is it just me, or are all the custom wheel set options out of stock on the merlin website?

http://www.merlincycles.com/rear-handbuilt-hope-wheels-26-disc-49011.html

How can they have ‘custom’ anything in-stock?

coz they don’t have in any stock of rims, hubs and spokes? merlin are good but not good enough to make their own components.

click on the link.

Normally, you’d select the hub, rim and spokes that you wanted to make the custom wheel. It’d tell you price, you pay and they make the wheel to that spec. Simples.

But now all the options are out of stock, so you cant order a custom wheel. Why?

I get the same hans, give em a ring and ask.
http://www.merlincycles.com/contact-us.html

Wheelbuilder on holiday? Temporarily removed the buying option from the website because they’ve got a backlog? I’d give em a call.

Already sent an email this morning, no reply as yet. I mean, I just killed my rear wheel last night and need to get a new one ordered A.S.A.P.

Anyone got any alternative recommendations as I have always used Merlin? Are superstar any good? Kinda like the look of the switch evo on 521’s

Edit: I did think about the possibility that they were short on staff, but you would think that they would put info like that up on the page.

goldtec build their own wheels but they’re pricey. Failing that buy a 2nd hand cheapo or borrow one and get a better one built up at a later date.
Surely you’ll have a LBS who can do the job.

i live in Finland where hope dealers are rare. Added to that, the 2nd hand market is small.

I could order from Crc or tredz, although I’ve used merlin in the past and they’ve been excellent everytime.

any recommendation for alternatives to Merlin, CrC and Tredz? Who will post internationally…

No local LBS that I would trust to do a wheel build properly, unfortunately. 🙁

A cone shattered in my old xt, leaving nasty pitting and a slightly off centre cup. Might just get a new axle and bearings and have a very grumbley wheel for a bit!

Are crc still doing builds? I looked and could only see an option for a hope pro 2 build, no others 😕 Might have not looked hard enough, though.

As above, though. Merlin have always built great wheels. Would like to use them again, really.

Is there noting factory that would do ?

http://www.merlincycles.com/hope-hoops-rear-pro2-evo-26-60022.html

has anyone tried the Hope Tech Enduro wheels?

Tempted by a factory wheel, but have decided against it as I hate Hope rear hubs with a mighty vengeance and an XT or superstar evo build with the same rim is about £125.
£200+ is simply not an option for me at the moment.

They always are.

HansRey – Member
has anyone tried the Hope Tech Enduro wheels?

I bought the hope tech enduro wheels from 18 bikes. Rear wheel went out of true after 15 miles. Took it to LBS and they trued it. Rode them hard in the Alps for a week and they’re still good. I suppose like any new wheels, they need riding and then truing. I’m happy with them.

I really like the simplicity for changing axle formats on the Evos. A 5 min job to change from 12mm axle to QR, no need for an new axle, just change the end caps.

i live in Finland where hope dealers are rare. Added to that, the 2nd hand market is small.

You could try Velotek in Sweden. They don’t have a proper webshop but give them a call and they price up very well compared to most of the big names (English owner so the language wouldn’t be a problem).

Are superstar any good?

In my opinion yes. I had a well built wheelset from them. Which is now owned by a friend who is also happy with it.

Some people have complained spokes loosened after a few rides. So factor in £15 to get your LBS to re-tension the spokes. But they still usually work very good on price.

Cheers, jairaj. Looks like I will be ordering from them as I have not had a reply from Merlin as yet.
I had read the same regarding the occasional build being a little loose from Superstar, but a quick re tension is not a problem.

Anyone heard anything about thespokedwheel.co.uk in Sheffield?
Looks to be a small outfit but seem offer a nice range of builds.

I used http://www.tartybikes.co.uk/ in the pas and was really happy with them even could supply my own hubs with no hassle. Quite a specific build(hub shape form) and they just do it at the standard price. Back wheel still going strong front wheel only passed away whilst I decided to try ravine exploring without a front tire 😉

suppose like any new wheels, they need riding and then truing.

Not if they have been built and stress relieved properly.

A cone shattered in my old xt, leaving nasty pitting and a slightly off centre cup. Might just get a new axle and bearings and have a very grumbley wheel for a bit!

If its just the hub I’d get another XT one and swap the inners.

I’ve done that with a few Deore hubs in the past. The cups drift out.

warpcow – good to know. I’ll remember that in the future. Are you based in Sweden?

I ordered a Hope Tech Enduro rear wheel from Merlin. Would’ve have prefered to spec my own but these should be fit for purpose.

For a good quality build, try http://www.justridingalong.com

Not budget prices though, and there is a build queue so can take a couple of weeks, or more if there’s a backlog.

They are supposedly bedded in and retensioned so in theory shouldn’t have the issue of off the shelf stuff where they may need retensioning or truing after a ride or two. You even get a sticker on it saying who built your wheel.

And yeah, I hate Hope hubs too. That’s why I went out of my way to spec a build with acceptable hubs and the rims I wanted, that weren’t factory builds or the standard Hope that everything else seems to come with.