So I’m after some new wheels for the 5.

I’ve had flow ex before, always on Pro 2, but now I’m wondering if this is still the best option.

I’m going to be out and about, hopefully in the Peaks, and the wheels will need to be able to take a beating.

Should I be looking at DT, Easton, Mavic etc?

I’ve seen some Crossmax XL and some Easton Arcs on Pro 2 for good deals.

What should I be looking at as other options?

Thanks

I wouldn’t buy anything with proprietary parts like the mavics. Very good when all is well but can be very expensive to replace simple parts like a spoke as they are rarely stock items in most bike shops. I snapped a spoke in mine which was siezed into the rim and it ended up costing me around £180 for a new rim and spokes.
I would definitely stick with hope hubs as I don’t think there any better available. They work well, look good and spares are easily available should you need them. I have 4 sets now and recently sold a set of 12 year old big uns and have never had a problem with any of them.

There are better hubs than Hopes – not knocking them, but facts. Go DT Swiss 350 or 250 for reliability and good weight on 250s anyway.

Rims, after having alu and carbon for a few years, I am never having aluminium rims again. Carbon is strong, way more rigid, lighter.

So I’d go Light Bicycle rims and DT Swiss 240 hubs. It will cost, but will last.

Hope hubs for the most part, just work, but they are neither fancy, and pretty heavy.

To counteract the above, I wouldn’t recommend carbon rims, unless you are just a general trail rider. They seem in my experience to be seriously fragile, having broken close to 10 rims of various brands.

The irony is, I’m not even a rim wrecker, but they just can’t seem to put up with the abuse of racing and harder riding. I also feel they make the bike feel too harsh, stiff, and skittish, something I only really noticed when swapping between carbon & aluminium rims. I’ve said this a few times, and it seems there are a few more vocal reviews starting to suggest the same thing.

I would build some DT rims on some 240’s.

Hope IME aren’t even that reliable- I’ve had pawl spring issues, broken axles, and they go through bearings. They can be good value in a built wheel mind. DT 350 is a way better option these days imo, DT 240 is better still but also very expensive. (I have a couple of sets, mostly I’ve bought used wheels and scrapped the wheels for the hubs. EX1750s can be had for around the £100 mark. Just be careful, because the hubs last forever there’s some very very old ones out there, still working fine but not 15mm compatible)

Rims… Flow Ex was good but DT and WTB both have them beat hands down imo. I like lightbicycle carbon- I’ve had 5 rims, and they’ve all been raced and ridden extensively, trail and dh and enduro, I did manage to break one eventually but it took a long time and any number of big hits. (I notice no difference in ride quality from equivalent alu and carbon, built by the same guy). I’m not a fast racer mind but I do like to batter through rocks and roots and let the wheels and suspension do the work.

But it’s a big expense and alu rims have closed the gap a lot lately. If I was you I’d most likely go with WTB Frequency i25s- they’re not the lightest but they’re a sensible width and they’re very, very tough- I had a flow which I cracked, then a flow ex which I mangled, the Frequency is stronger but also much more dent resistant.

Proprietary parts can bugger off, as can straightpulls. You want to be able to walk into any bike shop and get spokes (OK, you won’t always get all lengths but at least you have a chance with normal J spokes) But if you must buy some stupid wheel system deal then Mavic are probably the only ones you should consider. Not because they’re great, just because you can at least get parts.

New Halo vapour 35’s?

Nice and wide, if your frame can take them.

http://www.halowheels.com/products/part/WHHAV3BBK

No thoughts on the new 27/30mm Easton Arcs? Found a nice set on pro 2’s for a really good price.

I’ll check out the DT Swiss 250’s too. What rim would you recommend? Xm471?

Ive got flow ex on pro 2 evos on my 5..
I’m not that impressed with them to be honest. Find them a bit flexi and the hubs eat bearings.
Still need to send the rear back to hope..

I’d replace mine with dt471 on either the 250 or 350 hub…

So to get a 250 or 350 with a 471 would I have to go down the custom route?

Can’t seem to find many DT Swiss options on the wheel building on CRC/Merlin etc

I’ve always just bought hope hoops before so not too sure on how to go about this.

Moseymtb the dtswiss ex1501 wheel set is a 350 hub and xm471 rim, can be a bit pricey in this country but if you shop around on the usual German sites you can pick them up a lot cheaper.

Have a look here for DT Swiss custom builds. 350 hubs laced to EX471 or XM481 rims for about £400. Can’t vouch for the build quality though.

Also, I could be wrong but I think the EX1501 are 240 hubs.

Ex1501 is neither, its a spline hub, 2 piece forges and glued hub body. Comes with 36t star ratchet too.
Rather nice factory wheelset.

Pretty sure the 1501 appear on RCZ bikes for under £400 a pair… But might have been XR rather than XM..

Sorry my mistake, it says slightly updated 240 hub. Different shell but internals basically the same and 36 tooth ratchet system.

What about this wheel set –

DT Swiss M1700 spline 2 wheelset on 350 hubs

Some for sale on pink bike off a Giant Reign Advanced.

Any good?

All comes down to personal experience really. I find Mavics to be reliable and easy to maintain. Spokes can be sourced on the internet for only a few quid. I replaced 2 broken ones the other day and it was very easy to do.

andysredmini – £180 for new spokes and a rim seems a lot. Crossmax??

Would it work out better to buy some DT Swiss 240 hubs, the rim of my choice (xm471) and spokes/nipples etc and get someone to build them?

Easton arc 27mm and 30mm with DT 240 and DT rev spokes 1640g on my HT.

Very impressed so far. Starbike for hubs, R2 bikes for spokes and CRC for rims. Came in at just over £400 for the lot…but when £v€ was much better than at present.

Did you build them yourself?

I can get Arc 27 on pro 2 Evo for about £300 new.

Really fancied some DT Swiss this time though.

Never had issues with Hope hubs ..

[Quote]rim of my choice (xm471) [/quote]

EX471 or XM481.

EX471 is the ‘Gwin’ rim, very strong, 2 years old
XM481 is wider, brand new, marketed for trail riding

I’m going for the wider one, hope it’s strong enough.

I can’t find a XM481 without building myself and I simply don’t know how to do that.

http://www.actionsports.de/en/dt-swiss-240s-disc-is-custom-wheelset-mtb-650b-4044

600 Euro/£475 including postage from Germany!

How much can you get rims hubs and nipples for?
Sure there was a thread on here about the price of having wheels built..wasn’t it about £80??

Rims here for £72 each

Well I missed out on the Arc’s anyway. The DT Swiss are out of my budget at £475 whereas a set of pro 2’s at around £300 are easily within.

I’m thinking Pro 2 with Arcs or Frequency I25

I’m really happy with my Nukeproof Generators. A good (and quieter) alternative to Hope hubs. I’m running the TR rims and haven’t managed to ding them. Not too bad price wise either.

I’d stay away from the Easton ARC if you’re a hard rider as mine isn’t doing tooo well on the back. Several dents, and even after some professional TLC a flat spot and well out of true. Mine are the 27mm version

Cheers Paul, been after some real world feedback.

Struggling with the DT Swiss costs.

Still considering the Tech Enduro wheelset or Pro 2 Evo on I25’s

MoseyMTB I’m currently using crossmax xl on one bike, arc 27 on hope pro 2 on my other bike. I like the crossmax, they are light, look great and set up tubeless incredibly easily, but have had slight issues with rear spokes loosing tension.
The arc 27 pro 2 wheels are brilliant. Nice and wide, I’ve always found hope to be very reliable with good spares availability, pretty light. If the deal you saw was through fulford cycles then that’s where I bought mine. I saw them on eBay and they were due more stock so you might find they get more at some point. I also offered (and was given) slightly below what they listed on eBay, I think they are a bargain wheelset.

It was Fulford and like a moron I missed 2 sets! Gutted!

Thanks for the heads up, I’ll keep my eye on them.

I’ve gone for Mavic UST on Hope Hubs.

Proper UST rims so no faffing with tape etc & Hope hubs because in 20 years of riding I’ve never had one break on me.

There may well be better out there but this combination works for me.

Found some Pro 2 Evo on WTB Team i25 for a brilliant price.

Anyone have any thoughts on those rims?

Just quickly, what’s the issue with Flow Ex lately? Were they not the wheel of choice a few years back?

Been offered some Flow Ex on DT 350 I’m tempted by.

Would it be worth transferring the pro2’s onto new rims or are you wanting to change hubs?

I don’t have any hubs at the minute. Well I have a rear pro 2 Evo.

At the minute I have Rythm Comps.

I’d love to be able to buy the hubs, rims etc but I simply don’t know how to build wheels.

26 or 27.5?

27.5.

Just found some pro 2 Evo Team Frequency I25’s that I think will be perfect.