[STPIZZAY]

I am building up a cyclocross bike, and i need to purchase a wheelset.
unfortunately, i have a hard time discerning which sets would hold up to the abuse that CX dishes out, and which wheelsets would fail if taken on anything more challenging than fire road. What characteristics make for a good cyclocross wheelset, and what wheelsets do you believe would perform well on the CX circuit?
thanks,
-Evan

 

[JRogers]

I think it really depends on what level you're competing at, how much money you have and how light you're willing to go. A cheap-ish option would be Open Pro rims and Ultegra or Dura Ace hubs. Lighter hubs and spokes (and less spokes) would also make a light wheel that would hold up well.

For prebuilts there's a lot of options. Ksyriums seem to work well from what I've seen. Do you have any sets in mind in particular?

I don't think there's any particular characteristic I'd look for. Just not a wheel with a low spoke count or one that is super lightweight or expensive. I don't race, but I have a set of Ultegra/Open Pros I use on trails and for CX and a set of EA90 SLXs I use on the road. I like the Eastons, but with a weight under 1500 grams and spoke counts of 18 in the front and 24 rear, I'd be very hesitant to take them offroad.

 

[johnnyru]

I don't race but I do have a CX bike I use for commuting but I've also taken it on the local trails. I bought a set of 700c wheels with disc hubs. Because my bike has both disc tabs and posts, I decided to go with the discs. I found, in Nashbar I think, pre-built 700c Mavic CXP 22 wheels laced to deore hubs. I have had zero issues with these wheels and I am heavy at 195lbs. I haven't even had to have them trued or re-tensioned yet. I have been running these wheels for almost 2 years now. I will also add I don't ride the bike that much, but still, I've ridden this bike on the same trails as my SS and hardtail and no problems. I think I paid $139.

I think the Ultegra/Open Pros setup sounds like a good option. Maybe check out Reynolds too.

 

[j.les]

I'm in the same boat as you. I want a rim that'll allow me to run 28-35 tires. They gotta be strong and light.

I'm getting a Surly x-check, so I'll be able to run mtb or road hubs.

 

[ire]

I think it really depends on your riding style and weight. I've seen small guys who weren't smooth riders trash carbon rims, but I've also seen big guys ride them without a problem. I raced on a set of cheaper Krsyrium last year and this year I'm going to be running Zipp 303 rims to DA hubs


<edit> There was a guys who raced our entire series on a set of the tubeless DA wheels....they held up without a problem (I was surprised)