DT Swiss 350 vs Hope Pro 4

[Thermophage]

3 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said:

I have a rear wheel that has been properly destroyed recently with cracks forming around the spoke nipples and one is pulling out to the point of causing the rim to buckle around it. Which brings me to the point of my question.

I ride techy trails like Hoogekraal Cobra, Contermans Black Rhino, Armageddon at Jonkers etc. and need rims that will not buckle under my riding style. I was wondering if the Rapidé wheels are affective for this, or should I rather look at something like Stans? I don't have wads of cash to throw at the problem. Sadly the rim is end of life (Roval Traverse 28H) so just re-lacing the wheel is not an option. Or do I miss something here? Will another rim suffice? What 28H rims are available out there that will offer some resistance to a buffalo on a bike storming down some janky trail?

Can't help myself...cough cough Hoogies....tech....cough 

Being somewhat of a rim dinger (dingus?) myself, I was on the WTB Asym Tough i35's until recently and killed the rear badly.

Considering I always run DH or Supergravity of Black Diamond casing in the rear with pressure in the 26PSI region I was marginally impressed with the rim. Riding primarily TM and Signal hill stuff, granted a lot of slower (barring Pat's left and right and Slick Rock, Trechy Rock n a few).

I picked up a set of Spank 350 Vibracore on BF last year (don't bother with the vibracore IMO) and laced them up. Same tyres and pressure and trails etc....And wow, that rims is in my anectdotal evidence significantly stronger than the WTB i was on. So far, 6 months, not a ding, only a re-tensioning of spokes after some (failed?) whip attempts and the rim is still true AF.

Anyway, so if you can find that rim in 28H i would highly recommend it.

Otherwise I have seen with my own eyes how okes who should destroy a rim (I'm looking at you Dan, Moogle and Theunis) when running the South Industries and the rim just laughing it off...

[TheoG]

My front rim also cracked and buckled a while ago.  Replaced front and rear with Fulcrum Red Zone 7, they are much stronger than my original DT Swiss rims and very slightly heavier, I'm very happy with them.  Price was also decent:

https://www.fulcrumwheels.com/en/wheels/mtb-wheels/red-zone-7-29

Edit:  Also 28 hole

Edited July 8, 2021 by TheoG

[Robbie Stewart]

8 minutes ago, TheoG said:

My front rim also cracked and buckled a while ago.  Replaced front and rear with Fulcrum Red Zone 7, they are much stronger than my original DT Swiss rims and very slightly heavier, I'm very happy with them.  Price was also decent:

https://www.fulcrumwheels.com/en/wheels/mtb-wheels/red-zone-7-29

Edit:  Also 28 hole

My riding style is hard, fast, loose and generally when I see a rock garden I don't seek the line, I make one. Usually a straight one, at speed. When I see a jump, albeit gap or table, I send case it. When I see a drop, I drop. I don't think they have me in mind as the target market.

They (fulcrum wheels) lost me the moment I read the following:

"Red Zone 7s are aluminium Cross Country-Marathon wheels that perform well both as training wheels or when alternated with racing wheelsets. They are also ideal for those who are becoming acquainted with mountain biking and..."

[TheoG]

2 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said:

My riding style is hard, fast, loose and generally when I see a rock garden I don't seek the line, I make one. Usually a straight one, at speed. When I see a jump, albeit gap or table, I send case it. When I see a drop, I drop. I don't think they have me in mind as the target market.

They (fulcrum wheels) lost me the moment I read the following:

"Red Zone 7s are aluminium Cross Country-Marathon wheels that perform well both as training wheels or when alternated with racing wheelsets. They are also ideal for those who are becoming acquainted with mountain biking and..."

They are much better than those words suggest, but granted maybe not for you ... ????

[Headshot]

The strongest rims I own are old 26" flows made from 6069 alloy. I believe the newer Stans rims and DT are also 6069 which is a harder alloy than a lower number like 6061. WTB are a bit weak IMO - I have some cheap ones on my Enduro and the rear is going square quite quickly.  In a perfect world I'd have a EX471 DT wheelset and maybe 2 spare rims for just in case. 

[StevieG]

I'm running the DT370's at the moment. Would the extra engagement of the 350's or 240's make a noticeable difference in climbing janky tech sections? It does feel like there's quite a bit of play when trying to ratchet over rocky sections, so wondering if it's worth spending extra on the upgrade

[TheoG]

5 minutes ago, StevieG said:

I'm running the DT370's at the moment. Would the extra engagement of the 350's or 240's make a noticeable difference in climbing janky tech sections? It does feel like there's quite a bit of play when trying to ratchet over rocky sections, so wondering if it's worth spending extra on the upgrade

The difference between 18T and 54T is very noticeable and made a big difference for me.  Down side, 54T is a pricy upgrade and it is substantially more noisy compared to the 18T.

You can always never stop pedaling then its not noisy at all ...  ????

Edited July 8, 2021 by TheoG

[lukelockie]

1 hour ago, TheoG said:

Yip, I bought a 54 a while back R1.8k.

They're over R2k now (speaking from recent purchase experience). But can you really put a price on that sound it brings??

[MORNE]

there's this saying in Afrikaans,

"Hoop in die een hand en K@K in die ander, en kyk dan wat jy meer van het"

LOL

 

ps: Pun intended

[droo]

2 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

I have a rear wheel that has been properly destroyed recently with cracks forming around the spoke nipples and one is pulling out to the point of causing the rim to buckle around it. Which brings me to the point of my question.

I ride techy trails like Hoogekraal Cobra, Contermans Black Rhino, Armageddon at Jonkers etc. and need rims that will not buckle under my riding style. I was wondering if the Rapidé wheels are affective for this, or should I rather look at something like Stans? I don't have wads of cash to throw at the problem. Sadly the rim is end of life (Roval Traverse 28H) so just re-lacing the wheel is not an option. Or do I miss something here? Will another rim suffice? What 28H rims are available out there that will offer some resistance to a buffalo on a bike storming down some janky trail?

If you want rims that don't crack, stay away from Stans. Hopefully the MK4 will be better, but I'm not volunteering to test them unless someone gives me a set.

 

DT EX511 are available in 28H 29" at the moment, and while not cheap, they're about as strong as you'll get and under 600g. If the current spokes are straight gauge, replace with double butted when you rebuild and if you use a decent wheel builder you'll have a wheelset that lasts you a long time.

 

OP - Hope has quicker engagement out of the box, other than that the two are pretty much equal in all respects. Both need one special tool to service, weigh almost exactly the same, and will probably outlast humanity. You can't go wrong with either.

[Robbie Stewart]

I see that the DT HX 531 is a e-bike rim but its rated for 150kg. I am in the 120kg-ish region (I'm not fat, I'm big boned...????) and wonder if this is not perhaps a better call?

17 minutes ago, droo said:

If you want rims that don't crack, stay away from Stans. Hopefully the MK4 will be better, but I'm not volunteering to test them unless someone gives me a set.

DT EX511 are available in 28H 29" at the moment, and while not cheap, they're about as strong as you'll get and under 600g. If the current spokes are straight gauge, replace with double butted when you rebuild and if you use a decent wheel builder you'll have a wheelset that lasts you a long time.

 

[Alouette3]

Rims are a bit tricky to find stock in 28H currently, besides DT.

I've just bought a set of the Rapidé 30mm ID rims and laced them up, but haven't had them on long enough to give feedback on longevity. Enjoying the extra width coming from DT 22.5mm.

[Robbie Stewart]

53 minutes ago, Alouette3 said:

Rims are a bit tricky to find stock in 28H currently, besides DT.

I've just bought a set of the Rapidé 30mm ID rims and laced them up, but haven't had them on long enough to give feedback on longevity. Enjoying the extra width coming from DT 22.5mm.

I looked at them but they've got a max rider weight of 120kg which is at my limit in my butt-naked state. Fully kitted and me on the bike everything is in excess of 135kg's which I don't reckon they would survive for long.

picture Bakkies Botha with a potbelly on a bike and that's me.

 

[droo]

1 hour ago, Robbie Stewart said:

I see that the DT HX 531 is a e-bike rim but its rated for 150kg. I am in the 120kg-ish region (I'm not fat, I'm big boned...????) and wonder if this is not perhaps a better call?

 

 

Necessary - maybe not. But I doubt it would hurt. I'm not sure exactly what the difference is, aside from an extra 20g in 275, but I'm sure Marc will be along shortly...

[DieselnDust]

4 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

Is it really? 2k?

That is nuts. 36 ring is awesome for MTB. I have the 54 on my road bike. I'm a fan 

Had many pairs of Hope Hubs and a set of 240s with the 36 rings. 

My theory these days is that 'generic' hubs have caught up with the 'performance' brands to a point where diminishing returns on investment start playing out.

My Lyne rear hub is still spinning perfectly after a fair amount of abuse at a fraction of the cost.

yeah the differentiators now are the hub shell stiffness and torsion resistance. Engagement mechanism tolerances still determine longevity and lifecycle cost though hence DT always gets the nod ahead of a pawled system

[Knersboy]

Back to the original topic. I faced this choice not long ago, the decision was made for me when I got a set of 350s with the freehub I required (microspline) for cheap. If they were the same price I would go Hope, just because changing the bearings in DT rear hub is a pain and needs specific tools etc. Will be a long time before this bites me, but I know I will be cursing then.

I don’t let bike shops work on my bike, so I am gonna have to fork out for the tools.