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Shimano XT M785 Wheels

The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 20,783
edited December 2012 in MTB buying advice
Any views on this wheelset, seem to get good reviews around the net.

1600g and underv £200, would be nice on the RL and I'd lose about 300g of rotating weight..
Santa Cruz Butcher

Posts

  • Stu CoopsStu Coops Posts: 426
    Had these on my Zesty for over 2yrs now and have given them some serious abuse on natural stuff in Brecon and only needed a front wheel true and that was from my bad riding, some people winge about them being cup & cones but mine have had no issues at all.
    Zesty 514 Scott Scale 20 GT Expert HalfwayupMTB
  • cooldadcooldad Posts: 32,601
    I like cup and cone - any monkey can service them.
    I don't do smileys.

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  • lawmanlawman Posts: 6,868
    Cup and cone should have died years ago. Add to this the unique rims and spokes which will be a royal pain to find if they break and you're much much better off going for superstar/stans. Just as light, adaptable for different axles should you need them in future and spares will be easier to get hold of. No brainer for me!!

  • supersonicsupersonic Posts: 82,708 Lives Here
    Only the Crest/Switch are comparable in weight. Decent wheels, but the XT hubs are superior in my experience. Faster engagement, smoother and freer running - only slight caveat is that they use smaller bearings than normal shimano hubs so good adjustment is critical. Rims tougher too, ding less easily. And they come with the best skewers you can get, bar XTR.
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  • ClankClank Posts: 2,323
    Are they available in 6-bolt, or just centre-lock? I know this could be a deal-breaker for some.
    How would I write my own epitaph? With a crayon - I'm not allowed anything I can sharpen to a sustainable point.

    Disclaimer: Opinions expressed herein are worth exactly what you paid for them.
  • bennett_346bennett_346 Posts: 5,092
    I hate cup and cone. Poor sealing and excessive maintenance - not good in the UK (and not many benefits over cartridge bearings).
  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 20,783
    Had cup and cone before, never had an issue! Keep em clean and adjusted and they are fine!

    Only come in centre lock, but I have Shimano brakes which are CL anyway!

    Cheers SS was the rim I wanted info about, hubs will be spot on!
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • bennett_346bennett_346 Posts: 5,092
    The Northern Monkey wrote:
    Had cup and cone before, never had an issue! Keep em clean and adjusted and they are fine!
    Aint nobody got time for that.

    Time spent fixing could be time spent on the trail.
  • supersonicsupersonic Posts: 82,708 Lives Here
    Sealing is as good a the cost of the hub - even down to Deore (and some lower) have labyrinth seals. XTR run smoother than any cartridge bearing, full stop, and are brilliantly sealed. XT aren't far behind. Some of the worst sealing I have seen is on cartridge hubs.

    The rims are decent too, tough and stiff. £200 is on the money for this wheelset. Is rather specific in its spec, but if you don't have the need to swap axles, run 2.4 tyres or 6 bolt rotors then they are a good as it gets.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • bennett_346bennett_346 Posts: 5,092
    supersonic wrote:
    Sealing is as good a the cost of the hub - even down to Deore (and some lower) have labyrinth seals. XTR run smoother than any cartridge bearing, full stop, and are brilliantly sealed. XT aren't far behind.
    My experience of XT is that it isn't sealed at all. Two week service interval is censored frankly.
  • supersonicsupersonic Posts: 82,708 Lives Here
    Mine are 6-12 month intervals.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

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  • bennett_346bennett_346 Posts: 5,092
    One dunking through a river saw my mates XT need re greasing whereas my cheap OE cartridge hub hasnt needed opened once in 2 years, despite going through the same river several times.
  • supersonicsupersonic Posts: 82,708 Lives Here
    I've had mine axle deep in mud, still spin smooth. Maybe he has a rogue set.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • bennett_346bennett_346 Posts: 5,092
    You could be right, it was surprising how often it needed done, and every time it was opened it was filled with brown mucky dust.

    He binned them for superstars and hasnt touched them since.
  • lawmanlawman Posts: 6,868
    edited December 2012
    Ignore my phones fail, nothing to see here, move along!! :lol:

  • lawmanlawman Posts: 6,868
    supersonic wrote:
    Mine are 6-12 month intervals.

    That's pretty poor really if you ask me. My pro 2's are 18 months old and still run perfect, my superstars are a year old and again, absolutely spot on. The only benefits I can see from cup and cone is the slightly smoother running, but from my experience they need a lot of adjustment to make them run smoothly, and if they aren't adjusted perfectly, they will eat themselves quickly. If you had brakes that needed adjusting every 2-3 months you'd be hacked off pretty quickly, as I know many avid users have been and sold them and gone elsewhere. Why should wheels be any different? How can a product be reliable if it needs constant maintanence? I for one will be sticking with cartridge bearing hubs that's for sure, and IMO the superstar/crest wheelset is far superior to anything from shimano for a similar cost. I'm a big shimano fan, their drivetrain and brakes are very good, but the hubs and wheels are just a joke

  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 20,783
    Do the xt's have a steel or alu freehub body?
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • ThewaylanderThewaylander Posts: 8,767
    I have to admit my history with shimano hubs has been poor.

    My old Xt hubs i used to destroy freewheels, and the non cartridge bearings were forever needing to be sreviced. maybe they have improved this int he last few years but to be honest the complete annoyance it left me with i wouldn't go back to anything shimano on the wheel front.
  • TimB34TimB34 Posts: 316
    I bought the slx (mt65) version of these based on the kind of comments you've already had.

    That was at the start of the year and they are still true and running well (and I haven't broken any spokes, but I'm 70kg and not hard on bikes).

    I don't mind cup and cone, I wanted tubeless/tubeless ready rims and at the time they were way cheaper than Superstar crest builds (and not that much heavier) and the biggest plus for me was that the freehub clickclick is nearly silent.

    Oh and the Shimano skewers really are way better than the OEM specialized ones they replaced.
  • supersonicsupersonic Posts: 82,708 Lives Here
    lawman wrote:
    supersonic wrote:
    Mine are 6-12 month intervals.

    That's pretty poor really if you ask me. My pro 2's are 18 months old and still run perfect, my superstars are a year old and again, absolutely spot on. The only benefits I can see from cup and cone is the slightly smoother running, but from my experience they need a lot of adjustment to make them run smoothly, and if they aren't adjusted perfectly, they will eat themselves quickly. If you had brakes that needed adjusting every 2-3 months you'd be hacked off pretty quickly, as I know many avid users have been and sold them and gone elsewhere. Why should wheels be any different? How can a product be reliable if it needs constant maintanence? I for one will be sticking with cartridge bearing hubs that's for sure, and IMO the superstar/crest wheelset is far superior to anything from shimano for a similar cost. I'm a big shimano fan, their drivetrain and brakes are very good, but the hubs and wheels are just a joke

    6-12 months out of routine - they are usually fine! Same interval as fork servicing for me, yet we don't complain about having to do that. I have had an LX hub on my Zaskar LE since 1996! Sure, Alivio hubs need more attention, but these can be got for £10. As for Pro2, some of the worst hubs I have ever had, poor engagement, freehub needed frequent servicing as is badly sealed, lots of drag in the freehub and bearings, freehub body chewed nearly all the way through. My XTR hubs are 100 times better. Maybe I had a rogue one who knows, but for the money they are the joke. As for the Switch, having to replace bearings in 2 months is not good, but at least you can upgrade and they are a decent price.

    It is true that good adjustment is necessary, and good lockdown of the nuts, but is something I am luckily very proficient at. £200 for the XT is a good deal, and they will last with a 5 minute once over every few months. I'd have them over the Switch/Crest, are lighter, tougher rim, superior freehub, come with skewers, roll smoother, pick up quicker.

    Each to their own again ;-)
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

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  • lawmanlawman Posts: 6,868
    Sounds like you got a rogue set, sure the engagement isn't the fastest but mine have been pretty bulletproof so far, likewise the superstars, which as you say can be upgraded to better quality bearings easily an cheaply. The teslas would be my choice at that kin of price, although the American classic look to be a good bet too, very light that's for sure!

  • supersonicsupersonic Posts: 82,708 Lives Here
    Do like the American Classics, tested a set of the 'MTB' for WMB, superb wheels!
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • lawmanlawman Posts: 6,868
    Yeah I remember you saying that, I think I'll try and get some of their hubs laced to Arch Ex's with cx rays when funds allow. My pro2/crest combo is great, but even with supercomp spokes, not the stiffest out there, shame as they are plenty strong enough, just a touch flexy when really hammering it.

  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 20,783
    The Northern Monkey wrote:
    Do the xt's have a steel or alu freehub body?
    In case anyone was wondering, the freehub is steel. So thats a bloody good weight considering hopes are made of cheese (alu).
    Santa Cruz Butcher
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