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What are the odds I'm going to taco my rims?

I Are Baboon

I Are Baboon

The Full Dopey
Aug 6, 2001
32,484
9,674
MTB New England
I've been strictly a rugged XC guy until now, but I have started doing some drops recently. Can Mavic 221 rims handle 5' drops and such, or will my fat ass taco them if I don't upgrade the rims? I really don't want to do a drop and crush the rims when I land. That could lead to a hurting Baboon. Oh, I'm a 170 lb guy riding a Quasi Moto, if that helps.

The hubs are XT.
 
I Are Baboon

I Are Baboon

The Full Dopey
Aug 6, 2001
32,484
9,674
MTB New England
Originally posted by mrbigisbudgood
Are you pretty smooth? Or do you just let the bike fall and let the suspension suck up the hit?
Click to expand...
Well since I have just started venturing into drops, my form could probably use some work. However, I don't just roll over the drop and let the bike pound the ground. It doesn't feel like I'm hitting the ground hard.
 
sub6

sub6

Monkey
Oct 17, 2001
508
0
williamsburg, va
In my experience, wheels only taco because the builder did a ****ty job. If your rims are too weak, you'll end up flatspotting them or denting the sidewalls, but my guess is they aren't going to fold in half. You'd be ruining them anyways though. IMHO, 221s are NOT the stuff for 5ft drops....
 
Motionboy2

Motionboy2

Calendar Dominator
Apr 23, 2002
1,800
0
Broomfield, Colorado
It depends on how smooth you are. A friend of mine rode his Klien adroite (sp?) race hardtail with Bontrager rims and king hubs at plattekill with us, He took drops up to about 5-6 ft and he is so smooth that nothing happened. On the other hand my ungracefull as$ can bend a rim on whatever you put in front of me!

I would look at something a little beefier, and also consider your tire selection too. Maybe a Mavic 519 rim with a 2.3 tire. That way you are not going to heavy to ride XC with, but it is plenty beefy and is welded so it will be stronger too.

Have fun!
 
mrbigisbudgood

mrbigisbudgood

Strangely intrigued by Echo
Oct 30, 2001
1,380
3
Charlotte, NC
Originally posted by I Are Baboon
Well since I have just started venturing into drops, my form could probably use some work. However, I don't just roll over the drop and let the bike pound the ground. It doesn't feel like I'm hitting the ground hard.
Click to expand...
You should start thinking about a new wheelset soon. This will turn into thinking about a DH bike. Then you'll want a hardtail and your DH bike. Then you'll want to add a FR bike to the mix...........

Welcome to the Darkside Baboon
 
Motionboy2

Motionboy2

Calendar Dominator
Apr 23, 2002
1,800
0
Broomfield, Colorado
Originally posted by mrbigisbudgood
You should start thinking about a new wheelset soon. This will turn into thinking about a DH bike. Then you'll want a hardtail and your DH bike. Then you'll want to add a FR bike to the mix...........

Welcome to the Darkside Baboon
Click to expand...
That is SO TRUE!
 
Repack

Repack

Turbo Monkey
Nov 29, 2001
1,889
0
Boston Area
I think the 221 is a pinned rim (as opposed to welded). Consider the fuse lit. I'd say its only a matter of time before you destroy them.
 
Serial Midget

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
I've only taco'd a rim from a crash but I have flat spotted 217s and 517 just rolling over rocks and hitting the occaisional stump. I don't do any drops that are more than 1 or 2 feet - if you can call those drops... root ledges maybe?

My new XC rims are Rhyno Lite XLs - they're cheap so if I smash them no big deal. :)
 
MikeD

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,724
1,781
chez moi
Just keep a new set of 521 CDs and spokes standing by for the day when they do die...no sense in tearing the wheels up for a rebuild until they either fail or are too offensively out-of-round to ride anymore.

MD

Ed: Conversely, I guess you do have the benefit of doing the build on your schedule if you don't wait until it's too late...
 
Serial Midget

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
Originally posted by Repack
Smack a pinned rim at the seem and you can crack it without even denting it.
Click to expand...
All my rims are welded and machined so hopefully I'll be OK.

Anyone know what the SUP means on my old 217s? 517s say no such thing... :confused:
 
ohio

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
25
SF, CA
I think you should get bigger stronger wheels. And I think those wheels should be the WTB DH wheels I'm selling for cheap.


JK. You're wheels will be fine for a good long while. You'll want to go to bigger wheels only so you can use bigger tires long before you run out of strength on those, as long as they're well built.
 
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