Custom CRC or Merlin Job vs Shimano XT 775 Disc Wheels
PenguinWithHair
Posts: 185
Question in the subject really. Looking for a decent XC pair of 26" wheels for discs.
So, custom/hand built job for around £150 to £200 from CRC or Merlin. OR do I get the factory set of XT 775 Disc Wheels for £215 from merlin (I'd need six bolt adapter for that).
Does anyone know if Merlin would do any tweeking before sending factory wheels, or is it strait from box kinda stuff? Also open to suggestions on what custom stuff to get.
Many thanks,
Jim.
So, custom/hand built job for around £150 to £200 from CRC or Merlin. OR do I get the factory set of XT 775 Disc Wheels for £215 from merlin (I'd need six bolt adapter for that).
Does anyone know if Merlin would do any tweeking before sending factory wheels, or is it strait from box kinda stuff? Also open to suggestions on what custom stuff to get.
Many thanks,
Jim.
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Comments
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Jim the price you have for xt wheels are per wheel not set, if you already aware then you have a lot wider choice of wheels to go for. I.e. xtr wheelset which is good value with Merlin, personally I would go with the crossmax SLR if you’re looking for lightweight strong wheel racy type wheel.So Far!0
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Hey, thanks for the reply. Are you sure? Kinda looks like it's for the set to me but maybe I've misread.
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... heels.html
I'm only looking to spend about £200 for the pair
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I'd go for handbuilt - offer flexibilty of options and better value.
WHat bike is it for, and how much do you weigh? WHat riding, and what wheels do you have currently?0 -
Hey supersonic,
It'll be for an 07 kona kikapu. I weight about 13 to 14 stone. I guess I'll be going mostly xc stuff I reckon. I'm currently using the stock wheels, Alex ACE-18 hubs, Stainless 14g spokes, Shimano M475 Disc rear hub, KK Disc front hub.
to be honest with you I'm swaying to a handbuild, but noticed the XT 775s and thought they might be a bit of a bargin..?0 -
Sorry just to add, I obviously want light weight wheels. But I'd personally favor a bit more strength/durability over being mega light.0
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XT hubs on STans flow with ACI DB spokes for £150 is bargain:
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... -rims.html
Tough rims, handbuilt, decent weight. Go for splined and adaptors, as works out lighter than the 6 bolt and are better hubs.
Alternatively, the Hpe Pro2 deal is very good:
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... xm719.html
Not a big fan off the Hope 2 rear hub, but great price. 719 rims add strength.
The XT775 wheelset is bargain at £215 for the pair, light for this money, but a bit flexier than the above handbuilt sets and not as durable. Lighter though.
Personally I'd go for the XT and Stans set up, and invest in some centrelock rotors or adaptors and Ashima Air rotors.0 -
Thanks for the input Supersonic. Maybe the xt XT775 is a touch too much on the lightweight side for me then.
The XT hubs/STans flow/ACI DB looks good for £150. To be honest though (and I admit that I say this without any personal experiance or even logic) I have something of a brand loyalty to having mavix rims (probably XC717) and DT spokes.
I have no doubt you know what you're talking about, but would the benefits reflect the extra cost of going the adapter route? How much extra would it actually be?
Many thanks.0 -
You could of course go for 719 rims in another deal - are a bit less too. The Flows are a touch wider if that is what you want, and many say are tougher.
The adaptors are £15 each:
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/shimano- ... 47036.html
But as above, the splined hubs are a lot lighter, better sealed and quicker engaging than the old 6 bolt XTs.
Though the rotors can be got cheaply enough:
http://www.cyclebasket.com/products.php ... 1715&rs=gb0 -
Maybe the xt XT775 is a touch too much on the lightweight side for me then.
nah,i doubt it,
my riding buddy is about 14 stone, he's been using his for a good while now. They've had some stick and they're still without fault.
They're a great factory build and a bargain at that price IMO0 -
I did have a look at the XT factory wheels in JE James a few weeks back - I think they were doing them at £250. Nice wheels for the money. In the end I went for Hope Hoops which I got for similar money with CRC discount.
I had XT hubs and centre lock discs on my previous wheels and was never that happy with the discs. OK in the dry, but they wouldn't stop squealing in the wet. Now running Hope rotors which work a lot better in our lovely winter weather.
If you want to keep under £200 then go with a custom set from CRC or Merlin. XT 6-bolt hubs, DB spokes and whatever width Mavic rim suits your needs.0 -
Thanks to everyone for their comments.
Something to add, I have a brand new set of G3 Rotors from my Elixir 5 set which I'm pretty egar to use. So I'd rather not have to go buying new rotors in all honesty.
£30 is a bit of a sting for those adapters, but if they're simply better than I guess it's worth it.
Cheers.0 -
You know my thoughts, XT hubs, DT Double butted stainless spokes and Mavic XM719's, after a bit of research I think the XC717's are gonna be a bit thin0
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I've just noticed Merlin are doing the Mavix crossrides for £125! Bit of a downgrade perhaps but something to chuck into the mix. Any thoughts?
Does anyone know if online retailers do any truing before they send out factory wheels?0 -
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717s are plenty strong enough for general riding, I've run them on several bikes for a number of years. The only problem I ever had was when I completely trashed one in a big crash, I wouldn't have expected any rim to survive that though tbh.
+1 for merlin custom builds, always use them for my wheels, they build great wheels.0 -
If your budget will stretch to 228, then you can get a set of Stans 355 on Hope 2 hubs from winstanleys. I went for the Flows myself, but the 355 is the XC rim to go for.0
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what are people's thoughts on the flow rims? I saw the deal above and was very tempted- i've got dt4.2's at the moment, which are lighter, so is there anything to make it worthwhile? (xts on both).Rock Lobster 853, Trek 1200 and a very old, tired and loved Apollo Javelin.0
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They aint heavy and they are bloody tough. Plus the tyres fit really well on the low profile bead hook.0
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Wider than the 719, for the same weight.0
