Last year my Mavic CrossmaxSL rear wheel died whilst I was riding in whistler…..

Took it apart over the winter and found the pawl had snapped and then hammered into the hub body deforing the alu inwards and therefore binding on the axle.

Been away on business since Jan so only just got round to giving it to my mate to send to Mavic (he has a bike shop) to find out how much a new hub is going to be (and therefore new spokes as well!)

If its too much I'm thinking of a new wheelset and here is the conundrum…

A new set of Mavic Crossmax SLRs
or?
buy all the bits for a new custom wheelset and build them myself?
I'm thinking:

Mavic 819 rims
Chris King ISO hubs in red or silver
Sapim CX-ray spokes (I'll have a mate ligtly anodise one half of some silver sones black (and maybe the other half red)
Red spoke nipples

Now I have built wheels before and a perfectly competent (if slow) wheelbuilder so all in its about the same cost.

I'd prefer a silver coloured rim but can't find a UST rim in anything but black so asthetically the SLRs would be better… but whats their freehub like? I want to rely on the wheels.
The CK wheelset will be about 200g heavier than the SLRs but thats not too bad – still under 1800g

Any thoughts, suggestions, knowledge of where I can get red anodised spoke nipples in 16mm, anyone know of a UST rim thats not black (red or silver would be ideal)?

OH and can you get CK hubs in 24 hole drilling? (I could reuse my Crossmax SL rims – which are still round as a perfectly round thing!)

I think you can get CK hubs and Mavic rims in 28 hole, but that's your lot.

I'd buy the CKs unless the engagement on the SLRs has improved.

forget alloy nipples.

How are you going to anodise some steel spokes? I suggest you'll need to rethink that idea.

I personally would change every element of that wheel build!

King hubs are not that light or durable, they require a reasonable amount of attention to keep them working properly, they also have pretty bad bearing drag. I'd far sooner have DT240s, lighter, cheaper, smoother, less maintanence.

XM819s are pretty tough rims, if you're not a porker then I'd go for a Stan's rim, the ZTR Crest or something. CX-Rays are of little benefit on an MTB too, no aero advantage, they tend to wind up horrendously when you try and true them after the nipples have seized, even with the proper tool. Also, they may be strong, but that just shifts the problem to the next week link, I broke several nipples when I used CX-Rays. Revolutions weigh the same, and cost far less.

Even if you could get a 24h hub, it won't work with the Crossmax rim, as they're drilled for the aluminium spokes with the integrated nipples.

Only downside is that you'd have to go for a black wheelset realistically, there just aren't many silver rims out there.

Couldn't you remove the anodising from a rim? Caustic soda will wash it off no problem, it did when I made some cranks silver from black.
Bling – Burgtec hub, Revs and 819s washed in the soda therefore silver.

I'd be worried about using anything like caustic soda on a rim myself! You could then polish them though, a la Jones cranks, that could look cool!

I have and never had any issues. You dilute it as required, do it quickly and wash it off, no problems.

Hope will make you some 24 spoke hubs if you ask nicely….

Or at least they did for me! 🙂

Make a 1 mol per 100dcm3 causic soda rims leave in your new crest rims….
take your ck hub lace up….sparkly blingtasm..
Bruce

i've got some special wheels on my LTc but I cant tell you what they are as ill get into trouble 8)

& i've rode round Dalby today with a mate who works for a well known brand and is pretty much their crash test dummy when it comes to prototype products – the wheels he was riding today were bling, these rims were made in the same factory that ******* carbon rims are made – ******* version have a weight limit of 90kg these proto ones don't. The ******* version cost £400 a rim these will be around £120 a rim…

I reakon when (if) these wheels become available they will blow the whole wheel business apart.

I also agree with Njee – wouldn't bother with CK hubs – 240's are fantastic, I never touched mine in over a year & looked unused when I serviced them.