Mavic Crosstrail or other UST wheels?

[Cranky]

Looking to upgrade to UST and lighter MTB wheels, spending no more than about R4500. Could get Mavic Crosstrail, or Mavic 819 rims with Hope Pro II hubs. Any views on these, or other options?

[Iwan Kemp]

Go with the Pro II option. They always get great reviews and have proven themself reliable, fast, inexpensive and fast rolling. Just note that the rear hub is a bit more noisy than other rear hubs. Close to a Campag rear. But I like it.

 

Mavic hubs aren't the greatest. Bearings don't last that long and I've heard of quite a few hub bodies cracking or exploding.

What riding/racing you wanna do with them and what bike are you putting them onto? If I/we know that well be able to give better advise.

 

Another great thing bout the Pro's is the fact that you can convert the front hub from std QR to 20mm to 24mm Maverick. You can also service them yourself.

[Cranky]

Thanks Crow

I have a 2007 Stumpjumper FSR, and ride mainly marathon and stage races. The Hope hubs have received great reviews, but the combo with the 819's appears to be heavier than the Crosstrails, giving me very little weight saving on my current wheels. Any other UST rims I could use?

[Iwan Kemp]

IMO the best rims out there are Stan's. ZTR Olympic is a GREAT, durable, long lasting light weight rim for racing. If you're not gonna do 4/5/6 foot drops and jumps and hammer them on trails they will do the trick.

 

In actual fact, on my Moto Lite I jumped and dropped and hammered them and they lasted fine. Other than that you can opt for a DT 4.2D. I believe you get a Hope /DT 4.2 wheelset. In fact, you can get Pro III / DT 4.2D wheelset. Even lighter than Pro II's and apparently even longer lasting.

 

I would go:

DT240 Hubs with DT Revolution Spokes and ZTR Olympic Rim or

Hope Pro II with DT Rim Wheelset or

Hope Pro III with DT Rim Wheelset.

 

Shimano's XT and XTR wheelsets represent good value for money I believe. Not sure on the RRP, will have to check, but they too are getting good reviews and should last many a moon.

[GIRR]

If I remember right shimano XT wheelsets go for about R4.7, I may be wrong.

I agree that the ZTR OLympic rims are really awesome aswell as with the hope hubs!

 

But if you go for a wheel buid option, I dont know if you know how to wheel buid properly yourself, there is often a labour fee of around R400 to add onto the price... so it may be best to go for a complete wheels set.

[Cranky]

The XT wheelset seems to be light and very reasonably priced. Has anyone tried them, or seen a review?

[Iwan Kemp]

My riding buddy has them on his Virtue One and they have stayed 100% true through quite a bit of abbuse. They don't engage as quickly as CK's or I9's =, but for the money you'll hard pressed to find better. They spin up fast, bearings seems to be quality stuff and you'll be able to get spares everywhere.

And on the plus side the rims are tubeless ready. All you need is the right valve and your set to go.

For the money it's a great wheelset.

[Racer X]

Can you stretch your budget to 5K, if so go for ZTR Olympics on XT Hubs. Add some revolution spokes and you are looking at +- 1500 grams. Later on you can upgrade the set with decent skewers and Dura Ace Axles. Knock off some more weight.

[Johan Bornman]

Thanks Crow

I have a 2007 Stumpjumper FSR' date=' and ride mainly marathon and stage races. The Hope hubs have received great reviews, but the combo with the 819's appears to be heavier than the Crosstrails, giving me very little weight saving on my current wheels. Any other UST rims I could use?

[/quote']

 

For marathon stage races I won't worry too much about a few grams here or there. I'll make sure I have a better quality hub. You won't find a better quality hub than Shimano XT (XTR is only cosmetically different and much more expensive).

 

What determines hub quality is not obvious but if you use this ticklist, you will do ok.

 

1) Camfered and slanted flanges to promote long spoke life.

2) Countersunk spoke holes no bigger than 2.3mm

3) Forged body (most of the boutique hubs are CNC machined).

4) Dual seal. Outside seal must be labyrinth and inside rubber wiper seal.

5) Bearing type doesn't matter, it could be cartridge or cup-and-cone).

 

I have built fancy wheel with Chris King, Hope, Tune and all sorts of one-off imports. Very few of these expensive hubs have impressed me as much as Shimano's boring old XT. My own XTs celebrated their 10th birthday this year, surviving many stage races, training, holiday tours and wash after wash.

 

I find in intriguing how these magazine reviewers rate hubs or indeed, any bicycle part. They simply don't know what makes a good component and I've never seen them list the basics. I won't make my decision on reviews.

 

I've crossed swords with bicycle reviewers often, including one who frequents The Hub, but as in all these cases, you shouldn't pick a fight with he who buys ink by the barrel. They always engineer the last word.

 

If I was given carte blance on your new wheels I would spec ZTR Olympic rims (there isn't much choice in UST rims and DT is to be avoided at all costs), DT Revolution spokes and Shimano XT hubs. However, it's your money.

 

 

 

This is arguably the prettiest wheel I've ever built. Chris King Hubs, SAPIM CX Ray bladed spokes, NoTubes ZTR Flow rim. For all his money, the owner has what is arguably the only such wheels in the country.

 

Johan Bornman2008-06-15 09:55:36

[Iwan Kemp]

Yeah, I've been busting my ass trying to get my hands on black cx-rays! Looking at the same build. CK hubs, Flow rim, spaim ray spokes.

 

What did that wheelset weigh in at?

[Johan Bornman]

IMO the best rims out there are Stan's. ZTR Olympic is a GREAT' date=' durable, long lasting light weight rim for racing. If you're not gonna do 4/5/6 foot drops and jumps and hammer them on trails they will do the trick.

 [/quote']

 

I'm afraid the real picture is a bit different. You can't have your cake and eat it. Durability of aluminium rims unfortunately also adds a bit of weight and a minimum-weight rim like any of the Stan's rims doesn't quality.

 

A durable rim is a rim that can carry the rider's weight (whatever that may be) over a very, very long distance.

 

A strong rim is one that can carry a heavy rider's weight. Distance is not a factor.

 

A strong durable rim will carry an elephant very, very far.

 

Durable rims just so happen to be, also strong rims because the requirements are the same.

 

A ticklist for a durable rim.

 

1) No thin walls. It must have a bit of beef on it and will therefore weigh more than 400 grams.

2) Stainless steel spoke eyelets.

3) Painted rather than anodised finish.

4) No visible extrusion lines. (DT still has a lesson to learn here).

5) The right aluminium alloy for extrusions (6000 series rather than 7000 series).

6) Left-right offset spoke holes.

 

Mountain bike rims fail for one of three common reasons.

 

1) The brake surface wears out.

2) The spokes pull through the rims

3) The extrusion cracks along the spoke line.

 

Only the first reason is legitimate, all the others are bad design and manufacturing technique.

 

[Johan Bornman]

Yeah' date=' I've been busting my ass trying to get my hands on black cx-rays! Looking at the same build. CK hubs, Flow rim, spaim ray spokes.

 

What did that wheelset weigh in at?

[/quote']

 

940g and 740 g

 

 

[Cranky]

922 and 755 g for the XTs (without skewers).

Thanks everyone for the input. I think I am leaning towards the XTs, although I can still dream of those in your pic, Johan.

[Racer X]

Thanks Crow

I have a 2007 Stumpjumper FSR' date=' and ride mainly marathon and stage races. The Hope hubs have received great reviews, but the combo with the 819's appears to be heavier than the Crosstrails, giving me very little weight saving on my current wheels. Any other UST rims I could use?

[/quote']

 

For marathon stage races I won't worry too much about a few grams here or there. I'll make sure I have a better quality hub. You won't find a better quality hub than Shimano XT (XTR is only cosmetically different and much more expensive).

 

What determines hub quality is not obvious but if you use this ticklist, you will do ok.

 

1) Camfered and slanted flanges to promote long spoke life.

2) Countersunk spoke holes no bigger than 2.3mm

3) Forged body (most of the boutique hubs are CNC machined).

4) Dual seal. Outside seal must be labyrinth and inside rubber wiper seal.

5) Bearing type doesn't matter, it could be cartridge or cup-and-cone).

 

I have built fancy wheel with Chris King, Hope, Tune and all sorts of one-off imports. Very few of these expensive hubs have impressed me as much as Shimano's boring old XT. My own XTs celebrated their 10th birthday this year, surviving many stage races, training, holiday tours and wash after wash.

 

I find in intriguing how these magazine reviewers rate hubs or indeed, any bicycle part. They simply don't know what makes a good component and I've never seen them list the basics. I won't make my decision on reviews.

 

I've crossed swords with bicycle reviewers often, including one who frequents The Hub, but as in all these cases, you shouldn't pick a fight with he who buys ink by the barrel. They always engineer the last word.

 

If I was given carte blance on your new wheels I would spec ZTR Olympic rims (there isn't much choice in UST rims and DT is to be avoided at all costs), DT Revolution spokes and Shimano XT hubs. However, it's your money.

 

 

 

This is arguably the prettiest wheel I've ever built. Chris King Hubs, SAPIM CX Ray bladed spokes, NoTubes ZTR Flow rim. For all his money, the owner has what is arguably the only such wheels in the country.

 

 

Hey, we agree sweet. I upgraded my set, yes XT hubs, ZTR's and Revolutions with some aluminium axles that I machined out a my mate's dad's engineering works. Still working on the cones which are prooving to be more challenging. I then chucked on pair of Salsa Flip Off skewers and saved 85 grams on the wheelset.

 

Must agree with you on the hubs, they are bullet proof and light.

[RossW]

Hey, we agree sweet. I upgraded my set, yes XT hubs, ZTR's and Revolutions with some aluminium axles that I machined out a my mate's dad's engineering works. . . . 

 

Must agree with you on the hubs, they are bullet proof and light.

 

What did that upgrade cost you? Being weekend LBS are closed so I have been browsing CRC -

ZTR R988 each

XT hub FR R367

            RR R505

Revolution spokes R230 * 2 = R460

Total

R3308

Of course it does not include building fee....

 

[RossW]

Since my last post, I actually found what I think is a good deal;

XT hubs

XC717 Mavic rims

Revolution spokes;

Looking at getting them CRC which should cost around R2088 before 14% hits me. From what I know there is no duty on wheels import....could be wrong though!

 

You see, I'm trying to move away from the alex rims and hubs which came on my rockhopper. Would these in fact be an upgrade in terms of weight reduction and handling?

Thanks