Whats considered a tough & reliable cx clincher wheelset for the trails (3peaks). they have to take a 35mm tyre no worries.

any other other than Hope open pro 3’s? or are these my best bet?

if getting a pair made up what kind of spec should I be looking at with regards to spokes, rims etc?

I have just ordered Hope pro 2 evo Hubs, Velocity A23 rims, brass nipples & DT revolution spokes from Just riding along.

no idea on reliability yet as havnt ridden them.

how about spoke count & pattern? (this is where I’m not clued up)

I’m about to build up a pair of 105 hubs, DB spokes and open sport rims. 32 spoke, 3 cross build so should be nice and solid and no probs with freehub body being chewed up. They’re also going to be winter road wheels.

I got 32H and 3 cross lacing, as recommended by JRA for disc brake use.

depends if youve got discs or not?

32 hole, 3cross is what you want.

I’ve got the same as ‘organic355’: Velocity A23s built by JRA (but they are on cheaper XT hubs).
Mine have been solid – set up tubeless really well and have held up to some heavy hammering.

no disc.

32h 3 cross copes with me.

I’ve found Halo Aerorage rims work well and are tough and cheap.

I’ve now got Stans Arch EX which give a great shape to the tyre and I reckon would be great for something rocky like 3 peaks.