If money was no object, what rim spoke and hub combination would you have for UK riding – mostly Peak District rockiness, with the occasional trip to trail centres and the Alps thrown in?

Tune Dezibel rear hub, Princess front, Stan's rims – maybe Flows depending on Alps trips, otherwise Olympics or 355s for Peaks use and Aerolite spokes.

If we're burning money then Stans flows on CK ISOs with Sapim Ti spokes…
still not as pricey as the new crankbros wheel range though

Royce Hubs. No contest.

DT Swiss DB spokes, nothing fancy just strong and reliable, then whatever rim suits, probably a Mavic of some description.

I would go for some Industry Nine Enduro wheels. Blue Hubs and Spokes with white rims.

Like this but with the I-9 rim.

the day I fantasise about bicycle parts I'll know I have become a eunuch 🙁

Actually maybe Edge rims, bit more exciting.

Hope ultralights, Mavic 217 sunset, DT rev. USE spinstix, Smoke and Dart tyres, AirB tubes. mmmm.

How mid 90s!

Built with a snowflake lacing pattern I hope?

I would like a set of those Crank Bros wheels that keep popping up on this page… Cobalts? dunno the stupid light ones…

I will keep my Hope XC 717, SAPIM uber thin spoke ones for the Alps then!

Always liked the look of the phil wood hubs. DT spokes and a mavic rim, probably an xm 819.

Built with a snowflake lacing pattern I hope?
nah. Retro is good, as long as it's functional! 😉

Not many aspirational people on here are there?

DT hubs, Sapim CX Rays and Edge or Reynolds carbon rims.

durable / reliable / easy to service 😀

low in inspiration but here you go :

mavic 819 / SAPIM Xrays / CK Iso's.

works for me 😀

CK low on maintenance? That's a good one! 😉

njee20 : i strip mine down once every 3 months, clean , lube and grease.
takes 15 mins per wheel and they're as good as new.

to me, that's very low maintenance……

your experiences please njee ?

Not many aspirational people on here are there?

how aspirational can one be within the constraints of fitting chain, frame & tyre ? How about milling it from a solid block of metal with a spider web pattern instead of spokes ?

Every 3 months is high.

My DT 240's – first set, didn't touch them once in the three years i owned them, still ran perfect the day i sold them.

Current 240's – 10 months so far. Took the end caps off to have a look the other day and found bugger all wrong inside so put them back together.

For me anyway, i'd take some DT 190 hubs upgraded with Full ceramic bearings, White DT Aerolite spokes (£5 each!) with some Innolite carbon rims. Cost about £2000 but **** that would be nice.

I would just get a set of Fulcrum red metal Zeros and be done with it.

your experiences please njee ?

My own King hubs required regular (often mid-ride) fettling to keep them tight, I had a bearing seize, combined with a not-particularly stunning weight, a hefty price tag and tonnes of bearing drag, I just don't think they're a great product. I know a lot of people get on with them fine, but not me. That's not to mention the expensive tool kit required to properly service them, which is reasonably fiddly, parts are extortionately expensive, adjustment of rear hub is fiddly and pointless, what do you achieve by having adjustable cartridge bearing hubs anyway? Hope, Tune, DT etc all manage without, and I'd sooner have any of their hubs.

DT hubs are far superior IMO, although admittedly they don't come in the tarty colours.

Anyway, this was about a fantasy wheelset, so I'll stick with the Tune hubs, although the exact details of the Dezibel rear hub remain to be seen, I assume it's got a carbon axle and as such is not user serviceable, which would stop me buying one. It does however, weigh half what a Chris King rear hub does.

AND… I call a service every 3 months reasonably high maintanence. The 240s on my road bike get a look once a year if they're lucky, those on my MTB are still totally smooth after a years heavy use and absolutely zero attention.

I have CK ISOs with 717s and DT Spokes. If I found myself dreaming about anything else, I'd feel dirty.

Also use 2 pairs of Hope XCs that are still going strong after years of use and zero maintenance. Can't grumble about that.

Njee, are you using the proper tool to nip up the rear hub? If it's developing play mid ride (that tell tale squeaking from your rear disc – I know, I've been there!) you've not done it tight enough.

I mucked about for ages trying to get rid of the play without inducing bearing drag and suffered from loosening. As soon as I set them up with a bit of drag, problem solved. Whilst it might feel a bit draggy when you turn it with you fingers, it won't drag at all with the weight of the whole wheel rotating.

Yep, did it all by the instructions. I think they have slightly changed the design since I had mine, the adjuster cone is more rounded than mine was.

They still have more drag than a lot of hubs, whilst needing to be 'set up', fiddled with, costing more and weighing more. They don't really do anything any better than most other hubs, there's no USP. Even taking out the bearing adjustment issue what's so good about them? They cost more than Hopes, weigh more and don't last as long…

I agree 100%, but I do love them. Same reason I love things like Rolexes, it's nice to own something manufactured to such high standards even though there are much cheaper and more reliable solutions.

*waits for watch geeks to come along and tell me Rolex aren't very good*

Hmmm, ok, so you buy them for the name? At least you admit it.

Rolex is different, a Swatch isn't superior to a Rolex in any way.

there's no USP

Yes, they are Chris Kings!

If money is no object you can get your DT's anodised whatever colour you like. I'll take them any day. Servicing hubs every three months is a lot.

No, not for the name. I love the mechanical complexity, the ridiculously high standard of finish, even – quite perversely – the over complicated solution to a relatively simple solution.

It's exactly the same as a Rolex, and unless you're diving etc, a Rolex is in no way superior to a Swatch insomuch that it tells exactly the same time.

In fact, it could be argued that a quartz movement Swatch is capable of keeping far better time than a Rolex's Perpetual movement. A Swatch doesn't need servicing and will run for years whilst locked away in a drawer. A Rolex won't.

I've got a Rohloff hub at the back and a Son dynamo hub at the front and 717 ceramic rims so most of the cost of my bike is in the wheels.

fwiw all my CK hubs are black in colour.
and maintenance is every 3 months is preventative rather than required.
one of them is over 8 years old and as good as new – seriously……
yes theres a wee bit of drag, but my chain never pulls….
i've had hope hubs (and i love their brakes) but the flanges have failed on the rotor mounts.

a Rolex is in no way superior to a Swatch insomuch that it tells exactly the same time

No, but nor is it inferior. A King hub is, arguably, inferior to many other things.

In many ways it is Njee, Rolex watches need to be worn or kept on a watch winder, otherwise the movement doesn't lubricate and it seizes.

Also, quartz can be far more accurate than the standards required for certified chronometer status.

Hope Pro – DT spokes – EN 521.

I aspire to have wheels that work well and don't break.

I have used Bulbs/521s for 10 years without incident.