In the market for some new rims and I like Stans. Now I know the Olympic and the 355s are the older version of the Alpine and the Crest, but the Olympic you can get cheap online right now if you look around.

The wheels I have just sold (for annoyingly loud Hope freehub reasons) had Stans 355s on, and to be honest, they were great. Bike is a hardtail with a 120mm fork up front for XC(ish) duties, and I’m about 78kg.

Now I’d just go for the same again, but obviously they’re not available and the Crest has replaced it. So I’d just get the Crests… Except for the fact they’re £65 a piece, and Olympics can currently be had for £40 apiece, which has got me thinking about the Olympics. The Olympics are a tiny bit narrower, but given that this bike will never have anything bigger than a 2.2″ tyre fitted to it, that’s not an issue at all.

So how do the Olympics hold up abuse wise compared to the 355s and perhaps even the newer Crests and Alpines? I remember someone telling me a while ago his experience was that the Olympics actually made a stronger wheel because they had a slightly deeper rim profile (which is also convenient as I have a bunch of the correct length spokes lying around to build the hubs onto Olympics, but not 355s/Crests). Anyone else with experiences of each Stans rim?

olympics are great light rims although i’ve knackered my rear one, 355’s are great light rims although i shagged a rear one. If i was in the market( which i will be again soon), i’d head for crest rims on a light (tune etc) hubs. Prob get to around the 1150g mark for a light, strong wheelset ( see weight weenies/bike radar for light wheelset thread. Someone had it down to 850g a set which ended up being too light and not as quick as an 1100g wheelset)

Crests are great light rims, although I’ve knackered my rear one. If I was in the market, I’d head for Arches.

raddogair, I think it was you who mentioned to me thinking Olympics were stronger overall than 355’s? Glentress, end of September? Anyway, already got the hubs now (DT240’s thank you very much), I’m not heading for outright silly lightweight, this is more of a lightweight trailbike wheel for me, will more than likely be built up with DT comp spokes rather than Revolutions or anything exotic. Just need to know I’m not gonna kill the rims very quick, but I didn’t damage a 355 so…

Arches aren’t going to be any lighter than the Mavic 717’s that are on the hubs now, I was ok with 355’s so I reckon I could go lighter again.

At the other end of the scale, I’ve got alpine rims on my xc bike, riding regularly on a fully rigid bike in the Yorkshire Dales for the last few months. I’ve had no problems with them so far after a few months and I like to think I’m no mincer. I’ve got a big bouncy bike for other stuff tho.

raddogair, I think it was you who mentioned to me thinking Olympics were stronger overall than 355’s? Glentress, end of September?

possibly was, cant remember. Front has been a dream, no dinks, buckles or issues. Rear one i prob have been unlucky with. They are good rims, i’d personally prob stick a crest on the rear and alpine on the front, i ride cx ray bladed spokes and brass nipples on mine with ztr hubs. Done alot of stuff, had to replace bearings in front hub once and rear twice though in a year 🙁

I recently took advantage of the cheap olympics which along with my 30 quid sorry voucher, and xt hubs & revolution spokes from action sports came in at just over 140 quid for a pair of 1530g wheels- pretty happy with that!!! Only one ride old so far, but this build feels really light and interestingly, very stiff. I built them using brass nipples, and they went together very easily

I’ve got olympics on my soul and have had no problems at all. Use 2.3 tyres too 🙂

I use crests and after more than a year’s use on my prophet which gets a reasonably hard time, only have a cosmetic ding in the rear to show for it. I’m very pleased. A riding mate has olympics which he absolutely thrashes with no complaint, although I’m not sure I could go that light myself.

Who has them cheap?

CRC

Prob get to around the 1150g mark for a light, strong wheelset ( see weight weenies/bike radar for light wheelset thread. Someone had it down to 850g a set which ended up being too light and not as quick as an 1100g wheelset

You’d get that light with some proper mental hubs – Extralite or similar, not otherwise. 1250g + with more ‘normal’ hubs.

Ole’s wheels were 960g with the Innolite rims, you’re talking tubs to go sub-900g.

Tyres go up slightly more easily on the Crests, they’re very slightly larger, but it is a marginal difference. My Olympics did 2 years faultless service (built up with Tune King/Kong Superscharf hubs and CX-Rays – 1310g IIRC), then got sold to someone who used them for a lot longer, the hubs died before the rims. Now got some Crests, and they’re fine, about the best you can say of a rim, it just works!

As you’ve got the spokes I’d get the Olympics frankly.

Good to hear the Olympics aren’t adversely weaker than 355’s or anything. Think I shall go order a pair…

Now the question begs, white or black? 😉

Pleased with teh Crests on Pro2’s that I built myself – they’ve stayed quite true on my hardtail despite my 15st efforts!

Black – the white ones weigh more (seriously!)

Glad to hear the good reviews of Crests, as I’ve just finished building mine onto Pro 2s. My hamfistedness aside, it sounds like I should be good to go.