XTR WHEELS

[Titanium Rocket]

Can anyone shed some light on XTR wheels:<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

They always seem to receive good write ups from credible magazines like What Mountain Bike and MBR. They are well priced compared with other top-end options. Yet there are very few around, in fact you hardly ever see them on bikes in real life?why?

Is it because they don?t use sealed cartridge bearings, and Shimano persists with the old cup and cone bearing system? Are they a hassle to run and maintain? Perhaps a question for the Hon JB.

[CaptainDura]

I have ridden a set since january of this year. did my training for the epic and the epic itself on the wheels.

 

they are still running as true and free as when i bought them.

 

You cannot fault these wheels. 

 

they truly are very strong and reliable.

 

They are the kind of "set and forget" wheels.

 

well worth the money in my opinion.

 

 

[Cheryl J]

I've been riding a set since July last year. Training and everything for the Cederberg Challenge, Attakwas, LOTS of riding in France (alps, rocky stuff in provence etc) and they're still going really really well.

 

Still running very very well. Hubs cool and no problems with the rims.

 

I love my wheels

[Veloce]

 

 

 

I was torn between XT wheels and Fulcrum red metal 3's, as I could get them for the same price. I went for the XT's 'cos they are a bit lighter. They have a labyrinth seal that is supposed to keep muck out the bearings but I still think sealed cartridge bearings are the way to go. The seal on the rotor side of the hub is not very good and thus the ball bearings need frequent cleaning otherwise you run the risk of a ruined hub. I think the XTR has the same seal problem on the rotor side.  However, having said this, the design of the hub is such that maintainance is a very easy affair and not too much of a bother. It just gives you more chance to admire those red spoke nipples and straight pull spokes that are so damn sexy.

If you want it completly maintainence free, go for cartridge type bearings. 

Veloce2009-08-17 07:24:19

[CaptainDura]

Can you replace the loose bearings with a cartridge bearing ?

 

If so what needs to be done and what is the bearing number ?

 

 

[Veloce]

 

Can you replace the loose bearings with a cartridge bearing ?

 

If so what needs to be done and what is the bearing number ?

 

 

 

Unfortunately not. The cartridge bearing is a press fit and needs the hub to be machined accordingly.

 

[reginaldmb]

I am riding a set of V-brake XTR wheels and they are indeed incredible.  Unfortunately I will have to swop wheels as I am changing over to disk brakes!  XTR's are great

[CaptainDura]

ill open mine up and report back on my findings sometime this week.

 

hopefully it is all still good.

 

 

[Johan Bornman]

Great wheels but the same as XT except for the Scandium molecule or two in the rim and titanium bits on the freehub body. This makes no functional difference.

 

Excellent spoke design and practical attachment mechanism. Nothing wrong with its bearings, they have a labyrinth and contact seal, but nothing is impervious to submersion, power washers and transport in the rain on roof racks.

 

Don't discount cup-and-cone bearings, they are excellent.

[CaptainDura]

Thanks johan.

 

Not to mention that they are easy to service.

 

This is the first time though i have heard about the disk side seal giving problems. maybe it is a faulty seal or something else.

 

 

speaking of service, great fork service course last friday. I really enjoyed it and learnt a hell of a lot.

 

 

[Veloce]

 

 

I fully agree with Johan and I really do love my XT wheels, the hub/spoke interface is a fanstastic design. I have opened the hub on my rear wheel twice now to clean the bearings and on both occasions the disk side has been rather mucky and the freehub side has been completely free of any dirt/grime whatsoever. I do not clean my bike with a high pressure cleaner and it hasn't been hub deep in water. The disk side seal just doesn't work as well as the freehub side. I will open mine up on the weekend and post pics of the different seal designs.   

Veloce2009-08-18 04:26:47

[tabasco]

great wheels, 4000 km of rididing with only one cone change. CONE CHANGE +- R480.00 Vey happy with them. I think that you don't see them that often as the are not as bling as other wheel sets. I went for strngth over bling XTR all the way.

[CaptainDura]

ill open mine up and report back on my findings sometime this week.

 

hopefully it is all still good.

 

 

 

 

Ok after opening up the rear wheel bearings the disc side was still in pristine condition. no dirt or water in there and there were still enough very clean grease in there.

 

The drive side had some contamination in the grease, ie the ghrease has discolored from clear to brown. there were still enough grease in there nonetheless.

 

so i cleaned it all out, added new clean waterproof grease and put it all together again.  good for another couple thousand kms.

 

ps. the front were also still in pristine condition after opening it up.

 

So all in all i guess those seals do a pretty darn good job of keeping the gunk out.

 

 

[Johan Bornman]

A few observations.

 

One cone change at 4000 kms is pretty poor. I imagine that either the cones were too tight or too loose to start off with or, water got in and damaged the cone.

 

There is no such thing as waterproof grease, no matter what the tin says. Water will readily emulsify with any grease, given enough churning with the two substances present. Picture it for yourself - the grease and water mixes inside the bearing area and the wheel turns. What happens? Just 'cause it is "waterproof" it doesn't mean that the grease will expell the water or make it evaporate or keep it in a little corner somewhere out of harm's way.

 

XTRs are lekker wheels but they can still suffer from water ingression and poor adjustment. A wheel's cones should always be just-just loose when the wheel is adjusted off the bike. The Quick Release compresses the assembly and a wheel that had no play off the bike, will be too tight on the bike.

 

Campag solved this problem of ignorance by making their wheels adjustable on the bike. However, a seasoned mechanic will have developed a sense of what is just too loose and what is just too tight. These adjustments have a huge effect on a wheel's longevity.