At 44 years old, I have never built my own wheels yet. It is a gap in my skill set that I am hoping to close this year.
I am quite taken with the Easton Arc rims. They appear to tick all the required boxes while looking as sweet as.

I will be running 2.4 tyres. More than likely HR II’s or a faster Maxxis come the summer.

Is anyone using these rims yet? What size should I go for given they come in 24, 27 or 30mm widths. The conservative average Joe in me suggests I should go for the 27’s but I want to get the best out of a new wheel set so interested in what other people are using.

bro inlaw has the 30 and the HR2 2.4’s go on fine

Thanks Poah. Was this a new build?

I have a Transition Scout which currently has WTB i23 rims with HRII’s in 2.4 with not a lot of room for anything wider. Could be an expensive learning experience if I can’t get the wheels back in the frame.

Transition use AR27’s on some of the Scout and Smuggler build kits, so I’d guess they would be a safe bet fit wise?

Ooh, so they do. Great minds thinking alike I guess. I wonder if they found the WTB’s to be as bendy as I have.

I use the 27’s (650b) on my spitfire with mostly 2.3 maxis and wtb tyres and have found them fantastic.

Thanks Poah. Was this a new build?

I have a Transition Scout

its on a patrol

Everybody is talking ‘wider is better’ nowadays. Yes a wide rim is awesome, but the wider the rim, the heavier they are. You need to consider the trade off for the width on a heavier rotating mass. The rotating mass doesn’t matter much once you’re up to speed but it does under acceleration which affects the handling of your bike, especially on twisty trails which require pedalling.

Consider that until only months ago, your average ‘trail’ rim would only be 21mm internal or there about. Which suggests even the 24mm would be a significant upgrade without adding much weight. The 30’s are AWESOME for handling. Ideal for bike parks and descending. But for your average ‘trail rider’ who wants to climb, descend and generally use their trail bike for everything, I think the 27mm offers the best of both.

What appealed to me about the Arc 27’s (in 27.5) is that fact that the rim weight is stated as 475g. This seems very reasonable for a wide ish rim.
The rim on a Hope Enduro wheel is stated as 562g. My current WTB i23’s are 478g.

Being a fat lad, I have never been a weight weeny on my bikes. I tend to build Tonka toys. It’s the stability from the extra width that I am looking for.

Thanks for all your feedback guys. I reckon I will go for the 27’s.

I’ve got 2.25 Maxxis Ardents on a 650b ARC 30 and the profile is spot on.

A bit of a pain to tubeless tape because the centre channel is quite deep but the tyre seats really easily with just a track pump.