[Old_Dude]

what should I get, assuming I want to stay with v-brakes?

Again, I'm more happy with less cost & higher durability than I am with saving a gram or two.

Thanks,

OD

 

[mrbigisbudgood]

Jenson has some XT Disc hubs (if you ever decide to go disc) laced to Rhyno Lytes (machined for rim brake use) for something like $160, alot of places are selling similar wheels for similar prices. Tough, not overly heavy, won't break your bank account.

 

[Old_Dude]

That sounds perfect because later, I'd like to add a disc up front & keep the v-brake in the back.

 

[mutasmurf]

Ben has a deal @ Unreal Cycles...Atomlab Trailpimps laced to deore disk hubs for 200. Shipping is free if you spend 200. Wait, they're disk specific, nvm. You can get the Atomlab aircorps instead of trailpimps (they're v-brake compatible). Atomlab rims are quite heavy, so you might want to look at Sun rims.

Sun Mammoths are very strong, not too heavy, v-brake compatible and stronger than rhynolites. Also, they are under $200.

 

[KrusteeButt]

Or you do what I did....find a friend that's saving up for Crossmax's and needs to unload his handbuilt XTR/517s for $175!

 

[EBasil]

Originally posted by KrusteeButt
Or you do what I did....find a friend that's saving up for Crossmax's and needs to unload his handbuilt XTR/517s for $175!

Dammmnnnnn.....

Nice find!

 

[KrusteeButt]

Originally posted by EBasil

Dammmnnnnn.....

Nice find!

Heheheh...I get lucky every once in a while!

 

[golgiaparatus]

go to jenson and shop around. They have great deals on wheels.

You can probably get some mavic 517s laced to Xt or something like that for $200.

If you want to go disc I know they have tons of stuff for about $200.

- JB

 

[Motionboy2]

$204 for XT on 517's
or
$216 for XT Disc on 517's
http://www.excelsports.com/catalog/23.pdf

 

[indieboy]

for the type of riding you and i do around here i think disc are kinda over board. to be honest you really need is a set of decent v's and a set of cermanic rims. that's it buddy. i'd say save up a little more and get a set of wheels that are slightly better.

 

[Tenchiro]

XT/Mavic 517 ser for $170 How can you go wrong?

 

[Old_Dude]

Thanks for all the comments & suggestions . . .

i'd say save up a little more and get a set of wheels that are slightly better.

Better - like what? Ceramic rims for a recreational rider?

I've seen several v-brake rims which are laced to disc hubs - like the rhyno lites to xt disc hubs - is this a good idea? I thought it might be because I could go to a disc up front later if I wanted to. After having discs & then going back to (cheap) v-brakes, I really miss the stopping power of discs when my rims get wet.

Please keep in mind, I'm not a racer, I'm not going to get into racing - durability/longevity is more important to me than "featherweight but bends easy".

Thanks again a whole bunch,

OD

 

[D_D]

If you want durablity I would advise against x517's they just don't last.
Avoid ceramic rims as well.

I don't see the point of disc only rims, you may save a little weight but can't use them if your disc brakes break. It's always a good idea to go for maximum compatability.

Personally I would build myself some rhyno lites laced to xt disc hubs.

 

[Broken]

A friend of mine just got Sun Mammoth rims for $25 apiece from Pricepoint.

 

[CTR]

with a disk only rim you can weld the seem for a stronger rim with out worrying about the brakeing surface (DH rims)

 

[Old_Dude]

I went ahead & got these:

Sun Rhyno Lite /Shimano XT Disc ATB Wheelset

As far as I can tell, the only difference between these & the black ones is $20. Sure, I'd prefer black rims, but for $20 more? I don't think so.

I hope these are a good deal for $150 - yeah, yeah, yeah, I realize they're not "light" but they should be lighter than what I now have & hopefully, they'll last a long time with little maintenance & better/smoother rolling resistance.

Thanks everyone for your input - buying is always a compromise, but for recreational riders like me, these should do well.

I hope.

 

[Old_Dude]

oops - too late - they've already shipped them - are these disc-only rims? The description between these & the black ones were identical except for the color - am I gonna have to ship them back now?

I'm such an idiot!

 

[Tweek]

No, they have a rim brake surface.
Don't worry about the order change. They'll hold up just fine for heavy XC riding.

 

[Old_Dude]

No, they have a rim brake surface. Don't worry about the order change. They'll hold up just fine for heavy XC riding.

WHEW!!! THANKS!!!

Is $150 a pair a decent price, or did I get burned again?

 

[Tweek]

Originally posted by Old_Dude
WHEW!!! THANKS!!!

Is $150 a pair a decent price, or did I get burned again?

Not a bad price. I'd be more concerned about the wheel build than anything else, depending on where you bought them. You may want to bring 'em by your LBS for a check. Or if you're so inclined, retension and retrue them yourself. Minimally, check them after your first ride.

 

[Old_Dude]

Minimally, check them after your first ride.

Will do - I was taught by a bike shop guru (he's a great mechanic, but he has a very arrogant attitude) it's better to ride the wheels for a little while before truing them - something about spoke tension release that occurs during the first ride ? I've trued wheels before & I've fixed side-to-side problems (haven't tackled the out of round stuff yet) - for some reason, I never found truing wheels very difficult.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Old_Dude]

Dang - these wheels are . . . heavy! Guess that means they'll last, right?

BTW - would the black ones have been any lighter?

Happy riding,

OD

 

[Tweek]

Wow! I'm surprised you got 'em so soon. I'm still waiting for my Rhyno I ordered from Airbomb over 2 weeks ago. :angry:

I don't think there's a weight dif b/w the black and silver.

No, O.D., you definitely want them true before you ride on them. Riding on an untrue wheel will ultimately damage it. What you'll want to do is make sure they're true before you ride them the first time, then when they settle in after a ride or 2 (depending on how long/far you ride), check/true/tension them again. That truing and tensioning should last for a while.

 

[Old_Dude]

Tweek - thank you for the advice - will do . . . now, if I can just find the red one, should be on top somewhere . . .

 

[D_D]

Make sure you stress relieve them as well as tensioning them.

I wouldn't worry about the join not being welded, I doubt it makes any difference to the strength or durability of the wheel.

 

[Old_Dude]

Make sure you stress relieve them as well as tensioning them.

What does that mean? I'm guessing that would be to pull each of the spokes together with my fingers & then check for trueness?

 

[D_D]

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#seating