[Tayrob]

I'm looking at building up a new wheelset for my DH bike.I've already decided on the hubs,spokes,and nipples but i'm stuck deciding between rims.I've got 823's right now(the older ones,when they were called D3.1's.)and I like the reliability,but I don't ride tubeless and don't want to have to deal with lacing them onto new hubs.So i'm looking for a similar weight/strength rim and i'm looking at the WTB laser disc DH's or Sun MTX 33's.
Anybody have experience with either or both?Specifically in the realm of denting and lateral strength.

Any help's awesome,thanks.

 

[Ithnu]

I'm looking at building up a new wheelset for my DH bike.I've already decided on the hubs,spokes,and nipples but i'm stuck deciding between rims.I've got 823's right now(the older ones,when they were called D3.1's.)and I like the reliability,but I don't ride tubeless and don't want to have to deal with lacing them onto new hoops.So i'm looking for a similar weight/strength rim and i'm looking at the WTB laser disc DH's or Sun MTX 33's.
Anybody have experience with either or both?Specifically in the realm of denting and lateral strength.

Any help's awesome,thanks.

2 summers ago I ran a set of ADDs (its the same rim as the MTX 33) and this year I went with 823s. I ran the ADDs ghetto tubeless all summer and started the 823s that way but Kenda DH tires get destroyed by Stans so I ran tubes for 2/3 of the race season.

Anyway...I had zero problems with the Sunringle rims. The hub came apart twice, once right before a race run. I just crossed my fingers and went and I was ok. The 823 is stronger, no dents all year and I'm keeping it next year. The ADD had 2 pretty serious dents in the rim, but it never went flat tubeless on me so I'd run them again.

It all depends on price for me. You may go through one MTX a year but you can find them on sale on-line and they're 1/2 the price of a 823.

 

[Iridemtb]

Mavic 721's? Aren't they pretty much a tube version of 823's, and I think they are a few grams lighter.

 

[daisycutter]

"Mavic 721's? Aren't they pretty much a tube version of 823's, and I think they are a few grams lighter."

729 are a non tubeless rim. A heavier rim then the 721 but bomb proof and proven over the past 10 years

 

[ZHendo]

721s are a lot lighter than 823s just as a rim, but the weight savings of being able to run true tubeless in the 823s may offset the difference, and they're super strong. if you do a search you can dig up a lot of opinion about the 721. i love them, but if you ride them like a hack you'll toast them. they're a light rim, so if you don't mind the extra weight of the 823 then it'll probably be lower maintenance.

for the sun ringle stuff, their rims are fine, nothing incredible but they seem to be fairly solid. they definitely use a softer metal than mavic, so while they'll definitely show some battle scars at the end of a season, they tend to bend rather than crack like mavics do. honestly though, it's a LOT harder to crack a mavic than to bend the crap out of a sun ringle, so the only reason i can see myself ever going back to MTXs or anything would be if i can't afford mavic.

 

[Mulestar]

721's have worked really well for me on my slalom/trailbike and I don't think I would hesitate to run them on my DH ride as well. My 823s on my DH bike have been close to bombproof; the rear is pretty bent but they've held up astoundingly well considering the abuse I've put them through.

 

[Tayrob]

Are 721's really that strong?I've seen a bunch crack at the eyelets.
I don't want a rim that dents easy and is too narrow.I tired running the Sun EQ 27's last season and in one race weekend at Mt.Hood I completly shot the rear rim(couldn't be trued and had about 8 good sized dents) and the front rim wasn't in too happy of shape either(8 or 9 good sized dents).
I don't mind the weight of the 823's either,hence why I was looking at rims around the same weight(650-700 grams)I just don't wanna deal with having to lace them up if there's no point in running a tubeless rim.
And for the record i'm not a light guy,hovering around 230-ish,who rides atleast once a week,races often and rides Northstar weekely,so i'm looking for a rim that can handle that,at an ok weight.

 

[Steve M]

Are 721's really that strong?I've seen a bunch crack at the eyelets.
I don't want a rim that dents easy and is too narrow.I tired running the Sun EQ 27's last season and in one race weekend at Mt.Hood I completly shot the rear rim(couldn't be trued and had about 8 good sized dents) and the front rim wasn't in too happy of shape either(8 or 9 good sized dents).
I don't mind the weight of the 823's either,hence why I was looking at rims around the same weight(650-700 grams)I just don't wanna deal with having to lace them up if there's no point in running a tubeless rim.
And for the record i'm not a light guy,hovering around 230-ish,who rides atleast once a week,races often and rides Northstar weekely,so i'm looking for a rim that can handle that,at an ok weight.

823s are the strongest rims I've owned - significantly stronger than both 721s and 729s. I've killed 721s and 729s very easily, also killed a Mag30 (now the MTX 39 or whatever it is) in less than a month (flatspotted, dented and cracked in several places) but the 823s were seriously tough rims. I don't run them tubeless anymore, I just run them because they're hard to kill. The only other rim I'd consider going back to at this stage is the Alex Supra D (or Supra BH - same thing except pinned instead of welded join), those things are light, cheap and strong. Not quite as bombproof as the 823s but definitely a step up from 729s and 721s, especially in terms of dent-resistance.

 

[819]

823s are the strongest rims I've owned - significantly stronger than both 721s and 729s. I've killed 721s and 729s very easily, also killed a Mag30 (now the MTX 39 or whatever it is) in less than a month (flatspotted, dented and cracked in several places) but the 823s were seriously tough rims. I don't run them tubeless anymore, I just run them because they're hard to kill. .

I'll second that. My old standard used to be the 729. As I've gotten faster (and maybe more slopy) I started to dent the sidewalls. I treid 721's with the same result. I am actually suprised that your old D3.1's have lasted all this time. I went through three rear rims the year I ran D3.1's. They all cracked along the sidewall groove. The new 823 is really difficult to destroy. Very expensive, but really difficult to destroy.

I have had bad experience with MTX's. Again the sidewalls would fold on me.

I'm 180lbs, and riding in reasonably rough but slow terrain (Easter Canada).

 

[Tayrob]

I never even took a look at the 729's.I had them back when they were the 321 and didn't like them.Dent city.
Anybody have any experience with the WTB's?I like them because the sidewall is much shorter then the MTX,which should mean less dents(in theroy),plus they're reasonably light for being 34mm wide.
And yeah...i'm pretty suprised that these D3.1's lasted this long,been through a season under me,a year in a closet,a season under a friend,and another season under me.No dents to be seen and have only needed tension once.