though but still quite soft.
Mavic EX 823's are good as well and a little wider than 721's. 823's are basically the same as Deemax rims.
Im running Magic Mary's at the moment. They are good on steeper, rocky tracks with big rock gardens. Not so good on less steep tracks because they are draggy. In mud they are just hopeless. Dirty Dans are awesome in sloppy conditions but hopeless for anything else.
The Hope's are available rim only, I think 18bikes or Ubyke have them.

benpinnick

My hope tech enduros lasted about 5 mins - but I guess that could have been a build issue, they were heavy as! I would personally choose a EX729 - thats a rim thats not really changed in 15 years (other than the name) and for good reason too.

rockmonkeysc

I wouldn't use 729's unless I was racing a track with a lot of rocks or I was expecting to case a big jump. They are heavy. Not a lot in it between them and double tracks.
The Hope's are getting more popular in DH and they are the same weight as a Flow EX (within a few grammes)
I used to have a set of double tracks (rebranded as Intense rims), they were so stiff that the spoke flange broke off my Hadley hub before they buckled!

The Northern Monkey

Not had an issue with my flow ex, see loads and loads of people with them so can't be that bad.

rockmonkeysc

Seen lots of them wrecked at DH races.

gustie

looks like most are 32hole.

I don't really want to by a new wheelset as I have brand new Hope pro 2 Evo's but are 36 hole

Looks like Mavix EX 721 might have to be the ones due to the 36hole choice. I see some only offering 650B/29 also (yawn)

my current wheels with minion 2.5 dual plys, 203 rotors and dh cassette weights..

3.38Kg rear
2.94Kg front

Thats 13lbs! or thereabouts. That is stupidly heavy right?!

I appear to be very limited if I want to use these hubs... or sell them and start over. I wouldn't bother but the Summum felt strangley balanced in the air and I wasn't keen on how it felt. I have come from a Turner DHR to the Summum and had to buy new wheels due to the 150mm rear axle and the Turner only had 135mm... Sometimes biking is a pain in the backside lol

gustie

Benn I have had Mavic 321D on a 2003 Kona stab - again heavy as hell. Are these the same as the EX729?

gustie

ok... I have just discovered these Halo rims

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Halo-Freedom-Di ... ?sku=89273

Anyone used these? Seem pretty light and upto FR duties. I'm not a huge jumper and will be doing uplifts only at BPW - Cwmcarn and maybe gawton and Antur in the future. I don't race either but do shred when i can

At 1.15 on this vid - is about as big as I get it lol https://youtu.be/V_DX2C_hhHQ

Just need something lighter that can take this... Thanks

benpinnick

I have a set of these I was give as samples > http://www.alexrims.com/news_detail.asp?cat=1&cat2=9. As they are 26er Im unlikely to ever build them. If you'd like them then pay the postage + contribution to my beer fund and they are yours... I also have some MD28s but I think they are 32h

gustie

pm sent

gustie

Ben - I tried sending you a PM - but my message has got stuck in the outbox?

Can you see if it has reached you?

Any ADMINS - Can you assist with my PMs? Seems they are not sending and getting stuck in the outbox.

thanks

cooldad

They sit in the outbox until read so he will get it. Ben hasn't logged on again since last night.

Guess some people have a life, and work.

gustie

Perfect - thanks for the heads up Cooldad.


Didn't know how it worked.

Cheers.