Best wheels under £100

rubez
rubez Posts: 323
edited March 2014 in MTB buying advice
I am needing a set of wheels under £100 each.

I am using this site as a basis:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/wheels/mtb-wheels?f=2258,4294957536&sort=pricelow

What I need is strength most of all, don't care about lightness.

Will a higher weight give me more strength? I can't tell as they all seem to be alloy.

Any brands I should avoid altogether, or is that too simplistic?

What should I be looking for?

Thanks.
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Comments

  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    Is this a full wheel or just the hub bit?

    Looks like an small specialist company or something?
  • nick-gti
    nick-gti Posts: 131
    there a decent company, I have those exact wheels and i'm very happy with them. if you google you will find A LOT of people use them.
    There complete wheels
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    Nice. So this is a set? i.e. two wheels, why so cheap - because they aren't a "brand"?

    If you get two wheels, I may as well go for the 135's for a little more? Says they are stronger... thinking about strength as I am converting to rigid forks so no suspension to absorb shocks...

    They are all 26" wheels I take it?
  • nick-gti
    nick-gti Posts: 131
    yup fully complete 26" pair ready to bung ya cassette on and tyres tube and fit them.

    how strong are you wanting, as these are an all mountain wheel so unless your jumping off roof tops or weight the same as a baby elephant I can't see the need if your wanting to stick to a budget
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    Well my old wheels buckled with moderate jumps, nothing major IMO, so I am being cautious. I am 11 stone, so not heavy.

    are there pictures of these wheels anywhere?

    My budget was for both wheels under £200 (£100 per wheel) So I won't argue if I can get them cheaper!

    Also, what's cassette? :oops:
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    These should be more than you need
    http://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-mt1 ... 54512.html

    The cassette is the set of gears at the back., you undo the lockring and they come off, put them on the new wheels and fit the lockring.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • nick-gti
    nick-gti Posts: 131


    these are my wheels, the cassette is the rear cogs mate

    I'm 17 stone and these haven't buckled yet, as long as you look after them
  • nick-gti
    nick-gti Posts: 131
    those merlin wheels are centre lock disks
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    Thanks, I get the impression that the Shimano won't match the quality of the Superstar wheels...

    Thinking of these ones so I can get the gunmetal colour to match my bike, are the ok?

    http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=83&products_id=850
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    In fact, fuck it. I will just get the Tech2 ones in lime green. Should be more than enough.

    The Quick Release adapter, how do I know what one I need?

    Front (I assume) 9, 15 or 20mm?

    and the rear one? Choices are: 12mm thru axle adapter, 142mm/12mm or 10mm thru axle adapter... :?
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    rubez wrote:
    Thanks, I get the impression that the Shimano won't match the quality of the Superstar wheels...
    Eh? At that price I would say they are better VFM than the SS, quality is subjective, for some people lightness is the key quality, others strength, other reliability.

    Without a chainwhip and lockring tool, you'll need the LBS to swap the cassette.

    You'll need what you have now, which is almost certainly 9mm QR front and 10mm QR rear.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    Strength is what I am after.

    Chainwhip and locking tool, expensive?

    Chainwhip looks only £5 odd... what is the locking tool exactly?
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Parktools is your friend - see link below.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    Personally, I would get these: http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_ ... cts_id=496

    if you can live with white rims. They were unbelievable value a year ago when SS started doing them at £200, even more stupidly cheap when they reduced them to £180 at the end of the summer and now at £140 its utter madness to buy anthing else!!!

    They are light, strong (certainly strong enough for your weight I would have thought) with good rims which work well tubeless if you fancy that.
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    White rims :shock: :lol:

    I'll just stick with the SS ones, they seem great.

    So, I found a suitable chain whip, don't suppose anyone be bothered to link me to the other lockout tool(s) I need for the job on Amazon?

    Thanks!
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    Thats the thing

    If you are going to buy a chain whip and a lockring remover (which you will need to swap the casette yourself) then I would suggest something like this: http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOJW13PC/j ... l-tool-kit or even better something like this: http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOJWTK/jobsworth-tool-kit

    The first one probably doesnt cost more than a couple of quid over what you are looking at for the two parts independantly...
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    Already ordered... I have most general tools anyway, just not these since they are specialist.

    About tubes - should the width match the width of the tyres I have bought? (2.35) and what's the difference between presta and shrader valves?
  • With inner tubes, thats the best way to do it. Matching widths. You can go for a width slightly different but i dont think it will make any massive difference really.

    Presta is the thin type valve that you generally get on road bikes. You take the dust cap off, unscrew the little bit on the end, and push it in and the air comes out.

    Schrader valves are the much more common type of valve that you would get on a car for example. The one where you take a dust cap off and push the thin rod in the middle of the valve to release the air.
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    The Superstar Tech2 / Tech3 rims only fit presta valves.
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    Thanks, big help.

    Love the way Schwalbe name their tyres. Rapid Ralph, Smart Sam.

    Got me some Magic Mary's :lol:
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    This is a truly awful company (Superstar) my order was marked as 'dispatched' last week. Yesterday I get an email saying sorry, they haven't dispatched... order changed to 'processing'. I ask WTF is going on. They say that colour is out of stock, pick another colour... so I picked the only other colour they come in... no sorry, that colour is out of stock too.

    Nice week wasted there, be warned headless chickens operating that business :x

    Any other suggestions for a strong wheelset?

    edit: just bought those Shimano wheels.
  • 97th choice
    97th choice Posts: 2,222
    Can't believe you didn't build your own wheels
    Too-ra-loo-ra, too-ra-loo-rye, aye

    Giant Trance
    Radon ZR 27.5 Race
    Btwin Alur700
    Merida CX500
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    Can't believe you're not a comedian...
  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    I dont think he was being funny. £200 is a decent budget for a strong handbuilt wheelset. Superstar are good. I have bought quite a bit from them including 2 wheelsets. Always good quality, good value stuff and always quick service. Sounds like you were unlucky. Dont write them off.
  • rubez
    rubez Posts: 323
    He was(n't).

    In any case, won't be back to this company. I have no doubt they make a quality product, and that's where their talent lies. But it looks like the same guys mechanical guys are running the website and orders, awful stuff. I mean, just look at the site. Looks like something from 1997.
  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    Like I said, I have placed many online orders with them, all have gone through perfectly and have been delivered in 2 or 3 days. As have a lot of other happy customers who use this forum. £100 for those wheels is a very good offer, which they will have put on to shift a small number they needed to get rid of. Im not at all suprised they were bombarded with orders and some people (you) had to be disappointed. Its your loss if you refuse to use them.
  • 97th choice
    97th choice Posts: 2,222
    Superstar have had some online problems recently since they've done work on their website, that said they do some great products at very good prices. Stop using them if you want, but frankly for certain items you will be cutting your nose off to spite your face.
    Too-ra-loo-ra, too-ra-loo-rye, aye

    Giant Trance
    Radon ZR 27.5 Race
    Btwin Alur700
    Merida CX500
  • chrisw333
    chrisw333 Posts: 695
    rubez wrote:
    He was(n't).

    In any case, won't be back to this company. I have no doubt they make a quality product, and that's where their talent lies. But it looks like the same guys mechanical guys are running the website and orders, awful stuff. I mean, just look at the site. Looks like something from 1997.

    Mate

    despite your stubborn attitude and complete lack of know how, a lot of people have been patient enough to provide some very good advice over two separate threads.

    Comments like this are pointless, incorrect and only going to turn people away from helping any further. Superstar are an excellent company that provide great products at good prices. They usually also have excellent customer service. The fact they ran out of stock of your wheels is annoying, but not worthy of that vitriol.

    A number of people have called you out as a troll. I wonder if maybe you are just being deliberately obtuse. Either way, if you want to continue to receive advise from the forum, please help yourself by being a little more gracious with your comments. Or find somewhere else to post.