wheel upgrade advice

punctureboy
punctureboy Posts: 217
edited March 2009 in MTB buying advice
i am about 17 stone and ride a rockhopper disc 08. i seem to be snapping spokes and wearing out bearings very quickly. i'm thinking about upgrading the wheels to something stronger, but hopefully no heavier. will probably just change the rear wheel for now, and i dont want to go over 200 unless for something really worthwhile. any suggestions?

would just upgrading the spokes and bearings be possible/ better?

Comments

  • dunker
    dunker Posts: 1,503
    hmmmm mavic xm719 rims with dt plain gauge spokes on xt hubs. should be strong enough as long as you ar'nt doing high jumps on them. could get those built at merlin for about £120? a pair. or maybe go stronger with an ex721 rim? will be heavier though.

    strong/light and cheap never go together, mavic crossmax st i'd guess would be strong and light enough but they're like £500 a pair :shock:
  • i went to my lbs and ended up with one of these on their advice http://www.stonehengecycles.com/product/3230/Hope_Pro_II_DT_Swiss_510_Rear_Wheel
    what do u think?
  • Andy B
    Andy B Posts: 8,115
    I'd use an XT cassette on a Pro II hub, as the freehub body is alloy & steel carrier body cassettes will eat into it.

    Apart from that it looks OK, although I'm a Mavic fan
    2385861000_d125abe796_m.jpg
  • there is a warning about the type of cassette used, but it says that any damage is purely cosmetic. would be a good excuse to upgrade the cassette as well tho lol.

    mavics were the other wheels they recommended me, but i'm sure i read a bad review or 2 somewhere about them.
  • dunker
    dunker Posts: 1,503
    you'll read good and bad about both, alot from ppl that jump off 20 foot cliffs on light xc wheels then complain they buckled hehe
  • i am about 17 stone and ride a rockhopper disc 08. i seem to be snapping spokes and wearing out bearings very quickly. i'm thinking about upgrading the wheels to something stronger, but hopefully no heavier. will probably just change the rear wheel for now, and i dont want to go over 200 unless for something really worthwhile. any suggestions?

    would just upgrading the spokes and bearings be possible/ better?

    Mavic crossride max wheelset. £130 on CRC. Can't go wrong. I fitted them to my '08 rockhopper and haven't had to touch them in the year they've been on and they were fitted 'as is' straight out the box. I'm 16st and ride as heavy as I am - they're bombproof for the pricepoint. The hubs run smooth and freely and they look cool too - as cool as the flat, straight pull spokes. Highly recommended.
    There is a time to surf and a time to wax your board.....

    '09 Trek Remedy 8
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    Hope Pro II laced to a Mavic XM819 with DT double butted stainless spokes. WIll give good strength/weight ratio, plus it's tubeless so you can change your username :wink:
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    Good choice, DB spokes are plenty strong enough, and the pro II are excellent.

    Never used dt rims, but they're supposed to be pretty good, I tend to use mavic instead though.

    Make sure the tension is pretty even.
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    adb1006 wrote:
    Hope Pro II laced to a Mavic XM819 with DT double butted stainless spokes. WIll give good strength/weight ratio, plus it's tubeless so you can change your username :wink:

    i'd also imagine you could squeeze an XT cassette into the £200 budget too.
  • Eranu
    Eranu Posts: 712
    If you do get a new XT cassette get it from Merlin they have them for ~£45 at the moment.
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    Eranu wrote:
    If you do get a new XT cassette get it from Merlin they have them for ~£45 at the moment.

    They'll whack it on the wheel for you when they build it up too - save you a job.