I'am after some new wheels
Looking at hope pro 2 with either mavic717 rims or dt 4.2 or 5.1 rims? which is best i ride all local tracks on a rocky mountain etsx70 140mm travel?
Also do i go for normal or straight pull spokes? whats the benifits of each?

I like normal spokes ('cos you can get them anywhere). Theoretically less stress at the spoke elbow on straight pull (because it doesn't have one), but therefore more stress on the mushroom (for want of the real name) that keeps it in place. To be honest I think that's really more an aesthetic choice.

I went for the Flow rims which are light but wide and let you do tubeless nice and easily.

I've only ever broken about 4 shouldered spokes in 20yrs and 1 straight-pull hub (at the spoke) in that time. Guess which was more annoying.

Like igm said.

Hope Hoops are great value… Straight pull might theoretically be better but when I broke one of mine in fort william, nobody had any straight pulls at all never mind the correct one. My Hoops have standard DT Comps, everyone stocks them and even if they don't they'll have something to fit.

Your rim choice is all over the shop though. Check out Stans, as a rule they're stronger for the same weight, or lighter for the same strength, depending on how you choose to look at it. 717s are OK but pretty ordinary, good for a lowish-budget XC wheelset but they don't make so much sense if you're spending enough for Hope hubs… They weigh exactly the same as Stans Arch but are much less strong. DT seem to really lack behind.

I couldn't be more pleased with my Hope Hoops Flows, but they're not all that light, then they're not supposed to be.

Hope Hoops on 355s for me every time, would echo Northwind's comments on Stans rims.

Straight pull spokes are a real bugger to get hold of, although the Pro 3 wheelset is slightly lighter I'd say it's not really worth the hassle. If you want lighter than the Pro 2 Hoops I'd look to custom build.

I reckon the biggest factor is getting a good build.

I got a bombproof set of 719s on hope pro2 hubs handbuilt by Merlin which have needed a lot less attention than anything machine built I've had in the past. They've been treated with little respect and stayed impressively true.

Also heard good things about Wheelpro who tweak Hope Hoops to order.

So there you go, the collective has spoken.

Traditional spokes and Stans rims – the only choice is Flows or 355s.

Unless of course its Mavics.

Or something else.

By the way my Flow Hope Hoops were £245, which meant that if they were a dodgy machine build I could afford to cut the spokes out and have them rebuilt with new spokes for about what a hand built set would cost.

They weren't a dodgy machine build (I think Hope are claiming to hand finish them these days anyway).

and make sure you get brass nipples 🙂