MTB wheel advice

[Willehond]

So what rims would you suggest with XT hubs, DT Swiss spokes, for a XC rider weighing around 85kg's?  For use with rimbrakes and ideally light and cheap!

[Slowbee]

Kev, you in a tough place ... if you know you are going to be wanting to upgrade in a few months, either spend as little as possible to get you to the point of upgrade, or get the best wheels you can and then add those to the new bike when you buy it.

[KevinV]

Thanks Johan. I will speak to the shop where I bought the bike. Others have also advised that all they will do is replace the spokes with more of the same quality (or lack of) and I will be back so square one. However, I will give them the opportunity to answer my questions.

If spokes continue to give in then I will get the wheels rebuilt with better, brand name spokes, and invest in some XT or similar hubs while I am at it.

Can you recommend any wheelbuilders in the western cape? If you don't want to mention names on the thread please pm me.

Thanks for the input!

[Flowta]

 

I'm sure there already threads about this but not in the mood for searching. Any input would be appreciated.

I have WTB SpeedDisc wheels with very average Shimano hubs. After about 1000km on this wheelset' date=' I have started snapping spokes. Apparently, the spokes on my wheels are cheap and nasty, and my LBS has advised me to have them rebuilt with better spokes if I break any more. Sounds like this will cost in the region of R700 for both wheels.

Would this be a good option, and if so, what spokes should I get? Can I shave weight off my wheels this way, have heard that I can.

While I'm at it, should I upgrade hubs?

Other option I guess is to buy another wheelset, but would rather ride this bike into the ground and then buy another, better bike. Maybe in a year or so. Should I just put better spokes on and carry on like that?

So many questions, I sound like you Slowbee!!!

[/quote']

 

I has a set of those rims on my bike when I bought it and had to get them trued often.

 

Eventually I was riding at Jonkershoek and was about to start Neverending Story (2 metres into the singletrack, before you hit the tree line), at the first corner I was suddenly over the bars. Had a look and my wheel was tacoed. Had to stand on the rim to ge it straight so I good get back to the car park on the jeep track

 

I reckon get a new wheelset.

 

[KevinV]

Kev' date=' you in a tough place ... if you know you are going to be wanting to upgrade in a few months, either spend as little as possible to get you to the point of upgrade, or get the best wheels you can and then add those to the new bike when you buy it. [/quote']

Yup, I agree with your first point. I will ride this bike pap and then buy something better in a year or 2. Gives me something to look forward to (and save for)!

[Kiwi]

http://www.notubes.com/ Stans, not too bad a price really for what you are getting. Lots of Pros use these when they look to weight saving!

[Marius]

I have to agree with Kiki, it's either those of the American Classic rims, they weigh about the same 364grams, might even by lighter than the ZTR/s. The other option would be the DT Swiss XR 1.4's at 425 or die 717xc mavic also at 425grams.

[Kiwi]

http://www.amclassic.com/mtb_disc_26.html 

http://www.amclassic.com/pdfs/WheelWeights.pdf

 

Good prices for these, easy to get here in SA too. Plenty of good reviews, easy to get ceramic bearing for them as well.

[KevinV]

Thanks, will look around at prices. I think they may cost more than I'm willing to spend at this stage though. I am in no rush, unless my LBS runs out of spokes.

[Johan Bornman]

I has a set of those rims on my bike when I bought it and had to get them trued often.

Eventually I was riding at Jonkershoek and was about to start Neverending Story (2 metres into the singletrack' date=' before you hit the tree line), at the first corner I was suddenly over the bars. Had a look and my wheel was tacoed. Had to stand on the rim to ge it straight so I good get back to the car park on the jeep track

I reckon get a new wheelset.
[/quote']

 

Flowta, you interchange rims for wheels and mention an anecdote that proves nothing. If wheel frequently have to be trued, it has to do with the build, not the type of rim on there. No rim requires more truing than any other rim.

 

Further, an anecdote like your accident at Jonkershoek proves nothing. It depends on how you fall and what forces are put on the wheel at the time of the impact. The slightest twisting force on the wheel will taco it - even the world's best wheel, whilst a frame-braking full head-on impact will do nothing to the wheel.

 

We have plenty of people here to recommend X or Y wheels based on accidents or, lack of accidents. Wheels are either strong, durable or a combination of the two. A strong wheel doesn't collapse when the appropriate load is applied. A durable wheel can carry the appropriate load over a very long distance. The best combo is durability and strength. There is a compromise as the wheel's weight comes down. Weight is usualy reduced by removing rim eyelets. This makes the wheels less durable but not weaker. By making the spokes thinner, neither durablility nor strength is compromised.

 

These things are not obvious and cannot be illustrated by isolated examples.

 

[Shebeen]

[

I has a set of those rims on my bike when I bought it and had to get them trued often.

 

He's not lying, i sat on the road during a Knysna night race with him doing his spoke spannering by headlamp whilst people flew past!

[Flowta]

 

I has a set of those rims on my bike when I bought it and had to get them trued often.

 

Eventually I was riding at Jonkershoek and was about to start Neverending Story (2 metres into the singletrack' date=' before you hit the tree line), at the first corner I was suddenly over the bars. Had a look and my wheel was tacoed. Had to stand on the rim to ge it straight so I good get back to the car park on the jeep track

 

I reckon get a new wheelset.

[/quote']

 

Flowta, you interchange rims for wheels and mention an anecdote that proves nothing. If wheel frequently have to be trued, it has to do with the build, not the type of rim on there. No rim requires more truing than any other rim.

 

Further, an anecdote like your accident at Jonkershoek proves nothing. It depends on how you fall and what forces are put on the wheel at the time of the impact. The slightest twisting force on the wheel will taco it - even the world's best wheel, whilst a frame-braking full head-on impact will do nothing to the wheel.

 

We have plenty of people here to recommend X or Y wheels based on accidents or, lack of accidents. Wheels are either strong, durable or a combination of the two. A strong wheel doesn't collapse when the appropriate load is applied. A durable wheel can carry the appropriate load over a very long distance. The best combo is durability and strength. There is a compromise as the wheel's weight comes down. Weight is usualy reduced by removing rim eyelets. This makes the wheels less durable but not weaker. By making the spokes thinner, neither durablility nor strength is compromised.

 

These things are not obvious and cannot be illustrated by isolated examples.

 

 

OK Johan, I'm not going to argue with you as you are the expert on the subject.

 

Just saying that if they are the same wheelset as the ones that came on my bike then the wheel has VIAM hubs, in your words "rubbish hubs" and by all accounts from the various mechanics I had trueing the wheels, "cr@p" rims. You can check out MTBR if you want. Granted a lot of them are kids trying to do FR stuff with XC gear.

 

[KevinV]

Thanks Johan, I think you have already forgotten more than I will ever know about the technical stuff. Just spoke (no pun intended) to the shop where I bought the bike. They say that once a spoke breaks and is replaced, it's inevitable that more will break. Not going to get much out of them then.

I will wait until more break and then get the back wheel rebuilt by somebody who knows what they are doing. No spokes have broken on the front yet so I will leave well enough alone.

[Johan Bornman]

Can you recommend any wheelbuilders in the western cape? If you don't want to mention names on the thread please pm me.

Thanks for the input!

 

PM our fellow Hubber who goes by the name of Straatvark. He was easily the best student I've ever had on a wheelbuilding course. I have no doubt that he'll build a better wheel than most people in Cape Town.

 

 

 

[niterider]

 

Thanks Johan' date=' I think you have already forgotten more than I will ever know about the technical stuff. Just spoke (no pun intended) to the shop where I bought the bike. They say that once a spoke breaks and is replaced, it's inevitable that more will break. Not going to get much out of them then.

I will wait until more break and then get the back wheel rebuilt by somebody who knows what they are doing. No spokes have broken on the front yet so I will leave well enough alone.

[/quote']

 

Why not buy a single wheel from JB, with XT (or LX even) hub and reasonable rim and spokes? At 90kg I wouldn't go near a std American Classic.

 

[KevinV]

Can you recommend any wheelbuilders in the western cape? If you don't want to mention names on the thread please pm me.

Thanks for the input!

 

PM our fellow Hubber who goes by the name of Straatvark. He was easily the best student I've ever had on a wheelbuilding course. I have no doubt that he'll build a better wheel than most people in Cape Town.

 

 

 

Good stuff, thanks. Straatvark, when you get a pm from me you know what it's about!