I’m about to finally upgrade the wheels. Don’t want to spend a fortune, as the bike is nothing too fancy really.

There are two sets that would fit the bill: Shimano MT66 and XT M785. 29″, QR front and rear and Centerlock.

The two sets can be bought so cheap at the moment!

But there is a question:
is it better to go for XT’s, which are pretty light (slightly above 1800g for a set) but with 19mm rim,

or MT66 (SLX), which are 200g heavier, but apparently have newer-type hubs and 23mm rim? Not to mention the SLX can be purchased for £150…

Both are UST compatible.

The current set I’ve got is really heavy (especially the rear, low stock Shimano hub on Alexrim rim), so both sets would give me a weight reduction benefit.

I like long rides, I do enjoy steep climbs, I don’t race. And I can service Shimano hubs – it’s not any issue for me. Help choosing…

I have 26″ MT66s q/r and 29″ XT M785s 15mm [ on different bikes I hasten to add]. Apart from the obvious wheel size there seems little difference between them. If you did want to change forks , axle size could be an issue as Shimano are of course unconvertible to any standard but the one they came with