Built up a nice set of Crest rims on hope hubs for my Croix de Fer. Lovely. Running them with tubes and Sammy Slicks for my commute. Have been meaning to go tubeless when I wear out the tyres (which happens after 6 months or so.

So after three months of commuting on / off road I’ve totalled the side wall. No idea how or when. I ride hard (well at least heavily – more through than over stuff), I jump up and down gutters, fast over rooty stuff and occasionally down soft wooden stairs. The rims have held up well until now.

I’m gutted. Question is do I take this as a one off and replace the rim with another Crest? Or do I put a stronger rim on? If so does anyone have a recommendation for a tubeless compatable rim, that I could use the same spokes with, be a little stronger but not too much heavier?

Thanks,

W

You mean you bent the rim?

Id it dented like you pinched it or bent?

Not enough spoke tension?

Side wall collapsed and large Flat spot.

Still rideable but not pretty. I built these myself but wasn’t happy with the end product so had a wheel builder finish it off. The spokes had loosened beforehand (I tightened them up again) but I don’t see how that would result in a big dent in the sidewall.

Interestingly, I didn’t puncture the tube…

Anyone?

Impatient much?! It’s been an hour at a slow time on the forum!

There must have been some sort of impact to do that to the rim. You won’t get a huge flat spot JRA. I’d expect a Crest to put up with what you’re doing but no one else was there, so only you can say.

Haha. Yeah, just bumping it back up.

Thanks. Good to have a second opinion. I’m tempted to get another Crest. If it happens again I’ll know to look elsewhere.

An Arch EX is a good bit stronger and will re-rim a Crest wheel fine.

Hmm yes pics please and also what diameter tyre?

I don’t know if this helps, but I’ve been running a set of Hope Hoop Crest 29ers on a cross bike(s) for last two years or so in the Peak mostly with Bontrager CX0s run tubeless. It’s been taken over quite a lot of rocky stuff including the likes of Cut Gate and the rims are still fine bar the odd ding.

I run fairly high pressures – around 50-60psi – because I don’t like the sound of rims bottoming on rocks and I’m not particularly heavy or particularly brutal and I tend to be mindful that you don’t have enough air volume to blast through rocky stuff, but within those parabolas they’ve been fine.

I guess if you’re a bit more brutal then a stronger rim might help and maybe the fact that you’ve already bust one suggests that’s the way to go, but really you’re the only person in a position to know how hard you’re banging through stuff.