nick_the_wheelbuilder

You're right. The Lyne wheels are also superb value, and at approximately the same weight at only R2000 more. There are pros and cons for both options obviously. Things one should always consider when investing in any wheelset: - Purchase cost. - Warranty. - Replacement part cost if damage occurs (how much is a new carbon rim vs. a new alloy one?) - Availability in the future of said parts. - Future-proof compatibility. - Ease of maintenance and reliability. - Personal taste and preference. It's always a complex decision, and there are way more right answers than wrong ones these days.

I had a rim pretzel once - a first-gen WTB KOM i21. If I turned the nipples more than half a turn each, it went all wonky. Took me about 4 hours to tension and true. There's light and then there's stupid. I'm convinced that once you go too light the wheels become so fragile that they're really impractical.

Yes 100%. About R14 900, built, taped, valved and delivered nationwide.

Really good for such a light rim. Obviously they're not meant for big jumps and really heavy riders, but for average riders wanting a light wheelset for marathon-type riding and gravel, they're superb.

Ok, so admittedly this wheelset I've been working on may not be close to lightest alloy wheelset ever, but it came out nicely. Stan's Crest Mk4 rims laced to H-Works straightpull BOOST hubs with 54t star-ratchet freehub mechanism and xD driver. Pillar PSR Xtra1420 bladed spokes and black brass Sapim Securelock DSN nipples. 1470g before tape and valves. This wheelset is squarely in carbon territory, at about R10k less money. I'd love to know what you think!

Well boost hubs are wider and theoretically heavier. In the past, stuff was often lighter. Narrower rims, QR hubs. So much focus is now on carbon parts, so it’s interesting to see what is possible with affordable alloy stuff.

Oh, forgot to mention. Also BOOST.

Does anyone know what the lightest alloy 29er wheelset for mountain biking is? I'm busy with a very special wheelbuild (details once I have photos) and it's going to be very light for an alloy set. Carbon-light, in fact. Any info on any really light all-alloy MTB wheelsets (that don't cost more than a carbon set)? Spoiler alert: the set I'm building uses Stan's Crest Mk4 rims....

Whatever works in the conditions. Personally I'd not go deeper than 50mm on the front, but up to 60mm at the rear is cool. 45/45 or 45/55 would be my choice. Shallower than 45 and you lose aero advantage.

The Nextie RX rims have a 25mm outer width hat the bead area, so is ideal for 25 or 28c tyres.

Darkhorse is a good option if your budget is R17k. I wouldn't consider the Bitex hubs an upgrade though, compared to the Mavics, if I'm honest. If you stretch your budget to R25k you can get premium hubs with superb tubeless ready rims that handle great in crosswinds, hand-built with bladed spokes and brass nipples. If it was my money, I'd get DT Swiss 350 hubs with Nextie 45RX rims. I can't express strongly enough how awesome these rims are from a quality point of view. They're impeccable. Their rim cross-section shape makes them very stable in cross winds.

Don't get carbon wheels if: You can't afford R20k+ for the set See reason above. You're upgrading to disc brakes soon. See first point above. Get carbon wheels if: You like the way they look. You want more aero speed. You have the cash. You plan on keeping that bike for a while (your new bike will have disc brakes) You might try tubeless at some point. Be very careful with 2nd hand wheels as they've already had "adventures" that you know nothing about. Invest in the right wheels - 45mm rims with the right "shape" for best crosswind handling, high-quality braking surface that won't delaminate or warp. Hubs that don't use proprietary spokes and are easy to maintain anywhere in the world. My personal recommendation: Nextie 45RX rims on DT Swiss 350 hubs, laced with light bladed spokes and brass nipples. Approx 1500g at approx R25k

If you're not in sales, you should be.

Bargain. As with all Rovals, remove the rim tape and look inside at the nipples. If they've become white (corrosion) then replace the nipples with brass. I see corroded nipple heads popping of on a regular basis - you think a spoke's broken, but it's actually the nipple.

The warranty is on manufacturing defects. These will show quickly. Even a lifetime warranty is meaningless if the rim doesn't break due to a quality issue, or does break due to a massive rider impact. Damage from a square-edge impact is only covered by the crash replacement discount, not the warranty.

There's a definite benefit with carbon rims vs. alloy. Same strength, lower weight. Also, carbon rims don't go out of true like alloy. Metal bends and stays bent. Carbon bounces back or breaks. For me the main selling point is the weight saving, which influences handling and acceleration. Like for like, a 30mm inner width alloy rim weighs 450g+, while there are now 30mm inner width carbon rims available at 280g per rim. Imagine saving 170g per wheel, 340g per set, just by changing your rims - going from a 1900g+ wheelset to a 1560g set. You feel that difference for sure. With regards to "stiffness", I'd be surprised if you could tell the difference between a well-built alloy set compared to a well-built carbon set. Rim shape also influences "compliance". Deeper section rims are "stiffer" or more rigid than very shallow rims. Spank, for instance, has honed in on shallow rims for better radial compliance, which helps directional tracking through rocky terrain. Check this article: https://spank-ind.com/blogs/news/possibly-one-of-the-biggest-innovations-in-rime-engineering-in-recent-years

The quality of many carbon products from China these days is incredible - remember that most big brand carbon parts are made there anyways. Like I've said for Nextie: super quality, very responsive service and a great product at a very affordable price compared to bigger brands.

Nope, their rims come from China - I know this to be a fact as Alex from cSixx told me in person. Would I push for South versus a Chinese product at the same price? Yes I would. CSixx rims are great, don't get me wrong, but handmade rims from Cape Town would be my pick for the money.

Nextie are super. Like really superb. The quality of fit and finish is perfect and very consistent. Variations in published weight is +/- 15g normally. (I'm the nominated SA representative / distributor for the brand) The model in the link you shared is 420 per rim - heavy, but strong for enduro-type riding. They have super-light options for marathon / XC coming in at 280g for a 30mm inner width version. And everything in between - see nextie.com Their quality control and warranty, although only 3 years, is great and they give outstanding service. When I order from them, the rims arrive in 4-5 weeks and cost between R7000 - 8000 per rim, depending on the model. Custom graphics are also available, or you can choose standard graphics, or no graphics.

An extra 2 days for delivery, come on South rims at R8995 per rim, and they're locally made, with lifetime warranty. cSixx rims are made in Asia like everything else, but price similar to the South. For everyone's info, here's what a build process looks like: Day 1: You pay the deposit. I order the parts. You pop your hubs in a PUDO locker. Day 3: I get the new parts and your hubs and start the build. Day 5: I pop your wheels in a box, and onto the courier. Day 7/8: You get your new wheels! If you choose a GP-based wheelbuilder, I can recommend Michael Maine from Bicycle Supply Chain or Dave Marshall at Spoke and Spanner.

Pillar PSR Xtra1420 bladed spokes with black brass Sapim Securelock nipples.

Just want to show off my latest build. Carbon gravel wheels, 25mm inner width, bladed spokes and brass nipples. 1095g before rim tape and valves.

These rims aren't terrible, they're from the Stan's "budget" line - read: heavy.

Thanks for catching my typo!

Here's the link to that article: https://wheelbuilder.co.za/mk4-rims/ ...and some pics of wheels I've built using the Mk4 range.