sturdy wheelset suggestions...

[JasonDoubleU]

I'd like a replacement set of rim brake wheels for my FS MTB. I weigh 195, and want something that will stand up to my weight . I've got a set of mavic cross roc ust wheels right now and they are a bit too flexy for me. The tire will actually rub on the frame at one spot on the main loop @ lebanon hills.
Just looking for input. I would like somehting sturdy, but not too heavy. I've heard good things about the Sun Rhyno Lite...
...rr is the QBP shimano lx/xt hub with a mavix 517 rim going to just fine? I don't have a lot to spend right now. Perhaps the spoke guage makes a real difference too?
TIA,
Jason
'01 Jamis Dakar

[noise_is_life]

I run a Sun Rynolite on my rear wheel. My stock wheel was popping spokes regularly and the freehub stripped and left me stranded on the wrong end of the river bottoms when I tried to climb the big hill on the east end. I got the new wheel on warrantee which was pretty sweet. I haven't trued the new wheel once in two seasons, but I think there is a little wobble in it now :)

I'm pushing 3 bills though, and there is a weight penalty with the Rynolites, so you may not need anything quite that durable.

I also have a Salsa Gordo on my old bike which I was pretty happy with, but you may not be able to get those anymore.

[martini]

I'd go with the Slasa Gordo or Sun singletrack(for a disc only application). Both are nice and wide, and built tough as nails. Either should do you just fine!

[SilverAthlon]

i just went through the same thing, and I agree that the rhyno lites are nice rims, but i ended up going with the XT Hub/Mavic 221 rim. I am very happy with my choice, and it seems as though they're holding up very well under my weight (220). I was highly reccommended to go up from the LX to XT for hubs, a finer quality for the part that see's the most abuse over the life of the bike.

I was highly impressed at the quality of the Mavic CXP21 rims on my road bike and that swayed me to the 221. Trued once, it's been all good since.

[manitouman84]

sun rhyno lites are great, they are stiff and wide and fit the bill nicely, get them on price point with xt hubs for like 130 a pair. If you wanna get some nicer rims that will take a beating go for the bontrager mustang rims, oh they are wonderful rims, light too.

[sidxc]

Votes Gordo, or Ryhno Lt, if u like to leave the ground. If not the Mavic 221 are a good rimfor the money or even Sun Cr18s are nice on a budjet. :D

[debermart]

Got to agree with the rhyno lite suggestion. I am a pretty burly rider and have broken numerous spokes and rims in my time (and even a few hubs). I bought the rhyno lite/XT hub set and have only had to true them once so far this year.:banana:

Cheers

Steve

[manual63]

Any decent rim will do the job. Don't add much weight at the wheels because you will feel it the most. Rotational weight is where you want to be carefull.

A good Mavic rim should do the trick. The key here is how well a wheel is built. I beat on my bike pretty bad, but because I keep my spokes tight and check them often, my wheel holds together fairly well. I built Chris one of those offset Bontrager rims, I always forget what they are called, in the spring before our Maah Daah Hey trip. He did that trip and has been riding hard all summer on it and it's still straight. You don't need a super beefy rim or bigger guage spokes, you need a well built evenly tensioned wheel. If your current wheels are stock on the bike, they were probably built by a machine. Chris had major issues with his stock wheel in less than 1 year after buying his Specialized. That is why I built him a new one.

Don't get too into what to buy. Get what you like, make sure it's lightweight and have the wheel professionally built. Then keep an eye on the spokes and make sure they stay tight.

[viv]

I agree with any rim will do. I think its in the builder. I've had a number ov wheels built at Flanders and I wont go anywhere else. The last one was a standard Mavic, I think a 517, with a ringle hub. I pounded it for about 6 years on my Super V. I never trued it. It was an amazing wheel finally the side walls gave out. I now have a Mavic that came stock on my Blurr and it aready needs truing after a couple months of riding. Probably built by some machine somewhere. Flanders I love you!

[Rocky Mountain]

I have been using the Bontrager Mustang's which have an assymetrical spoke eyelet pattern. The Valiant model is lighter and of course more flexible. Mustang rims are suprisingly tough since I have the tendency to make my own lines. The reviews on mtbr.com back up my experience with this rim.

The price of a wheelset varies if you have them made by hand -vs- mass produced sets tensioned by machines. The last set I bought was mass produced XT/Mustang from Cambria for $150. I rode them a couple of times and then brought them into the shop to adjust and retighten all the spokes. After this I trued them myself with no real problems. Four years later the eyelets on rear Mustang rim started pulling out. For how many times I ride and abuse my bike this is not too bad. Now I had the rim replaced, which they are considered disposable according to most bike shop mechanics I have talked too. The funny thing is it cost $100 to replace the rear rim using the existing spokes. For $50 more I could have had a whole new wheelset.

[GearDaddy]

Originally posted by Rocky Mountain
I have been using the Bontrager Mustang's ...
(snip ...)
... Four years later the eyelets on rear Mustang rim started pulling out. For how many times I ride and abuse my bike this is not too bad. Now I had the rim replaced, which they are considered disposable according to most bike shop mechanics I have talked too.

I have Bontrager Race-lites, which are a similar design, but are lighter (and much pricier). There was a known manufacturing defect with these wheels in the first few years, where the rim wall was not strong enough near the eylets. I had a similar experience as you, i.e. after about 3 years of riding I noticed cracks near the eylets on the rear wheel. Well one day I was riding up the steep switchback hill at Battle Creek, and about 5 spokes zippered right out of the wheel.

I got a newer rim, which apparently did not have the same manufacturing defect, and had the wheel rebuilt for $100 or so. They've been working great ever since.

[JasonDoubleU]

Originally posted by Rocky Mountain
The last set I bought was mass produced XT/Mustang from Cambria for $150. I rode them a couple of times and then brought them into the shop to adjust and retighten all the spokes.

Do you work at a shop? I can't imagine they'd be real happy tuning up something you bought off the 'net. Is this customary to do (bring in internet deals to get worked on)??

Jason

ps - thanks much for the posts, good ideas and different view points... basically good components built well will last :)

[manual63]

Originally posted by JasonDoubleU
Do you work at a shop? I can't imagine they'd be real happy tuning up something you bought off the 'net. Is this customary to do (bring in internet deals to get worked on)??

Jason

ps - thanks much for the posts, good ideas and different view points... basically good components built well will last :)

They charge you money to tune them, so they don't care where the wheels come from..................why would they?

[Rocky Mountain]

I buy about 75% off of the web and the rest from Freewheel which has a very knowledgeable staff. In otherwords, I spend a little over $200 a year at the LBS. Figured I would provide some approx. numbers so the self righteous people don't complain.

Do you work at a shop? I can't imagine they'd be real happy tuning up something you bought off the 'net. Is this customary to do (bring in internet deals to get worked on)??

I deal with the same bike shop for a reason, I know most of the people working on my equipment on a first name basis. I am not sure if it is customary to bring internet deals to get worked on, but I have done it with no problems. As Shad mentioned, as long as the LBS gets paid they could care less.

[manitouman84]

There are those that will disagree, but if you want tough rims, doooooont get mavic 517s, they are weak a$$. I only say this because someone mentioned them.

[BrightYellow]

I have 517's on both of my bikes and granted, I only weigh about 170, but they have worked great for me...

[Ish]

I have 517's as well and have had no problems. I'm 180 and ride them cross country pretty hard. Just make sure you don't use super light spokes (such as DT revs) and you should be fine.

[manitouman84]

I just knew a bunch of guys at penn who got crappy 517s, maybe it was just a bad string of luck