Building up a new wheelset for strictly XC duties (including potentially Cape Epic) but reading reviews the latest Crests seem to be suffering from flex? Any real world experiences?

I currently have a 6yr old set of Crests that have worked fine for me (albeit not as stiff as my lighbike carbon rims unsurprisingly). I’m around 80kg but race weight around 76kg. Whats the consensus? DT240’s/Crests from Actionsports.de or look to Lightbicycle again but suffer the import duties and extra costs?

29ers?

Don’t notice that my Crests are flexy, current weigh is 98kg, race weight somewhere nearer 90 😆

For a lightweight xc rim, they are reasonably durable, have destroyed a rear rim, but that was trail riding on it, plus our local xc rides have stair drops/drop off etc. Rear rim is currently on around 1200 miles and still going, last one made it to 1000miles

I was having the same debate with myself – they’re only 3mm narrower than Arches and yet 90gms lighter., where’s that weight been saved?

Went with the Arches in the end and I’m only 60kg.

I only ever bent one and that was my own fault entirely, never had any other issues and I’m not exactly delicate.

Saying that I’m loving my DT XR331’s

Thanks for the responses so far. Yes, 29ers is what I’m looking at. Also wondering on where the weight saving is coming from. Looks almost too good to be true. John_i making me nervous as at 60kg I would definitely not even be asking the question.

Can’t speak for the Crests MK’s,but my 650b MK3 Arches cracked and bulged at the spoke holes on the rear on the driveside. They got replaced under warranty but I have no idea if the replacement rim is sorted now or will just do the same again ……I guess time will tell.
‘Apart’ from that,they are really nice.

John_i making me nervous as at 60kg I would definitely not even be asking the question.

I am pretty clumsy though ;o)

I have crest mk2s & mk3s. Both still working fine but My mk3s were bulging a bit where the spoke joins the rim, probably down to machine over tensioning

I had Crest Mk3 29er’s built onto Hope Pro4’s and they were easily the worst wheels I’ve had. At circa 80kg I’m no racing snake but I had to true the wheels after every couple of rides. Ironically, my 26″ versions were spot on and gave me years of trouble-free riding.

Looks like I’m going back to chinese carbon and suffer the extra costs and import duty. Pity but perhaps the new crests are just too good to be true