Still can't quite make my mind up.

Currently using ProII/4.2 wheelset on the XC bike. Now I've started doing a few XC races I'm looking for something a bit lighter.

My nominal budget is £300 for a new set, or £200 sh.

Obvious choice appears to be ProIII/355 this will save me around 400g in weight and cost £300 new.

I am worried about the weight limit though, I weigh in at 80kgs so with kit I'll be at the 85kg limit. Given my experience of recent gorricks there are little dropoffs/occasional small jumps so it would need to be able to cope with that.

I've also looked at roval traverse which seem to come up in threads alot, I've seen them for £350 but apparenlty on research those versions (AL) weigh in at 1750g odd. Amercian classics are about £400 and weigh in same as proIII/355s but without obvious weight restriction

Advice – what should I do. Will I trash the hoops? any other similar wheelsets around the £300 / 1500g weight that I've missed and not researched?

So no-one has any helpful thoughts or suggestions?

If it helps the bike is a charge duster.

I have some pro3's with DT swiss rims and i think they're excellent.Lightweight and they've taken everything i've thrown at them. Penmachno/Dalby/Llandegla plus all the stuff in Yorkshire.I'm too old for 40' jumps but we don't hang about.Hope this helps.

Looks good for the price

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain-and-road-bike-wheels/factory-mountain-bike-wheels/hope-hoops-pro-3-sp-xc6-dt4-2.html

I've got a set of the SP XC on 4.2d rims but with 32 holes. I weigh ~14.5 stone and ride a yeti 575 pretty hard and they have kept true.

Ive got SPXC3's – on ZTR rims. Been absoloutely brilliant. Im only 11 stone though – around the 70ish kg mark. That aside, ive been thoroughly impressed with them.

at 80kg I am fine on olympics (bar flatting & denting rims), depends how you land jumps etc, rim-bending happens in other circumstances I find.

Hmmmm….

Having trawled the net I haven't yet come up with a negative comment about spxc on 355s, or anyone claiming to have done anything more than pop a spoke or two (prob didn't keep an eye on tension)

No comments either on whether 355's are significantly weaker than 4.2s which I'm used to and which are fine after 2 years use.

Looks like it's a goer.

Sounds to me like youve just justified it to yourself! I got mine from Wheelpro, but he doesnt seem to be selling them anymore. Where have you seen them in stock? (the SPXC3 model, as opposed to the 6?)

From what I've read, 355s are tougher than the 4.2s. I've got the SP6 Hoops, and apart from a fairly short bearing life on the rear, they've been fine for a year. I got mine from Wheelpro, but he's only doing Pro2 Hoops this year.

I was planning on ordering them from winstanleys. Not in stock but last time I ordered hope hoops from them they were with me within a week.

I was going to get the sp3's as they come with rotors for the same price as sp6s. That way I could just easily swap between the 355 and my old 4.2 wheelset should I feel the need to hammer the bike around a trail centre.

dicky's post makes me worry that hope are out of stock?

I just had a quick (very quick) look the other day for a mate who is after a set. Didnt seem as readily available as last time! I'm sure with a bit of effort you'll be fine!!!

355 rims there round and tyres go on nicely without tubes.

Im fed up with the hope hubs though, the clicky clicky thing is at best cheesy and worst annoying.

You'll be fine on 355s, particularly just for Gorricks and stuff, there's never anything particularly bad!

Roval Controles would be a better bet than Traversees, I've got Controle SLs, and they're nice wheels.