So I switched from Kris Holm Freeride 29er rims (900g) to Halo Vapour 35s (550g) but I feel like I’ve lost that super stable footprint I get from having a 29+ as a commuter. Its much more twitchy and just doesn’t feel as planted. Am I imagining this? I’m running Knards and they’re 10mm narrower on the Vapours.

You might have to play around with pressures a bit but I can imagine that the profile of the tyre might be quite a bit different on that narrower rim.

Thanks for the reply Scotroutes! This is terrible news though 🙁 I bought two of the rims too! Think I’m just going to have to rebuild the wheels again and buy another set of rims… 🙄

you could try slightly lower pressures? Might give you some footprint back?

Don’t know how much room you’ve got for compromise with sidewall stability/comfort/speed though. You might have plenty!

cheeky, but I may be interested in the vapours if you want to sell them! Mail in profile!

That’s the problem though Ned, I use it mainly for commuting because I love the big planted feel of it and lowering the pressures isn’t going to help I don’t think! Thanks for the advice though! (:

And Ian, that is cheeky haha! I want to go to the LBS and see what they say, odds are I’ll probably end up keeping them as I’d need to spend another £200 just for that extra 10mm per wheel 😥 on a sidenote they’ve got a hope pro 2 evo they say I can have for £100 new, to buy? Or hold out for pro 4s for an extra £40 😀

I’d imagine the weight difference will make the wheel feel a bit twitchier, but I reckon if you’re halving the weight (almost) you’ll see benefits that outweigh the issue?.

Is that 47 an internal or an external diameter for the Kris Holm rim? If it is internal, the 30mm internal vapour is a lot narrower… I think you should sell them 🙂

dp

Depends if the planted feel is coming from a firm tyre and predictable steering, or the calming, cushiony feel from lower pressures and a bigger contact patch.

If the twitchiness you’re feeling now is because the tyre is more rounded on the narrower rim, bit more tippy, side to side, dropping a bit of pressure might counteract that. You know better than me what you’re feeling though!

Another option could be getting some 2.35 Big Apples for the vapours, and keeping the knards on the holms for off road rides.

Bit more money down, but it’d be a quicker commute on the Big Apples!

I’d imagine the weight difference will make the wheel feel a bit twitchier, but I reckon if you’re halving the weight (almost) you’ll see benefits that outweigh the issue?.

That’s the problem, I’m really not sure which one it is! It just feels a LOT skinnier, not like a fatbike anymore. It’s a shame because I thought the rim was perfect, so confused at what to do now. Think I’m going to just have to save up for Scrapers

Depends if the planted feel is coming from a firm tyre and predictable steering, or the calming, cushiony feel from lower pressures and a bigger contact patch.

If the twitchiness you’re feeling now is because the tyre is more rounded on the narrower rim, bit more tippy, side to side, dropping a bit of pressure might counteract that. You know better than me what you’re feeling though!

Another option could be getting some 2.35 Big Apples for the vapours, and keeping the knards on the holms for off road rides.

Bit more money down, but it’d be a quicker commute on the Big Apples!

Thanks for the advice! The planted feel isn’t a draggy one from lower pressures, but more one from a big contact patch and predictable, slow(ish) steering. And I don’t have the Kris Holm front anymore, so it’s a new wheelset. I think I’d be able to return the other rim for £40. What do you guys think? Keep 30mm Vapours or change to something 50mm ish? Would really appreciate some input!