Scooterza Posted July 28, 2014 Share Hey all I have a Giant Trance X2 that I bought 2nd hand with Alex Rims - cannot remember which ones but something basic. Have done a tubeless conversion but they are still pretty heavy. I am doing the Berg 'n Bush 3 day ride in October and want to upgrade my wheels. My riding partner has a specialised epic carbon 29" so in terms of gear, I am at a bit of a disadvantage and don't want to be holding things up so any benefit I can squeeze out of my bike makes sense. A friend suggested getting XTR Crest Olympics. I see there are other XTR's as well - podiums etc - for sale 2nd hand. I don't have a clue what wheels might be a good option to consider. I was even wondering if I ought to consider a 650B wheel? Would this fit my bike? Bad idea? I dunno! But here are some bits of info that might help. I weigh 75kgI tend to ride the spruit in JHB quite a bit, northern farms etc, some small jumps and technical stuff and so on but mostly marathon type ridingI wouldn't want to spend much more than maybe R3000Any suggestions as to good rims to get? What about hubs? Any brands to avoid? I want to start scanning the classifieds for new wheels in the next month or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel J Méssem Posted July 28, 2014 Share Cant really go wrong with the Crests - well actually you can, they are light but also not super strong, but for the type of riding and your weight they should be fine strength wise. Would also confider tires if you are trying to save rolling weight, hubs wont make any difference in rolling weight If it were me I would also make sure that the shock was nice and firm, propedel all the way on if its got it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shebeen Posted July 28, 2014 Share XTR = shimano top of the rangeZTR = stans range(what you're looking at). Best suggestion is not to be fussy, loads of decent 26inch wheels collecting dust in garages out there. I got an as new set of American Classic 26 tubeless plus tyres, plus new cassette for that price. Just trawl the 2nd hand section here, or put a wanted ad out. Scooterza and Hairy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Sywurm Posted July 28, 2014 Share On my previous bike I only upgraded my tires from Kenda to Maxxis. You will be pleasantly surprised at what difference a set on 'nicer' tires will do. JXV 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted July 28, 2014 Share At 75kg and an affinity for the jumps, steer clear of the ZTR Olympics. They WILL fold in anything other than lightweight rider XC stuff. They're simply not as strong as the Flow / Arch. Saying that - you'll not get a lot for 3k, but keep an eye out for the ZTR Flow / Arch EX, or, have a look at these... https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/97757-dt-swiss-x1800-26-tubeless/https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/96564-mtb-wheels-26/https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/95149-easton-ea90xc-wheelset-with-tires-tubeless/ Scooterza 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Bornman Posted July 28, 2014 Share Take that R3k that's burning your pocket and put it in your pension fund or house bond. It will not improve your performance at Berg and Bush one iota. Get a training program and stick to it. That will make a bigger difference. davetapson, Daniel J Méssem, Pure Savage and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted July 28, 2014 Share Take that R3k that's burning your pocket and put it in your pension fund or house bond. It will not improve your performance at Berg and Bush one iota. Get a training program and stick to it. That will make a bigger difference. Yeha - those garden variety alex rims are strong as nails. Well, the newer ones, at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooterza Posted July 28, 2014 Share Thanks for the input and CPT ARMPIES MAYHEM - once again your help much appreciated! Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headshot Posted July 28, 2014 Share Tend to agree with JB, even if he has given up on Africa :-) That said, and to throw a spanner in the works, a lighter wheelset is probably a better performance upgrade than just about any other. Do yourself a favour - get a scale and weigh the wheels sans cassette and tyres - that will give you an idea if they are really heavy or just moderately so. Anything under 2000g is probably not worth upgrading from. Lighter tyres might be the answer for a bit of weight saving, but they come at a strength penalty... A decent 26"rim will weight anywhere from 400g to 550g. Find the specs on yours to see how much they weigh. Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowta Posted July 28, 2014 Share Just to put it out there https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/86001-ztr-flow-wheelset-back-on-sale/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted July 28, 2014 Share Just to put it out there http://www.thehubsa....t-back-on-sale/ BUY THESE!!! Strong, light(ish) - certainly lighter than the Alex rims - and will last you ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
braailegend Posted July 28, 2014 Share I have a set of these lying around in my garage, one of the fastest wheels i've ridden. Used them once or twice when I went for a fun ride. Not putting them in classifieds, but if you're in a hurry, they're available. http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/wheel-sets/product/review-easton-xc-one-20218/ http://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/picture-82.jpg http://images.internetstores.de/products/08_Easton_Laufradset_XC_One_Disc_MTB_1024x768%5B1024x768%5D.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camelman Posted July 28, 2014 Share 650B is an upgrade from 26" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dre Posted July 28, 2014 Share I would upgrade them to 29" wheels if I were you... Ok, I'm leaving now. Will be back on Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Bornman Posted July 28, 2014 Share I have a set of these lying around in my garage, one of the fastest wheels i've ridden. Used them once or twice when I went for a fun ride. Not putting them in classifieds, but if you're in a hurry, they're available. http://www.bikeradar...n-xc-one-20218/ How did you notice the increase in speed and how much of an increase was there? ChUkKy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shebeen Posted July 28, 2014 Share How did you notice the increase in speed and how much of an increase was there?I'll take a stab. The wind blowing through my hair gets stronger with lighter wheels. Because of the square law this is exponentially awesome. Captain Fastbastard Mayhem and Hairy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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