nick_the_wheelbuilder

Take what you paid and deduct 40%.

Awesome, sounds like you're sorted! Those Mk3 rims did nobody any favours....

How are those rims holding up? I'm surprised there are still some being ridden. All the Mk3 rims eventually crack at the spoke holes. (the Mk4 rims are awesome though, if you ever need replacements)

That's the sexiest bike I've seen in a long time!

I the rear is a few degrees off. Hub manufacturers don’t always line up logos with spike holes properly and that is soooo frustrating!

Just showing off my latest build. 30mm inner width Nextie carbon rims on DT Swiss 350 boost straightpull hubs. 1535g for the set. Building these things never gets old.

Just swapped my ESi grips for a set of these DMR Grid grips and couldn't be happier. The rubber micro ridges are super soft and absorb vibes, and the grid section offers excellent grip for the fingers. Yes, I got this bright blue - looks sweet on my purple Cotic Simple.

Mushroom plug will sort that out easily.

Last week I mounted a pair of GravelKing SS+ 38c on a set of Crest Mk4 rims and within 6-7 strokes of my track pump they sealed and seated with very satisfying and loud snaps. These rims don't have a deep channel, so I didn't struggle. All wheels I build get 2 layers of thin, smooth plastic tape, similar to the yellow Stan's tape, but blue.

Not sure about other models, but not this one....

No, unfortunately not - that would have been too cool!

One of the coolest bikes I've ever cobbled together was a GT 26er HT frame, cheap rigid fork, 29er wheels and gravel tyres. (SS in this instance) Again, not a true gravel bike because of the flat bars, but a blast to ride through mixed terrain. Faster than a MTB, more versatile than a road bike. I got rid of this one back in 2019 I think...

Loads of sage advice in the replies above. To address a detail from the OP, about clipless and the type of riding you do (road and gravel). Go clipless ASAP. Get the learning curve done and dusted as soon as you can. For road and gravel, to be as energy efficient as possible, clipless is the best way, in my opinion. Everyone struggles with clipping in and out in the beginning, regardless of how long they've been riding. Once you are comfortable with it though, it's a game changer as you'll feel way more connected with the bike and you'll be way more confident a rider too.

Good questions. Will you feel the difference? Absolutely. You do need to consider the tradeoff between light weight and durability as well. Would I advocate the wheels I just built for all-round mountain biking for someone at 90kg (+12kg for bike + 3kg for water and kit)? No - I'd recommend stronger, and heavier rims. 450-490g rims like Arch Mk4 would be a better long-term choice. This brings the wheelset to 1700g - outside of carbon territory. Go with 30mm inner width, strong carbon rims at 350-390g per rim and you have a strong, durable wheelset, at 1500g, but costing R20-30k.

It's crazy to think that I've not built a new MTB wheel in years with rims narrower than 25mm. Burly 30mm alloy and carbon rims, which are so laterally stiff, are such a breeze to build compared to narrower rims. I rebuilt a set of 2013 Roval Control carbon MTB wheels last week with 22mm inner width rims and they took ages to true because they were so sensitive to tension adjustments.

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.