Custom built MTB Wheels

[Paul Hunter]

If I remember correctly it was around the fact that if you use wheels like Mavic alot of people do so spares are easy to get hold of there is less maintenance on them.  Can somebody also help me out with the major differences between UST which Mavic use and ZTR rims that use I think Stan kit?  Is proper tubeless better?  If I went custom what rims should I go for?

 

Thanks

Paul

 

[casspir]

Paul,

For a down to earth, honest and straight opinion, call Johan Bornmann at 0823086847.  He is controversial in that he doesn't follow hype and bling, he prefers to follow a conservative long term solution approach. 

And I agree with Mint Sauce. 

 

Regards

 

casspir

[Tridude]

I've got 2 set's of mavic wheels, the xl and sl.I've done plenty multi day races on both (sl for this year's Epic) Havn't had any problems....yet. I am afraid of the the day that the problems actually start. The front wheel on the sl's (2007) still have some flex but have stood up to everything I've thrown at it. But....If I have to buy new wheels, I would get customs.The spokes on the Mavics are a problem. I do have spare spokes (at R25 a pop) but the problem starts the day that you don't have your spares with you. The spaokes are all diffirent lengths (drive / non-drive side). The spokes are also year/model specific. Spokes from 2006 sl's wil not be the same length than 2007 sl's. This will cause problems in the future as far a availibilty of spares are concerned. Regular wheels, with regular spokes will always be easier to fix.

 

So.... I like my mavic wheels, but I would recommend to go custom.

[supertorro]

for my 2c I'd say custom.  I've had custom wheels for some years now, and although I had some issues (user induced) with the ringle hub, I've never regretted custom wheels.  That said I aint ever used a larny mavic wheelset, but at the price they don't bear thinking of.  Just don't forget the wheelbuilder needs to know what they're doing too.

 

 

[MintSauce]

Ok, generally Mavic actually has a mediocre reputation when it comes to longevity of their cassettes and internals of the hub. And I've heard of plenty people braking spokes.

Although these wheels are now so common that spares should be readily available, should you bust a normal rim you still have the ability to use ANY rim and spoke to replace it and get yourself BACK on the bike AND at a fraction of the cost of the Mavic spares.

 

In terms of general maintenance there are no differences compared to a normal hub.

 

The difference between a tubeless kit and a proper UST installation is that the kits use a rubber strip to prevent air from escaping through the spoke holes. A UST rim does not have spoke holes. It would seem that a kit is more hassle, but once installed you'll never have to worry about it again. As for the complaints about the sealant required to fit a kit, it prevents punctures so you'd be daft to run a standard UST setup without sealant anyway.

 

 

WARNING: ZEALOUS CHRIS KING PROMOTION TO FOLLOW!

 

In the end, as with all other things, it comes down to personal preference . If you want the absolute finest set of hubs, can appreciate exceptional engineering and don't mind people thinking your crazy for paying silly money then the only option is Chris King. The only complaints you'll likely hear are people complaining about the cost and that will only be the guys who couldn't convince themselves to dig deep into their pockets. Once you have them you won't doubt that it was worth it. There simply isn't anyone who knows anything about cycling that will argue that they are head and shoulders above anything else out there.

 

You can't take a close look at these babies and still want Crossmax....can you? Opened mine up yesterday and the engineering is simply unbelievable. I get all warm and fuzzy when I see the internals. And I got them for a BARGAIN too!

 

http://www.chrisking.com/hubs/hbs_index.html

 

http://www.chrisking.com/hubs/hbs_ISO_disc.html

 

 

[MintSauce]

Oh....rims worth looking at would be Mavic XC 717(although Dick mentioned a newer lighter one), Stan's ZTR and DT Swiss 4.1d.

 

 

 

[1kTT]

Funny you ,ention Chris King's- those are the hubs in my new ZTR wheels (coming in a few weeks).

 

My logic behind being concerned about riding my ZTR's in a multi day race is that I suspect (but dont know) that a broken spoke on a Mavic will be less damaging than on a ZTR and not finishing a stage in a multi day race is far more serious than a single stage race.  Anybody have experience with broken spokes on Mavics ?

 

[1kTT]

 

 

The difference between a tubeless kit and a proper UST installation is that the kits use a rubber strip to prevent air from escaping through the spoke holes. A UST rim does not have spoke holes. It would seem that a kit is more hassle' date=' but once installed you'll never have to worry about it again. As for the complaints about the sealant required to fit a kit, it prevents punctures so you'd be daft to run a standard UST setup without sealant anyway.

 

[/quote']

 

My problems with UST's come when trying to get the tire inflated for the first time (yes I am using sealant).  The airflow from a normal track pump is just not sufficient to create a seal.  I have found that I need a sustained blast like from a compressor.  Once they have sealed the first time, they are generally perfect until you need to 'break' the seal either to change the tire or to re-fill with sealant.

 

The degree of difficulty changes with different types of tyres and different UST kits.  This is not a reason not to get custom UST's- just something to be aware of whe you make your choice.