I’m after something light yet strong. Looked at crossmax st / havens / ea90 xc but all seem to have a fair few horror stories about dodgy hubs or reliance on proprietary spokes. Any other options?

Other option is a lighter (than pro2) hub and spoke wheel build probably using Stan’s arch rims. I am 15st and trying to get the wheels to 1500-1600g but still be strong enough for a decent amount of abuse although they don’t have to be bombproof.

Any thoughts?

Cheers
Dickie

i been using crossmax sx on the bottlerocket and crossmax st on the hummer. still going strong 🙂

American Classics? AFAIK the bad stories about the hubs come from an earlier design, they use standard spokes and come in tubeless flavours.

Everyone will say american classics, I would say go for stiffness. My build is CK hubs with sapim CX ray spokes and stans arch rims, total weight with rim strip and valves are 1720g, I used to have wheels that where 1580g and I don’t feel the weight gain over these as its all in the hubs but I do notice the stiffness of these wheels which is truly superb meaning they hold their line and corner excellently, they have also stood up to a lot of abuse and remained true.

I have AC hubs 225 (rear) and 130 (front)
Very light and sealed well.

I’ve got a set of pro2 evos on Stans Arch on my RFX and they took a week of abuse in the alps without getting out of shape at all. Light enough too.

Crossmaxs. There is a version to suit every use.

Chris King are the best hubs, and Mavic are the best rim, but they can’t beat the light/stiff/ready to roll completeness of Crossamx.

I don’t like Stans because the only set I had collapsed. Kind of puts you off.

they can’t beat the light/stiff/ready to roll completeness of Crossamx.

Crossmax do seem noticeably stiffer than other wheels I’ve owned and ridden. Not managed to do anything worse than pop a spoke once in my Crossmax SX despite mainly being used for DH riding.

I would probably give the STs a go bearing in mind your weight and slightly moon-and-stick related requirements.

Saw a good deal on them on Jenson USA last week, have a butcher’s.

I think my pro2 \ arch wheels are about 1700g. I am more or less your weight and they lasted me ages on a full sus bike including some light downhill and the odd crash.

I know you said you wanted lighter but I think you could pay a lot more to shave the extra 100-200g off, especially if you do it at the hub where you wont really notice the difference as much as at the rim. Perhaps you could look to save the weight at the tyre? folding minion \ folding high roller should come in pretty light

I would say go for stiffness. My build is CK hubs with sapim CX ray spokes and stans arch rims, total weight with rim strip and valves are 1720g

CX-Rays being very light, are about as flexy as you can go, Revolutions are just as stiff and 1/4 the price! King hubs are not light either, a nice build, but not light.

DT240s on Arches with Competitions/Super Comps/Revolutions/Sapim Superspokes (in order of decreasing weight and stiffness) would get my nod for all round reliability without being too expensive.

light, strong, not noticably worried about cheap….shurely you want carbon wheels?

I had super comps on another set of wheels and they kept snapping at the nipple so chose CX ray spokes due to their strength and fatigue life, I didn’t realise they did a super spoke as would have gone with them as just as strong but lighter (although the bladed CX ray spokes do look nice). I was always worried about weight on the wheels but after my latest build have come to the conclusion that it only truly matters on the outside of the wheel ie the rim. The big Chris King hubs are heavier but look the nuts!

Maybe have a look at some Roval Traverse EL wheels, not the stiffest wheels in the world but pretty light and seem to be able to take some abuse.

American classic hubs are light weight and seem to be well sealed. They build strong stiff wheels as they have a large flange (snigger) which helps with the angle or the spoke from hub to rim. Paired up with a stans rim and spoke combo to suit your intended purpose / weight etc you can’t go wrong (although you will spend lots of dosh)

I have Arches, they are nice, I had some issues with running tubeless compared to Crests because of the holes drilled in them at first though.

The only slight niggle with Crossmax’s is a slightly lazy pickup, but that is compared with a near instant pickup on Chris King.

2012 Mavic hubs are to have a new faster engaging hub. Which is lighter. That should make them perfect.

I’m waiting for 2012 CMax ST’s to come into stock. CRC have just this morning put the date back to November. Arse.

The only slight niggle with Crossmax’s is a slightly lazy pickup, combined with the extortionate cost, and the hilarious price and availability of spares

FTFY

240s on those rims with the right spokes should be that. Check on DT Swiss’ wheel builder though.

I’m curious about the arches. They always seemed to be caught between the crests and the flows? Why would you chose an arch over a flow? Just for the 50g saving?

njee – my lbs keep all the spares (bearings/spokes etc.) ; you need a better LBS.

As for cost, they are not the cheapest, not the most expensive. Just so.

Bearings are obvious, and spokes aren’t too bad (although we had a 9 month wait for some Ksyrium spokes a few years back, I realise it’s better now there’s a UK service centre). They’re still £3 each though and you have to buy packs of 10, and have you had a quote for a new rim lately…?

I don’t need a new LBS, as my wheels are lighter than any Crossmax and have already outlasted the pair I had years ago! Just don’t really get ‘factory’ wheels myself.

I’m curious about the arches. They always seemed to be caught between the crests and the flows? Why would you chose an arch over a flow? Just for the 50g saving?

Yep – the Crest rather treads on it’s toes, I’d be inclined to wait for the replacement for the Arch next year.

I have a pair of American classic tubeless and they are pretty bombproof even though they weigh in at just over 1500g.

light, strong, not noticably worried about cheap….shurely you want carbon wheels?

Yeah, those DT(?) ones reviewed in Dirt recently looked just the ticket actually, if you have very deep pockets.

thnaks for your thoughts fellas. I had not even thought about spokes, rims, nipples and hubs. Just wasted 1.5 hours marvelling at the combinations. Jeepers.

the engagement on my 2012 crossmax are pretty much instant. i been battering them too and they take it

Herts_DJ_0041 by ukbikeskills, on Flickr

Industry nine hubs and spokes with flow or arch rims , instant pick up , strong as hell
Been running a pair of enduro hubs on flow rims on my froggy
And have no problems at all , well worth the initial cost

http://www.industrynine.net/

And no I’m not clive from axel imports !!!

I would be a little carefull buying cross max wheels. If your 15stone and a fairly keen rider ie you like to go down rough stuff fast. The only wheels in their range that fit into your wheel weight wish list is the Cross max ST. These are reasonably tough but not very wide (compared to say a stans flow rim) so if you fit tyres wider than 2.2 they tend to become very rounded on the walls. I have had a few set of cross max wheels Sts and SLRs. The main problem I found was getting parts. The wheels are strong enough but for the day the rear mech clips a spoke and wrecks 3 spokes…. well that will probably be at least a week waiting for spokes and you will need to order a minimum of about 30 at 3 quid each. And there are2 lengths, drive & non drive side. Then if you bend a rim…..i bent an SLR rim that will be £125 rim only and its recomended that all the spokes are replaced as the ymay be stretched. For me the lack of stockists was too much of a pain, I switched to slightly heavier hope / stans set up. Bent a few spokes while riding in Scotland popped into small local shop…. no problem black DT spokes about 1 quid each… great i will take a few spares thank you.
You see were im coming from…… 😯

I’m 100kg, run Crossmax ST’s and have done for the last 4 yrs. UK, Alps, Spain and Morocco. They just keep going. They are on my second frame now after outlasting the old one. LBS is great with spares. Will replace with the same if and when they fail. Hub bearing and pawl kits available at reasonable price from USA. Very happy. Rims seem super tough and ding proof.

Im glad your LBS keeps good stock of spares when ever I needed spokes they came from France. No UK distibutor. Not ideal.

I’ve given my Roval Traversees a pretty consistent beating through their life… I’m only 10 stone though, so cna’t directly compare but though they’ve taken a few wounds I know exactly what it takes to do it. Land a drop at fort william spectacularily badly, 1 broken spoke, 10 minutes with a spoke key sorted that. Scottish winters- lots of seized spokes, rebuilt with brass nipples. Puncture halfway down a stage in the innerleithen enduro- ride through the rockgardens then down the classic with a flat front tyre spinning round the rim, earned me one or two minor dents. Oh and ignoring a soft rear tyre at Learnie meant another dent. But still going strong, just looking a bit more used than they once did 😉

So yeah, ridiculously tough considering what they are and what they weigh. But not impervious to harm.

bigjim – Member

I have Arches, they are nice, I had some issues with running tubeless compared to Crests because of the holes drilled in them at first though.
Surely they’re there by design, for the spokes?? 😯

mavic are in the uk dude!

“Why would you chose an arch over a flow? Just for the 50g saving?”
That and a more reasonable tyre profile when running narrow mud tyres, though the (flexier) crests being wider has held me off buying any so far

“I’d be inclined to wait for the replacement for the Arch next year”
Really? Any idea on further detail? If they can get it as wide as the crest and maybe closer to 400g I’ll be buying some

I’d second Northwind for Traversees. I’ve had mine years. Broken a few spokes, but even then the rims haven’t gone out of true. I’m 15 stone plus kitted up and ride heavy. They’re on offer at the moment too.

Crossmax SX 2008
Had a pair on my Nomad used and abused them still came back for more.
Crossmax SX2010
Now have a pair on my Yeti ASR-7,same as above think its tyre choice.as got Conti MTB King 2.4 on with tubes for now and bullet proof as im around 18 stone kitted up.
Super weight to strength ratio IMO.
As wheels take a ponding on Warncliffe Craggs and Trail X where we ride twice a week at least..
Got my thumbs up.
Jedi…Glad yours are holding up strong too fella 😆
As i know your very good on them and do more Radical stuff too.. 😆

yeah man. one bend on a litle drop of 8ft but all trued and cool and the gang since

All good bud as i had a whip gone wrong sunday and thought rear wheel would be mashed but slight 2mm buckle popped crappy plastic spkoe key out 2 ticks faffing MINT..
TBH would have Deemaxs but there getting silly cash AGAIN 2nd hand.ARGH !! 8)

14st, have had some Roval Traverse EL wheels for a year now – done some jumping with them – and they are still true and without issue.

1550g, essentially a dt swiss freehub – so reliable

Freeborn in horsham and a few other shops on t’web have them for a lot less than retail for the 2010 ones (~ £350 for the pair)

I am 15st and trying to get the wheels to 1500-1600g but still be strong enough for a decent amount of abuse

This is impossible IMHO

1600g strong as you like no problem 😀

http://www.industrynine.net/All_Mountain