Trying to spec a new bike…some new brand names to me so just looking for opinions on whats good…I am a bit price sensitive but at the same time, want good reliable stuff for on and off road.

DCR handbuilt wheelset – DRC MTR rear hub, MTF 15/20 front, 32h 11spd disc with DCR 24/25 alloy rims, Sapim Race d/b spokes…£350

DT Swiss R24…£210

Kinesis Crosslight V5 Disc…£320

Whatever I end up with, they would be built up tubeless. Would appreciate any thoughts or alternatives 🙂

Mason?

Mason X Hunt 4 Season I guess? Looks nice and at the upper end of the budget…thanks

Yeah Hunt 4 Season. Commuted for a year on them – great wheels allthough someone will piss on my parade and link to the setting up your own chinese wheel company article very shortly .

Anyone got any opinions on the DCR option?

Well in the absence of much in the way of reviews online, DCR are going towards the top of the list as it turns out they are just a few minutes from where I live, they seem to have a lot of detail on the website, and I suspect my budget option (DT Swiss R24) are more of a road wheelset rather than cross/gravel…

Decent internal width makes a big difference in tyre volume and comfort, I’m running stans crest rims.

I would go for the DCR wheels, you may be ok with 28 spokes depending on your girth.

Make sure you get centre lock hubs aswell, the rotors seem to fit loads straighter.

I have just had a set of DCR road wheels with DCR hubs and rims built. The quality is first class. Really good and even tension on spokes. I will be definitely be using him again.

Thanks guys

I’m really impressed with DT swiss R23 spline

I suspect my budget option (DT Swiss R24) are more of a road wheelset rather than cross/gravel…

Not at all. I’ve got two sets and they’ve both been faultless; I use one for (largely) road with Mavic Yksion Elite Allroad UST’s and another with 35c Panaracer Gravel King SK’s. The former I use for more tarmac based rides and the latter have seen a variety of ‘gravel’ and off-road rides. They work tubeless perfectly.

I have just ordered Hope 20Five. I have been using Hunt alloy wheels for a year and they are ****. They are just off for their second rim replacement in that time, the spoke holes are just crumbling apart. The bearings also went within 2,500 miles.

Djglover- any joy with warranty? What did they say?

The warranty back up is good, it has to be said.

Stan’s grail, novatec, cx-ray spokes. From spokesman wheels.

The R24’s and R23’s were road wheels really.

DT have some new wheels out though the E 1800 and C 1800’s with 20 or 22 mm internal width.

For gravel I’d look at those.

Assuming you don’t want to run silly pressures (as you say tubeless, I suppose not), I’d be looking at Wtb kom in your choice of width built on to the hubs of your choice/budget.

Pretty light, handle a larger variety of gravel/cross/fat road tyres better than a stans crest- they are built to UST dimensions which more of those types of tyres seem to approximate. Crests or American classic 101 were my previous choice.

Koms come up cheap on CRC from time to time, if you want to go cheaper I’ve had frequencies (similar profile, heavier build) for 20 quid each.

Kom i21s are 40 quid on chain reaction at present.

If you wanted to build on Shimano hubs, use sapim d-light spokes and you’d have a light, tough wheelset for 200-250 depending on how cheap you could get the hubs