What what it be? And why? Lightweight (ish)?

I’d go for a mavic 321 if I was on a budget, strong and last ages and not stupid heavy.

I’d go for a stans flow if you don’t mind the cost. Stronger (in my experience anyway) lighter and easier to tubeless. I personally wouldn’t pay top whack for them when you can pick up a set on hope pro 2’s for such a bargain

Slowrider – interesting! I was looking at the Flow, but then I moved on to looking at the EX721 or XM819 – all around the same weight…. This what started confusing me in the first place!

Hope hoops on 5.1D DT Swiss rims, never bent mine and I weigh 1.5 times most people on here!!

Currently running Stans Arch – bit lighter than Flows but still strong. Wanted the narrower rim as don’t tend to run tyres bigger than 2.2

I can thoroughly recommend mavic en521’s, mine have held up to a fair amount of abuse.
Stans flows do seem a popular option though.

Love my Flows, much better than the 819’s they replaced. I thought the flows were quite a bit lighter?

Remember the published weight of the 819s is what’s known as An Enormous Lie, it’s not the ready to build weight as it doesn’t include the ferrule things for the nipples. This is a bit like printing a claimed weight but not including the welds.

Flow is stronger, wider and lighter. And so that’s what I chose and what I’d choose again.

5.1’s, forgot about those! Good choice if you aren’t going to nail them too hard ie you can ride smooth but I got sick of bending mine back in to shape every ride with mole grips

I have just gone for the Flows, mainly for the alleged snake bite protection, but also for tubeless if ever i wanna go that way.

Mavic EN521 are the rims for me. Got them on my full sus and hardtail and not had one prob and I’m 16 stone with riding gear. DT 5.1 are a bit too soft IMO and ding easily. If building another set of wheels would defo be 521’s or Stans flow if trying something else.

Remember the published weight of the 819s is what’s known as An Enormous Lie, it’s not the ready to build weight as it doesn’t include the ferrule things for the nipples. This is a bit like printing a claimed weight but not including the welds.

Flow is stronger, wider and lighter. And so that’s what I chose and what I’d choose again.

Hmmm, do Stans include rim-strip’s/tapes in the weight? I mean, if you’re comparing like with like…

Rim weights never include rim tape. But, if you want to include the weight of a single wrap of stans yellow tape, be my guest, at a guess it weighs about a gram.

719s here. They’re only marginally heavier than 717s (by about 60g) and seem to take all the abuse I’m capable of handing out.

flows on pro II will be my next wheelset. like the weight, like the claimed strength and i like the tubeless. what’s not to like.

Got hope pro 2’s on 5.1 rims for rocky lakes riding and there gashh.More softer than walter the softy in the beano 😆

Pro 2 on stans flow. Good weight and tough. + tubeless if you want and good hub options.

I find Mavics have always served me well.

I killed some Roval Traversee’s within weeks

Ive got some 521s, some flows and some arch. The 521s feel so heavy compared to the stans. The arch seem to handle a 2.3 happily and have stood up to my weight\total lack of skill\fondness for riding in wharnecliffe for about 3 years. Not sure you need more unless you want to run a really big tyre

Flows.

Mavic rims haven’t changed in years, they’ve been left behind IMO.

I’m in the same boat as ltheisinger I’m looking for an all mountain rim to build onto a pair of hope proII hubs i have.

Do any of you know where is cheapest to buy rims from?

Would love to build them up with ZTR Flow rims but at £120 for the pair that is out of the question, especially since CRC had them at £44/rim a few months back. DT Swiss EX 5.1D rims are equally expensive and increasingly harder to find. Does this simply leve my choice as Mavic EN521’s that ar a little heavier than i was hoping to build up?

Cheers

Same as others on here, currently running Mavic EN521’s on Pro II’s. They are absolutely bomb proof and cheap compared to Flows, 719’s etc, but pretty heavy. Next wheelset will be Flows on Pro II Evo.

It’s not like for like comparing Flows to 719 or 819 – Flows and 521s are 21mm, 719/819 19mm so they are going to be lighter but narrower

819 with their external nipple thingys are about the same weight as a Flow with a rubber rim strip but a bit heavier than the a Flow with yellow tape.

The rim strip weighs about 50g, which is what the external nipples on an 819 weigh.

You can run the Flow with just the yellow tape but some people find that this causes the tyre to burp air more readily than with a rubber rim strip.

721 is DH capable rim with weight to match. The 521 is not far off.

717s. I am one of the heavier riders on here and don’t ride gingerly. It’s amazing what a smooth riding style can acomplish. Never bent one never mind broke one.

Might be worth checking out the WTB laser series, I had good results with mine on my last bike despite them being a cheap build (OEM wheels on shimano hubs).

The laserdisc trail is a 21mm internal width and is about 450g I think. The TCS series are the same rim but with a rim strip to make them tubeless compatible (and they have a bead locating system which claims to prevent burping).

Only problem is no-one seems to know when the TCS rims are going to be available.

CaptainMainwaring – Member

“It’s not like for like comparing Flows to 719 or 819 – Flows and 521s are 21mm, 719/819 19mm so they are going to be lighter but narrower”

819s aren’t lighter than Flows, as discussed up the page.

I think I have settled on Flows on Pro II’s – thanks for all the help and advice guys! 😀

Flow is stronger, wider and lighter.

the second and third comments are clearly fact but what do you have to back up your first claim?

My 717s had a good innings. Now have a 521 (I think) on the back and it seems pretty good so far. Also have a 721 on the front which is bloody heavy but seems pretty much bombproof!

Me: “Flow is stronger, wider and lighter.”

GW – Member

“the second and third comments are clearly fact but what do you have to back up your first claim?”

The shape of my 819s compared with the shape of my Flows.

very scientific indeed 🙄

Real world observation, I know it’s old hat but it works. Course if you insist I could set up an impact rig and destroy some rims for you

“5.1’s, forgot about those! Good choice if you aren’t going to nail them too hard ie you can ride smooth but I got sick of bending mine back in to shape every ride with mole grips “

Sure you aren’t thinking of 6.1’s? the 5.1’s seem plenty ding proof compared to them.

My 717’s have been amazingly resilient, but their skininess and the cracks at the spoke rivets do give me the fear now and again. (probably 7 years old now though)

I ruined some 717’s
I ruined some DT Swiss 5.1’s

I haven’t managed to ruin my 729’s though. 3 years old now and with 2 Alp trips a couple of uplift days and general riding all over stuff under their belts.

heavy and expensive but seemingly indestructible.