Looking for some wheels for my 160mm travel bike. Seen you can get Roval Traverse’s for just over £200 or Superstar/Flow combo for similar….but ideally I’d like to spend no more than £150max.

And be sub 2000g.

Light, cheap, strong – I know, choose 2….

Any good deals out there?

Not that good, I’m sure

Superstar £130 for a pair:
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=535
2170g though.

So I presume a lot of the weight in those SS wheels is in the rims?

Or are the hubs quite chunky too?

Over 2kg for a weelset even on a 160mm bike is heavy. The new Mavix Deemax DH wheels weigh less than that (OK so they are silly money expensive though).

Rovals are very flexy so if you’re a heavy rider, they aren’t great for a 160mm bike. Maybe look on eBay. Second hand wheels never sell for much money relative to what you can get for other bike components.

Here you go:

Mavic Crossride

Bosh…
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=63320

Bargain all mountain – if your willing to “risk” ringle hubs in uk conditions… better bearings required when they fail should fix them.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=63320

Any reports on these On Ones? Price looks good and the adaptable hubs are handy

http://on-one.co.uk/i/q/WPOOMAX/on_one_max_adaptable_maxle_wheelset_

Add another £25 for new bearings and they still are’nt expensive.

Add another £25 for new bearings and they still are’nt expensive.

Agree… I sat looking at them and the 29er version for five minutes and the only reason I could think of not to press the buy-it-now button was that I don’t need them.

if youre considering “flimsier” wheels like the rovale and are after more trail than all mountain then the other Sun wheels at CRC are light, pimpy and tubeless

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=63318

depending on what you read and where, Sun either licence the rim design from Stans or actually make Stans rims (latter seems more plausible as most likely a new outfit like Stans would go to an existing rim builder with a design rather than start from scratch).

One of the few reviews I could find (bikeradar) would agree with Rorshach that their bearings/seals aren’t built for wet UK conditions.

Looking for a wide(ish) rim so the crossrides are out, plus I had some of those a few years ago and one of the hub spoke slots sheared off.

The BlackFlags are QR only – they need to be 20mm front. The other Ringle’s look fairly good for the money.

I’m a fraction over 11 stone and won’t be launching it through the air too much (at all?), so don’t need something massively overbuilt.

To improve the cheaper ringle’s, is it just a case of better cartridge bearings or are the end caps etc poorly toleranced/badly designed?

The the Black Flag Experts (http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=63316) should do the Trick.

Although quoted at 15mm they come “naked” with push-in 15/20mm adaptors, and are a slight heaveir but more durable wheelset.

Or at least mine did when they arrived last week.

Does it mention the width of the charger rims anywhere?

The BlackFlags are QR only – they need to be 20mm front. The other Ringle’s look fairly good for the money.

unless you know something I don’t about CRC-specific spec then the Blackflag Pros come with 9mm Q/R, 15mm and 20mm bolt through and the rears come as 9mmQR but can take 12/135 and 12/142

135 Conversion Axle (MTB)

Quick Release, QR15, 20mm Thru-Axle Front Axle Options

(All end caps included)

Quick Release, 135×12, 142×12 Rear Axle Options

(12mm axle end caps sold separately)

(although I notice those 2 bullet points are missed from CRC’s spec list which is otherwise a straight lift?)

edit, black flag 24mm, charger 28mm I believe

135 Conversion Axle (MTB)

I am also after a set of wheels for 160MM…

After much thought its either come down to the security of Hope/flow or the cheapness of charger or on one max.

Decisions, decisions…..I might just test the chargers – bearing failures are off putting but managable. If the free hub packs in its a different story.

Failed freehubss would surely be covered under warranty?

Does just show how overpriced stuff is when the rrp is around 450 but they can still sell at 150!

I’ve got some of the Sunringle Charger Experts and they’re good wheels. Strong, stiff and come with all the stuff to go tubeless. When the bearings go I know somebody that can get good quality ones for a decent price so it isn’t that bad.

Am I missing something? Though all these wheels look good value they don’t seem the sort of wheels I would use on my 160mm travel bike.
Surely the deciding factor should be what riding you are likely to be doing rather than purely what travel your bike has.To me,and many others I imagine, a 160mm travel bike means “big riding”,with big tyres, bigger, stronger,(and heavier) rims and more spokes.Add in durability and serviceability.
Under 2kg for under £150? Let me know what else you find!!

They’re classed as ‘AM” wheels…..160mm to me just means you can go faster on the rough stuff. I’m not going to be launching it off 10ft drops or doing much different to what i’d do on the 140 travel bike.

The ringle chargers weigh proportionally more than my ‘xc’ wheels so i wouldn’t be overly concerned.

You mentioned Traversees for £200 in the first post- I’m assuming they’re the Al model but if they’re the good ones, then go for ’em. That’s what’s on my 160mm bike, I’m sure I’ll kill them sooner or later but they’ve been good so far.

mtbtomo – 2 year warranty in EU countries according to SR website.

Overpriced indeed, but 60% off is a good deal by any standards.

I agree flano, I think £150 is reasonable for a set of wheels.

It was more a general comment about the state of mtb component pricing in general really.

Northwind – the Traverse’s were the cheaper ones. The expensive ones were £300.