- This topic has 29 replies, 18 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by durhamrob.
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26" wheelset recommendations £150ish
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durhamrobFree MemberPosted 9 years ago
Hi,
I have just got off the phone to the bike workshop and it turns out my rear hub is knackered. It is the no name hub that came with my 2009 Boardman which has already been bodged twice before due to unavailability of spares so I guess it owes me nothing.
So I now need a new rear wheel at least, although there is some play in the front as well so I was thinking I may as well get a pair.
The bike is used mainly for my winter commute when I am not brave enough to tackle the icy, unlit roads on the road bike. My mountain bike commute is about 50/50 road and tracks/bridleways. The bridleways are not really maintained and do get a bit rough in places, very muddy in winter and it is not unknown for me to be pedaling along ankle deep in water for short sections. Any wheels should have hubs that can handle the odd total submersion (do all hubs? I dont know).
Other than the commute I aim to get over to Hamsterley every now and then but my wheels tend to stay firmly on the ground. I weigh somewhere around 15.5-16st.
So what would you recommend for around the £150 mark.
So far I have been looking at the various offers from Superstar but have no idea which is best suited to me
I also came across these but again I am not too sure about them:
http://www.merlincycles.com/pair-shimano-525-hubs-stan-ztr-rims-26-59840.html
I need 9mm QR wheels for both ends.
Cheers,
RobdeviantFree MemberPosted 9 years agoSuperstar do their AMX wheelset for £150 i believe and you can choose your axle standards….On-One currently have several sets of cheaper Shimano MTB wheels on their site for less than your budget too.
jamesy01Free MemberPosted 9 years ago***shameless plug*** Alternatively you could by my Mavic XM719 on Pro 2 hubs (blue) running tubeless with stans rim strips and On-one Smorgasboard tyres for £175 ***ends shameless plug***
tomcanbefoundFree MemberPosted 9 years agoGet some second hand 717’s built onto Hope with nice spokes, should be on your budget in decent knick (even if they come through with knackered bearings its just a matter of liberally apply t’ammer then popping new ones in, costs about £15 for both ends). Will last forever.
chakapingFree MemberPosted 9 years agoYou’re not light, but as long as you’ve been OK with XC rims in the past – I’d give these a whirl, they are nice hubs which are easy to work on and good quality rims…
http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/switch-evo-wheelset-sentinel-26–clearance.htmOr these if you want something a bit wider…
http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/switch-evo-wheelset-pacenti-cl25-26–clearance.htmdurhamrobFree MemberPosted 9 years agoHave I just been called a fat git????? lol
So a few suggestions all around the same price, but I have no idea which is best so anyone willing to give a definative answer on which of the superstar builds is the best for me? Also are the superstar wheels better quality than the cheaper Shimano wheels?
With regards to XC rims, the only mtb wheels I have ever used are the ones that came on the Boardman and I have had no problems with the rims that im aware of, only the hub.
Im not adverse to buying 2nd hand if I am getting substantially better wheels, the problem is how do I know they are in good nick before buying given im a numpty?
Cheers for the help so far.
RobsinglesteedFree MemberPosted 9 years agoSuperstar for pricepoint but wouldnt recommend them mind. They dont seem to like picking up phones and theyre C service is something which leaves a nasty salty taste in your mouth according to many.
Try on-one definitely or go on hunt for some previous generation hope/stans wheels for £150 would be where my money would go.
freeagentFree MemberPosted 9 years agoI have Superstar AM490 rims build onto Switch hubs on my Boardman hardtail.
I’m also around the 16st mark, and have yet to trash these wheels.
The front could do with truing up, but that is because I got a branch jammed through the spokes.You can specify different adaptors to allow you to run Superstar solid axles (9mm rear and 10mm front I think) I found these were well worth it, as they stiffened both ends up a fair bit.
continuityFree MemberPosted 9 years agoYou won’t get hope/stans for less than about 175 unless very used or very lucky, I’ve been searching for a while now.
NorthwindFull MemberPosted 9 years agoIf I was buying 26 inch wheels, it’d be used- I sold my last set for basically what the hubs are worth.
faustusFull MemberPosted 9 years agoMerlin’s custom builds are worth a look, you could get slx centrelock hubs (QR), xm319 rims, and double butted black spokes for £165 a pair. Their builds are good, and that spec wouldn’t be too heavy either.
monkeysfeetFree MemberPosted 9 years agoRob, I have some 26 inch wheels for sale. Rear is shimano xt on mavic 717, used once, as new. Front is a fulcrum red metal. Both for £70.00 and both are qr. the shimano comes with a new xt qr skewer.
Email steph dot madde @ o2 dot co dot uk
durhamrobFree MemberPosted 9 years agoShould I be looking at anything with less than 32 spokes given my weight?
chakapingFree MemberPosted 9 years agoHave I just been called a fat git????? lol
I was assuming it was all muscle, honest.
Also are the superstar wheels better quality than the cheaper Shimano wheels?
Yeah, sounds like you’d be OK with the Sentinels then – they are excellent for the money.
Customer service ain’t as good as Hope I’m sure, but for the £130 they are unbeatable IMO.
faustusFull MemberPosted 9 years agoI can’t guess your weight by the tone of your typing, but standard 32 is good and strong. It’s not the be-all and end-all, as some (like Fulcrum) have fewer but thicker spokes.
Second hand is a very good bet at the moment, lots of quality wheels on the cheap.
durhamrobFree MemberPosted 9 years agoYou dont need to guess – my bulk is mentioned in the origional post 😀
jamesy01Free MemberPosted 9 years agoSecond hand is a very good bet at the moment, lots of quality wheels on the cheap.
Agreed…
***shameless plug*** Alternatively you could by my Mavic XM719 on Pro 2 hubs (blue) running tubeless with stans rim strips and On-one Smorgasboard tyres for £175 ***ends shameless plug***
I’m also around (or a bit over) the 16st mark and these have been bullet proof 🙂
iain1775Free MemberPosted 9 years agoWhilst great rims and mine have been bombproof (better than later Crests which I bent) the Olympic rims in your original post I think have an advisory weight limit, they are very light race rims
Cracking price for them thoughWorth remembering Shimano hubs are loose cup and cone ballbearings, most others will be cartridge bearings if that is a consideration for future maintenance/bearing replacement
wonderchumpFree MemberPosted 9 years agoNot mine but a quick search revealed…
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1643017/
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1597646/
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1660568/
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1536406/durhamrobFree MemberPosted 9 years agoBuying wheels shouldnt be this hard, especially coming from the no name generic stuff I was using!
Given all the info above and having done a bit of reading I have narrowed things down a bit. I think im right in thinking cartridge bearings need less attention, and so they are for me and Shimano stuff is off the list.
I also dont want to buy new rotors so i need 6 bolt hubs.
Im still torn between new from superstar or better wheel second hand, what risks am i running getting 2nd had ones? Is there a chance they could die within weeks and leave me back where i am now or would it be a case of new bearings and good to go again?
Finally how much difference is a few 100g going to make in reality?
Cheers,
RobNorthwindFull MemberPosted 9 years agoThe golden rule of superstar is to think of it as basically a wheel kit that happens to come assembled. Maybe it’ll be a good enough build to ride on, maybe it won’t, but as long as you always planned for that likelihood it’s good.
That sounds pretty snarky but it’s basically how I did it- I got one functional wheel and one bad wheel, but I couldn’t have even got the bits at the price I paid. So I ended up pretty satisfied.
gribbleFree MemberPosted 9 years agoAnother option is to go for basic Mavic wheels, if you want new. Crossride I think. Merlin knock them out cheap.
Have been fine on my hardtail and i am near 12.5 stone. Hubs are easy to service, they have sealed bearings that pop out. 6 bolt usually available.
wilko1999Free MemberPosted 9 years agoWhat about a set of these all the way from sunny Germany
http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/red-power-xl-disc-6-bolt-54307/wg_id-507
I’ve got a set (albeit 29er version) and they’ve been brilliant for the money
durhamrobFree MemberPosted 9 years agoOk, I realise I am probably getting annoying now but I like to learn about what I am buying so I can make an informed choice. Just so happens I have never bought wheels before (or serviced a set) so I know nothing!
Anyway, I think I am probably going to buy a wheelset from Superstar but there seems to be 3 choices of hubs, Switch EVO, Switch Ultra or Tesla Evo. Anyone know the difference or which is best?
Cheers,
RobSundayjumperFull MemberPosted 9 years agoJust buy something from Superstar, that’s clearly what you want despite the much better suggestion of getting some s/h pair of Hope/Mavic.
durhamrobFree MemberPosted 9 years agoThank you Sunday jumper – a most insightful and helpful post!
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