I’m trying to put together a wheel build but am not very experienced speccing rims.

I’m a big bloke at over 16 stone and although I ride road and fairly light but rocky cross country I want a rim that will last.

My current rims (Mavic XM719) weigh about 460 grams and have lasted for years and never needed truing. I’m probably being a bit of a knob but I’ve assumed that the best option is to go for something of a similar weight to give similar longevity and strength.

I’ve got my eye on 2 possible rims from Superstar, one weighs 450 grams (and feels the safer option for a big biffer) whilst the other, the Tactic rim, is better quality (going on price terms) but weighs just 404 grams (and feels a bit risky) although both are rated as XC and All Mountain rims. Oddly my current, heavier rim is actually just rated for XC according to the same site.

Will the cheaper, heavier rim be stronger or will I be short changing myself? The drop from 460 grams to 404 feels a bit risky!

At your weight I’d go for the heavier rim, though how well a wheel is built will also be a factor for strength.

Different brands, impossible to tell.

Mavicrims are strong IME. I don’t know about Superstar, but if I were You I’d keep to the heavier one. Expensive does not mean strong.

The Tactic is a good rim but needs building properly.

My mate built a set and killed his rear due to poor spoke tension. He built another paying closer attention and it’s been fine. Gets abused quite heavily on the back of a Mega in rough terrain and he’s not much lighter than you.

He was landing something quite large at Glentress when he killed the one that went iirc…

I hate to say this but my son and my cycling buddy both have the same Superstar wheels and we are now realising why cheap and strong don’t go together – they are light and cheap but the rims are thin and dent easily. Buddy had needed his front wheel trueing and son has bent both rims.

Globalti – is that the Tactic rim they have? I’m interested in the Tactic rim too, but have heard mixed reports.

Construction matters more than weight. Possible to make a heavy weak rim and a light strong one.

From the MAvic stable the EX721 is fairly bombproof

36 instead of 32 spokes helps too.

Looking at the Tactic 29er as I’m far from a biffer.

Globalti, what rims are you talking about there?