I run Ex721s, but for my new build I’m liking the ZTR Flows option, weight saving etc. Will be running on Hope Evos.

So, horror stories to save me money… commence.

Just switched to them, really pleased with them. Go for it

Youv’e come to the wrong place fella. The question you need to ask is ‘where is the best deal’

I went from 721s on pro 2s to flows on pro 2s with no issues. Friends have had issues with big pinch flat hits which have damaged the flows. My 721 were 36 spoke and felt much stiffer than my 32 spoke hope hoop flows. Did save weight and still feel good enough for trail riding. Uplift days the 721s go back on.

Sorry another fan of flows here, I’ve had 521s in the past, went to 719s for my last set of wheels, have now changed over to flows, same weight as the 719s but much wider.

I’m a heavy rider and mines been on for a year with no issues at all (hope hoop BTW on a pro II evo SP).

Possibly heavier than some alternatives if you’re relatively light weight?

Definitely not lightweight, average on 15stone. I like to run 2.5 Maxxis USTs and believe these are fine on Flows?

I havent had a problem with my EX721a, just think I’d appeciate the fully UST rim and weight saving. I’m pretty certain black runs on the likes of Coed-y-brenin etc Flows will be fine.

fully UST rim

Well, you still need yellow tape or a strip, it’s not a UST rim.

Am I correct in thinking there’s an aspect to it that is ‘more UST’ than my EX721 set-up?

Why not Crests?

I have two pairs of Hope Hoops with flows run them with Stans tubless kits one pair over two years second coming upto a year no problems at all.

Yeah, it’s designed to be run tubeless, and you’ll probably get away with just the tape+valve and no strip.

IA – Ah just checking thought I might have misread something somewhere.

b r – I want something stronger than that, I do venture out to freeride/northshore and don’t want to feel too vulnerable.

Why not Crests?

Definitely not lightweight, average on 15stone

black runs on the likes of Coed-y-brenin

In my, & 2 of my friends’, experience Crests are not a rim that will hold up to abuse. If you are fast & like to get wheels off the ground even slightly, stay away from Crests. We all dinged ours within 6 weeks of getting them. ~70kg riders.

I’m sure someone will be along shortly to tell me that its not the rim but that I (& both my friends) are just rubbish riders.

I think for 15stone _ some radness means flows would be a good choice or perhaps spank oozy (their new alloy/heat treatment processes are paying massive weight to strength dividends). Arch Exs are likely just as strong/stronger/stiffer (same rim construction in a ‘denser’ package) but considerably thinner.

Buy the flows…

Just ordered a set of flows, off the back of others advice, hopefully they will be here on Thursday, get them switched over and out on them Friday, 😀

Good rim, nice and wide for a good stable tyre profile and decent strength to weight.

Tradeoff is a couple of drawbacks over Mavics in my experience – they are weaker – less resistant to square edge ‘kerb’ style impacts (I’ve picked up a few dings but they still seal) and no eyelets (mech got caught in my spokes and pulled a nipple part through, leaving a big bulge. Still airtight, was able to retrue).

Just need yellow tape, valve, sealant and standard tyre for tubeless.
I’ve also had 3-4 complete failures where tyres blew clean off the rim, which I never had running same tyre/sealant/pressure combo on my Shimano XT AM wheelset these replaced. I was pushing hard though (landing sideways at speed or turning the front in really hard).

Overall held up well to my bad line choice through Peak District rock gardens, heavy landings on jumps and lots of drifts/cutties and I’d get them again.

Expensive on their own, relative bargain on Hoops. I’ve always built my own (and others) wheels since mid 90’s but for these it didn’t make sense – sold my hubs but got these are complete Hoops – my first complete wheel for years. £75 for a rim only, £110 for a front, built on Pro II evo so £35 for hub, spokes and build!

fan here of flows…..95kg and clumsy unskilled buffon of a rider and they have been fine,

my last set lasted 3 years of this kind of abuse..

eventually cracked the 3 year-old rear rim around a number of the spoke drillings, but considering the abuse I am not complaining

Well I’ll have a crack at putting you off.
Bought mine before heading out to Morzine. Every day my spokes completely lost tension, every day!
Everyone who looked at them said its because of the lack of eyelets on flows the tension is lower and so they can come loose easier.
I started a thread on it here…

I’ve since got another Wheelset which I use purely for shredding the gnar, and just use the flows for trail riding. They did come loose at afan or somewhere but not so much now. They have a buckle too. Gutted really as they cost a frickin bomb…

@kayak23

poor wheel build was your problem, not the ZTR Flow rim itself, perhaps spoke length calculated incorrectly or just poor build technique?

I built probably 150+ pairs of wheels at freeborn with ZTR Flow (Pro II hubs and DT Swiss Comp D/B spokes with brass nips) and had none of them came back with your issue

if you use a spoke tension meter when you build a wheel with Flows, you find you are in the same tension range as an eyeletted rim

I have owned Mavic rims that cracked around the eyelets, and see this on numerous eyeletted rims of customer bikes using Mavic, Sun, DT Swiss eyeletted rims

Aye, I’ve seen more 721s cracked round the eyelets than I’ve seen Flows cracked around the, uh, uneyelets. But then I’ve seen more 721s in hard use so that’s a bit unfair.

Only criticism I have of mine compared to my 721s is that the rim seems a little softer- not less strong, they keep their shape and true just as well but they bruise/ding a bit more easily. (my 729s were similiar)

Course, that generally only happens when I screw up in one or more ways- insufficient tyre pressure isn’t good for any rims. And it’s a trivial issue, they’ve always straightened out without much effort. Still not sure if I’ll leave them on for the endurance dh this year or not, I’m pretty sure the 721s will fare better if I have to roll down the hill with a flat.

Is GW still banned? Usually he gets riled when I mention that Flows have a recent dh world cup championship to them because girls don’t count 😉