[MrBaker87]

Being that I need new rims as I am finally upsizing my Banshee Rune from 26” to 650b, I’m curious about what experiences people are having with the latest crop of carbon and alu rims.

I wouldn’t haven’t considered carbon rims before, but a few rims like the ones from Santa Cruz and WeAreOne have a lifetime warranty.

Personally, I don’t need wide as fuck rims. I am okay with 25mm-31mm.

I’m coming off ex823s and some other old school heavy DH rims. I’d love to lighten up my bike at the moment as most of the best descents around the upper left of the US is accessed by climbing and my bike is in the mid-30#s.

I ride my bike in the bike parks a lot. Staying mostly in the hairest of tech tracks. Hard on rear wheels.

What are your experiences? What are you liking? Not liking?

 

[jstuhlman]

i am waiting until i destroy the current tires on my ancient ex500s (26”) and will then likely jump to 27.5s. I have 27.5 ex471s and dhfs sitting in the garage waiting to be swapped onto my hubs. i figured if it ain’t broke...

 

[Toshi]

I've been happy with Light Bicycle 31.6? 31.8? mm i.d. rims. True as the day they emerged from their Chinese box. Same rims that @Nick runs on his DH bike.

 

[jonKranked]

at this point i guess it's mostly a question of "can i justify the cost?" i started with my first set of carbon rims for XC probably 7 years ago now. I now also have a set of Enve M70's on my megatrail. while they're nice, i don't think i could justify the $2500+ MSRP (full disclosure i got mine second hand, because 26" stuff is cheap these days). however most of my bikes are stull alloy rims, i'm in no rush to carbon everything. If i were to purchase another set of carbon rims now, i'd probably go for the WR1 rims, in large part because of the warranty.

 

[Jm_]

30mm ID Nextie rims are my AM/Enduro setup. Been rocking for years and works great. Good middle of the road, any wider and it starts to get ridiculous fast IMO. I have some Nextie I25 rims on my 29er that previously saw AM/Enduro abuse for a few years. They are good, but the size is more aggressive XCish IMO.

I’m also testing some super-light Oxive rims and by all accounts they are just a solid as anything else. They make a decent line.

 

[commencaldh]

NOBLs are great, and I second the LB Wheels

 

[Metamorphic]

$1900 for the Santa Cruz reserve with I9 hubs, and a full blown warranty, as in 24hr turn around and a new wheel, not just rim. Do I understand that correctly? Can't see how you could justify another plastic wheelset with that on the table....

That said, I am a stingy bastard and will be on my alloy rims on wheels I built in my garage for $500 for a loooooooooooong time.

 

[rockofullr]

$1900 for the Santa Cruz reserve with I9 hubs, and a full blown warranty, as in 24hr turn around and a new wheel, not just rim. Do I understand that correctly? Can't see how you could justify another plastic wheelset with that on the table....

That said, I am a stingy bastard and will be on my alloy rims on wheels I built in my garage for $500 for a loooooooooooong time.

My complete bike cost $2500. Id feel silly rolling around on $2000 wheels

 

[HAB]

$1900 for the Santa Cruz reserve with I9 hubs, and a full blown warranty, as in 24hr turn around and a new wheel, not just rim. Do I understand that correctly? Can't see how you could justify another plastic wheelset with that on the table....

That said, I am a stingy bastard and will be on my alloy rims on wheels I built in my garage for $500 for a loooooooooooong time.

The We Are Ones are a bit cheaper ($1575 with I9s) and lifetime warranty, whereas I think the SC are 5 years. I doubt the turnaround is as fast though. The rims are made in BC too.

 

[Jm_]

$1900 for the Santa Cruz reserve with I9 hubs, and a full blown warranty, as in 24hr turn around and a new wheel, not just rim. Do I understand that correctly?

I really need to see examples of this happening, the warranty still has verbiage written into it that makes it applicable to manufacturing flaws, not rider damage. If we see a bunch of examples of SC just giving out new wheels to everyone that smashes them on rocks, then I'm all for it, but I'm skeptical to throw down a lot of money for something that is no better than anything else unless there's really something to it. Otherwise, you are still paying around a grand more than you can build a good quality carbon wheelset for. At least SC is a big company that will likely be around for a while. When it comes to carbon wheels, I don't think all the players around today will be around tomorrow.

 

[Jm_]

Plus, your wheels only need to last long enough until they change hub and wheel standards.

 

[jstuhlman]

Plus, your wheels only need to last long enough until they change hub and wheel standards.

QFT

 

[1soulrider]

I really need to see examples of this happening, the warranty still has verbiage written into it that makes it applicable to manufacturing flaws, not rider damage. If we see a bunch of examples of SC just giving out new wheels to everyone that smashes them on rocks, then I'm all for it, but I'm skeptical to throw down a lot of money for something that is no better than anything else unless there's really something to it. Otherwise, you are still paying around a grand more than you can build a good quality carbon wheelset for. At least SC is a big company that will likely be around for a while. When it comes to carbon wheels, I don't think all the players around today will be around tomorrow.

I cracked a Reserve 30 wheel on my Nomad last fall in the bike park. No questions, new wheel from SC. Took a bit longer than 24 hours though. To be fair the program was brand new and still finding it's pace, may or may not be actually 24 hours now.

 

[Kurt_80]

I don't know how many others are recommending LB, but I'm jumping on that bandwagon too.

Picked up a set of 27mm ID rims, laced with Sapim C-Xrays to DT 240s for $1070 USD. They've been [semi-]hammered and no complaints, really awesome upgrade to my bike.

Prior to that purchase, I was looking pretty hard for some 2nd hand Enves on PB. Unfortunately, there was nothing worthwhile in 26, it was always either too expensive, too heavy (suprisingly) or nothing at all. There seems to be a bunch 650b options on PB, so I'd check there first, then go LB if nothing turns up.

Good luck on your search.

 

[Metamorphic]

The We Are Ones are a bit cheaper ($1575 with I9s) and lifetime warranty, whereas I think the SC are 5 years. I doubt the turnaround is as fast though. The rims are made in BC too.

The Santa Cruz Wheels are lifetime. Not sure where you heard 5 years, but see this link. Lifetime. Forever. No limits. They also mention a crash replacement - unsure how often that'll be implemented or what cost would be.
https://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en-US/reserve-wheels-info

 

[William42]

Pros: Lighter, stiffer, stronger.
Cons: cost a hell of a lot of money. More flats if you run tubes. Also probably more flats if you run tubeless.

 

[Nick]

I'm sold on the LBs for plastic, DT for aluminum.

PSA: There is a set of Enve M60s for sale locally; boost, 29, dt240 hubs, $999.

 

[StiHacka]

I like Nextie rims, last time I checked they were less expensive than LB and the quality is outstanding. I run split-tube ghetto tubeless in the rear and it seems to be helping with pinch flats quite well.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

I have a set of velocity blunt i35 rims on my 'enduro' bike which i've ridden at bike parks for about 5 years. I was just laughing at my rear rim yesterday, it has probably 8 huge dents, I can't believe it holds air tubeless. I am about to switch over to some carbon rims and really not believing they can take this kind of abuse.

 

[HAB]

I'm very pro-DT for aluminum rims. I had a couple pairs of Enves that took a ton of abuse, but I did eventually crack the rear rim on both. I relaced them into one good set, but they're now my backup wheels.

I've got a pair of We Are One Agent's now on one bike. Haven't had them nearly long enough to have any meaningful thoughts on durability, but the finish is nice, they built up well, and they ride considerably better than the Enves I have. Still super stiff laterally, but not as harsh vertically.

 

[Toshi]

Enves as backup wheels...

:monocleANDtophat.gif:

 

[slyfink]

I have a set of velocity blunt i35 rims on my 'enduro' bike which i've ridden at bike parks for about 5 years. I was just laughing at my rear rim yesterday, it has probably 8 huge dents, I can't believe it holds air tubeless. I am about to switch over to some carbon rims and really not believing they can take this kind of abuse.

I had rims like that. Spanks.

My LBS rebrands LB and Nextie rims into their own brand. When it came time to replace that rim, I asked the shop owner about his carbon rims. He pretty much said "don't bother - any of those dents could have caused a catastrophic failure of a carbon rim". So that's where I'm at now. Though I may lust after carbon rims, I don't have that much disposable income that I can accept to write off a $500 rim (here in Canada that's what the LB stuff costs).

 

[ZHendo]

Wacky warranties seem to be making carbon rims more realistic for a lot of people, but I'd rather throw down on some excellent quality aluminum rims and know that it can handle some dents, etc. before it needs to be replaced. There's no getting around the fact that if you break a carbon rim, you're stuck boxing up the wheel, paying for shipping, and waiting about a week or more to get it back - and that's even if turnaround time is truly 24 hours once it arrives at the manufacturer.

Aluminum rims have quietly been improving while all this carbon talk continues to swirl, and I've had amazing luck with Spank's latest rims. My E.13 rims have held up pretty well too, though I'm replacing my rear TRS+ wheel with an Onyx/Oozy 350 build since the E.13 hub has been less than stellar. Every decent shop I've talked wheels with recently has raved about the aluminum DT is using for their EX471 and EX511 rims...they're somewhat weighty compared to other options, but we all remember Gwin's seemingly unphased EX471 despite being rallied down a track without a tire...

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

I had rims like that. Spanks.

My LBS rebrands LB and Nextie rims into their own brand. When it came time to replace that rim, I asked the shop owner about his carbon rims. He pretty much said "don't bother - any of those dents could have caused a catastrophic failure of a carbon rim". So that's where I'm at now. Though I may lust after carbon rims, I don't have that much disposable income that I can accept to write off a $500 rim (here in Canada that's what the LB stuff costs).

I got a great pair of i35 carbons for free (don't ask)...so I am going to give them a run, I tend to agree though.

 

[HAB]

The newer DT aluminum rims (471 or 511 depending on how wide you want) are indeed really damn good. I've got a couple pairs.

 

[Happymtb.fr]

I don't know how it is in Murika but, here in Yurp, a lightbicycle rim is about 3 to 4 times more expensive than a Dt Ex471... that's a lot of money to save 50g per wheel and get a harsher ride! (I have tried both types of rims on the same bike for long enough to make my opinion )

As a disclaimer, I am fairly light at 160lbs kited and I am a mildly aggressive rider so that the added stiffness of carbon rim is not required in my case. More aggressive and/or heavier rider mind find otherwise.

 

[kazlx]

I'm running DT 570s / Hadleys on my DH bike, which have been holding up really well. I'm also running a purchased used set of Enve's M70s / DT 240 hubs on my trail bike which I really like. There's no way I would have spent full pop on them and they definitely see less abuse than the DH bike. If you can justify some extra cost and don't mow through rims, you should be fine. It really boils down to cost difference and what you want to spend on a wheel set. FWIW, I'm 240lbs.

 

[1soulrider]

Pros: Lighter, stiffer, stronger.
Cons: cost a hell of a lot of money. More flats if you run tubes. Also probably more flats if you run tubeless.

If you are suggesting that flats are more common with carbon rims, my experience has been the opposite. I almost never get flats on carbon wheels, where it is a much more common occurrence on aluminum hoops. I run tubeless and find this to be true across the spectrum of bikes I ride, from trail to dh.
Honestly it is one of the things I like best about carbon hoops.

 

[Bikael Molton]

Yea, I’ll stick with alu if it’s a matter of 50g at 25% the price.

 

[Nick]

Yea, I’ll stick with alu if it’s a matter of 50g at 25% the price.

DT ex471: msrp $98 weight 475g
LB Enduro: msrp $173 weight 420g

55g +/-, but >50% the price not 25%. Weight savings isn't the primary driver here.

 

[Tantrum Cycles]

I'm running DT 570s / Hadleys

go Mike Hadley. Rock Star

 

[Bikael Molton]

Nice, I didn’t realize that brand was so much cheaper than the name brand options.

Weight would be my only criteria, as I don’t detonate rims much anymore.

DT ex471: msrp $98 weight 475g
LB Enduro: msrp $173 weight 420g

55g +/-, but >50% the price not 25%. Weight savings isn't the primary driver here.

 

[slyfink]

Yea, I’ll stick with alu if it’s a matter of 50g at 25% the price.

b.b.but ridefeelz?!

 

[DaveW]

Well I've had good and bad times in the Ali dept.
The Mavic 717's lasted 12 years with only 1 retension
The Stan's Barron's were beaten to shit in 2 months...... DO NOT BUY!
The carbon Roam 30's (from the Zerode creator) on the Honzo have dealt quite happily with stuff I was sure would kill them.
The LightBike rims are good, but if you get them to build the wheel, the first thing you need to do before you put them on a bike when they arrive is get the spoke tension checked and then after 2-3 rides get it checked again. Otherwise they are bloody good bang for buck.
The brutes that wreck shit constantly at work we tend to get onto the Spank rims, they seem to last really well for the unsubtle riders out there.

 

[slimshady]

DT ex471: msrp $98 weight 475g
LB Enduro: msrp $173 weight 420g

55g +/-, but >50% the price not 25%. Weight savings isn't the primary driver here.

You should be comparing equal tiers to be fair. Alex rims Volar 2.5, 25mm ID: 460g, $30-35. You could buy almost 5 Alex rims instead of one LB, and being almost 100kg fully loaded I gotta say they hold up pretty well when properly built.

 

[Nick]

You should be comparing equal tiers to be fair. Alex rims Volar 2.5: 460g, $30-35. You could buy almost 5 Alex rims instead of one LB, and being almost 100km fully loaded I gotta say they hold up pretty well when properly built.

Good point.
If I compare the LB to the ex511, the DT weight jumps up to 535g and the cost to $103.
I haven't used an Alex rim in many years, but yea it's hard to beat $35. I only compared to DT since those are more widely used.

 

[jonKranked]

I'm also running a purchased used set of Enve's M70s / DT 240 hubs on my trail bike which I really like. There's no way I would have spent full pop on them

yup. same here. plus i'm probably close to 220lbs geared up, so i don't find them as harsh as lighter weight riders.

 

[Metamorphic]

There's no getting around the fact that if you break a carbon rim, you're stuck boxing up the wheel, paying for shipping, and waiting about a week or more to get it back - and that's even if turnaround time is truly 24 hours once it arrives at the manufacturer.
....

Is this in regards to the SC Reserve warranty? That policy is not 24hrs once it arrives anywhere - you actually don't ship the wheel at all. The warranty states they'll have a new wheel coming to you thin 24 hours of their receipt of the warranty form and pics (assuming they are going to warranty it). I am not standing up for SC or crabon wheels in general, I just hate seeing bad information on the web.




To reply to another topic within this thread - yes the DT alloy stuff is aces. I ran a 471 front / 570 rear on my DH bike for a few seasons. Those rims built up so well. Trail bike has had Stans Flows (EX's and now a set of MK3's). You can find these rims all day online for $70, and IME you just can't beat the value. I know others have had some poor experiences with Stans, but I thrash mine pretty good and they slay. Love em.

 

[Bikael Molton]

Agree the Stan’s rims are nice... I had good experiences on trail bike with the Flow EX.

 

[slyfink]

Agree the Stan’s rims are nice... I had good experiences on trail bike with the Flow EX.

I'm currently running a Flow EX on my rear wheel, and an Arch MK3 on my front wheel on my trailbike. They're working out pretty decent. I used to be much harder on rims in the past. Now it seems I can get at least two seasons out of a rear rim, and 3 out of a front. Even with that, I still have a hard time seeing the value for money proposition of carbon. The weight difference is so minimal, that it really comes down to "ridefeel". Full disclosure - I haven't ridden a carbon rim. But I'm pretty sure I could easily justify to myself that I need them based on ridefeel. But my brain says fuck that you stupid idiot - you're falling prey to the lizzurd marketing. I could be wrong, but honestly, I already drop enough coin on this silly hobby, I really don't need an extra reason. That reminds me, I need to call my shop to see if my Butchers are in...