[unskilled]

About to build up a mini dh bike and looking at quality parts to stick on it.

My main concerns are rims, brakes and cranks
At about 6'3" and 215lbs dry weight I am pretty hard on stuff.
I am trying to create something that will last, but i am not trying to go overkill.

Looking for any information about atom lab pimp rims, whatever rims will be laced to kings so they should last. Any other similar rims info would be equally appreciated.

Brakes are a toss up between elixer's, code 5's and xt's probably. i don't see the reason to go to saints for this bike. only reason code 5 is on there is because i can get them new cheap at my shop.

Pretty sure i will be getting hand me down saint cranks. Should be good enough.

mini dh, kinda heavy, not such a smooth rider. what is enough but not overkill

 

[Bicyclist]

I like my new Elixirs. I've only got a bit of time on them but they seem good so far. Either those or Juicy 7's would be good, with Juicys being just a bit cheaper.

SLX cranks might be appropriate - strong enough, yet a good bit lighter and cheaper than Saints. Saints wouldn't hurt in the durability department though I suppose.

I'm a lighter guy, so take that for what it's worth. Depends a lot on what your definition of mini DH is too. Riding local trails and having a flickable bike for riding at Whistler have pretty different demands on a bike.

 

[mccdh]

nuff said

actually I suggest MTX rims. Some people dont like them but I beat them hard on resorts for a year and they still run pretty good. And i have the "ride fast and power through it" mentality. Im about 220. Other than obvious beefy parts I think the mtxs are where its at.

 

[rollertoaster]

i vote for codes. I had trouble with j7's not having enough power. I'm 195 6'3". I can't really offer much advise on the other parts. I run outlaws for cheap wheels, but they don't last forever. I use deity vendettas on all of my bikes, maybe a little overkill, but you can't go wrong with lifetime warranty.

 

[ianjenn]

321 rims are still to be found new even!

The Atom rims are sorta soft like the old Tiogas were.

 

[dap]

Codes or Elixers CRs, Mavic 729's or Mavic 823 for a UST setup, Saint Cranks or Truvativ Holzfellers ( mine never gave me problems)

I am 6'1" 215lbs and use Codes, 729's on hadleys, Holzfellers, X9 all around and never had a problem. Any of the above are good options (at least in my opinion) and the 2009-2010 stuff is lighter for most of those parts too!

 

[w00dy]

The saints should be fine. If not, you can always go with something steel.

The rim to get, in my humble opinion, is the Arrow FRX. Arrow has the best welded seams in the business. I'm 205 on a light day, jump a lot, crash plenty, and ride my flat tires to the bottom. After 2 solid seasons (including last summer when I lived in whistler) I don't even have a dinged sidewall. Trust, they're worth a look. http://www.arrowracing.com/home.html

 

[AlCapone]

Look at Mavic 823's and Sun Doublewalls as rims. The doublewalls weigh quite a bit though. For brakes, go with the Code 5's. Super nice feel, and plenty of power.

 

[sleepinggiant]

321 rims are still to be found new even!

That's because Mavic still makes them, they just renamed them the 729.

 

[gemini2k]

I'm 210 or so dry, ride hard. I have 3 years on the same pair of saint cranks, several years on MTX rims, and my new code 7's are holding up great. Diety/sunline bars are great. Make sure to stay away from sram drivetrain, although it shifts nice, it explodes at the first sign of rocks. Stick to shimano shadow derailleurs. My bike is 41-ish pounds, and gets hammered on shuttle runs 3-4 times a week, year round.

 

[ianjenn]

That's because Mavic still makes them, they just renamed them the 729.

321 for $39 or 739 for $90. I'll go 321's

 

[dilzy]

Saint m-810 cranks and derailleur. If not Saint cranks, then SLX.

Mavic 721's. I'm around 230lb, not the smoothest and 721's have held up really really well. They are nice and light as well.

 

[TrumbullHucker]

nuff said

you sure about that?

 

[Leppah]

I'm 213 without any gear on. probably close to 225 with it on. I have husselfelt cranks that have three seasons on them. Sun Ringle rims, CODE brakes. If you're heavy, go with CODES. You don't want to skimp on the brakes. If your brakes suck, you don't have very much control or confidence.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

I'm 6'7" 265 w/o gear.

- I run Truvativ Holzfellers (cranks and external BB) on both my XC/FR and DH bikes. They rule. (Blue Loctite the 8mm crank bolts)

- My heavy/bombproof DH setup for rims are Arrow DHX's. The FRX is a bit skinnier but just as stiff. If I'm feeling flowy, I roll some Mavic 823's. (These are all lace to Hadleys)

- For brakes, I run Magura Gustav calipers with the Louise FR lever bodies. These things stop. Now.

 

[karpi]

magura gustav brakes are crazy, Ive never tried something with more braking power. I used to run MTX and would dent them in no time, but you would hardly get flats or brake the rim itself. I wonder if the new ones are a bit better though. As for drive train go holzfeller with saint shifter, that should be good enough

 

[4130biker]

The "new" 321's are the soft metal rim that is competition for sun rims. 721, 729, 823 are the rims that are worthwhile. That $39 rim won't last compared to the $89 729.

 

[Dogboy]

The "new" 321's are the soft metal rim that is competition for sun rims. 721, 729, 823 are the rims that are worthwhile. That $39 rim won't last compared to the $89 729.

Yes, be careful which 321 you are considering. The old 321 is the current 729. Confusing for sure. If it helps, the current naming convention on Mavic rims is as follows: the first number (like the 7 in 721) is essentially the grade of the rim. So a 7 rim is higher quality than a 5 rim or a 3 rim. An 8 rim denotes a tubeless rim. The last 2 numbers are the internal (tire bead) width of the rim. So a 721 is a 7 level rim with a 21mm internal width. The current 321 is a low level (pinned, not welded and lower quality alloy) rim.

 

[ianjenn]

The "new" 321's are the soft metal rim that is competition for sun rims. 721, 729, 823 are the rims that are worthwhile. That $39 rim won't last compared to the $89 729.

Yeah the older ones. A pair was on ebay a few weeks back and they wanted $80 buy now.

 

[gemini2k]

magura gustav brakes are crazy, Ive never tried something with more braking power. I used to run MTX and would dent them in no time, but you would hardly get flats or brake the rim itself. I wonder if the new ones are a bit better though. As for drive train go holzfeller with saint shifter, that should be good enough

What kind of pressure were you running in your MTX's? I'm curious cause I'm pretty big and never (well rarely) dent mine.

 

[stoney]

321 rims are still to be found new even!

The Atom rims are sorta soft like the old Tiogas were.

I rode atomlabs for a season. I got REALLY good a lacing wheels up (read twice per race weekend).
I
rode Mavic after that, and have since forgotten how to lace wheels.

Food for thought.

 

[stoney]

My heavy/bombproof DH setup for rims are Arrow DHX's. The FRX is a bit skinnier but just as stiff. If I'm feeling flowy, I roll some Mavic 823's. (These are all lace to Hadleys)

Abe ran over an Arrow laced up to an XT hub at Sea Otter in a Tacoma in 2002. Internals of the hub were done; wheel was true. Rebuilt the hub, and the wheel is still in serice today. True story. It also makes up 2/3 the weight of the bike.

 

[manimal]

i'll chime in on the big boy equipment.

i'm about 240 geared up (close to 270 on my work bike with all of my gear on ...that poor hardtail )

anyway, i've run a lot of different rims over the years and i haven't found anything better, for the money, than the transition Revolution 32 or 36 wheelsets.
http://transitionbikes.com/Components_Revolution.cfm
i had trailpimps but they are really soft and flat spot too easily..same for mtx's. i blew up a 321 after about 2 rides.

as far as brakes go...i just switched over to juicy 7's with straitline levers from hayes 9's and OMG what a difference! i'm anxious to race on them.

i've always run truvativ or FSA gravity cranks and don't have complaints from either as long as you keep the crankbolts tight.