I’m upgrading the wheels on my new CX bike, I’ve been looking at Stans on Hopes as I’ve been happy with every MTB set I’ve had.

The Iron Cross and Crest are similar weight and internal width is 1mm different. Crests I can get now prebuilt, Iron Cross are longer delivery and I will have to build and will cost a bit more.

Has anyone used both and any reasons why I shouldn’t use Crests?, any issues with tubeless on Crests with 35mm tyres. I have some 35mm “SCT” sealant ready Kenda Small Block 8s on order so it will be done with the right stuff.

No help regards the wheelsets above, but as that’s a high spec race set would it be worth simply going to tubs at this point?

I’ve got crests and they work well tubeless with the Schwalbe tyres I’ve tried. A bit leaky with maxxis. Pressure above 40 and they blow off the rim, and below 30 they pinch puncture. Only issue is they are wide so I wouldn’t want to use less than a 35mm tyre.

Good luck!

Rob Jebb and Paul Oldham both ran Schwalbe Racing Ralph 35mm tubeless with stans on crests at the 3 peaks with about 60psi in them without trouble.

Having said that they are both about 9.5st wet through and ride silky smooth.

Not the 3 peaks but I ride Crests and 700×35 Ralphs at 60-70 psi no problems, and I’m more normal in weight 🙂 They take a bit of time to seal at such hi pressures – they suffer from pinprick holes for a few weeks – but they work fine. Been using this setup for nearly a year round the N Downs, on and off road.

GB

What about Alphas? That’s what I’m going for

I have seen loads of comments about people giving up trying to get cross types onto Crests, so I would go for the Iron Cross, or Alphas.

Apparently the Alphas will let you run road tubeless, the Iron Cross will require a tube to run road tyres.

I have some Hope Pro3 hubs that I was thinking of putting Iron Cross rims on, but not entirely sure as they would be 24 (straight-pull) spokes on both front and back, and the wheelset Stans sell have 24 front but 28 rear.

I haven’t got crests but I’m using Arch Ex on my CX with 35mm (Stans Raven) tyres and they’ve been faultless (they’ll never work again now…)

I’ve been looking at Crest v Iron Cross as well.

Came to the decision Iron Cross would be better as they’re specifically designed for cyclocross tyres and have a rim bead to reduce burping at lower pressure.

I think the only down side is you can’t run road tubeless on them, but I don’t need to.

Got conti 35 cx tyres tubeless on crests.

I needed to stretch them out a bit with inner tubes for c a couple of days first. 40psi 13stone. No probs.

Further discussion of Crests here, about giving up with them:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/29er-wheels-on-a-cyclocross-bike

After the feedback I ordered the 32 hole Iron Cross rims in the end, building them on to Pro 2 Evo hubs using DT Comps. The Kenda Small Blocks should be here soon, hopefully on time as it’s the first drop of 35mm “SCT” sealant ready versions in the UK.

I’ll see how it goes.