Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • wheels/rims/tubeless/ALPS!
  • b17
    Free Member

    Haven’t posted much in a good while, but have built up to a right old question!

    So planning well ahead, I fancy a Rockshox Sektor fork (110-150 u-turn) for this summer’s trip to the alps.

    However, I also fancy running tubeless wheels. I want to go for the 15 or 20 mm axle version of the Sektors, but can’t easily get the adapters for my (Fulcrum) tubeless wheels.

    I’ve got some quite old Hope Bulbs on Mavic D521 wheels which are bombproof, got the 20mm adapters, but are heavy and didn’t want to play that nicely with a tubeless conversion. Hubs are 36 hole.

    So the question is – what tubeless sturdy wheelset of the mind-bogglingly large selection?

    Or, for bonus points, what tubeless sturdy rims that I can get in 36 hole to transfer the Hope Bulbs onto?

    All advice much appreciated!

    alfabus
    Free Member

    standard answer is stan’s flow. However, I don’t think you can get them with 36 holes (apart from the 29-er version, which is no good to you).

    Dave

    b17
    Free Member

    thanks alfabus.

    Anyone got opinions on the Hope Hoops?

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    lucien
    Full Member

    Took 32 hole Flows last year with 2.4 Rubber Queens on, with a 170 mm bike (front and rear) – they were awesome with no issues at all.

    Riding wise, I’m taking every opportunity I can to jump off anything and drop off anything…….even dinted the rim a bit and it still staying sealed

    alfabus
    Free Member

    my hope hoops (with flows) are lovely wheels. seem to be fairly well laced together; they haven’t given me any truing problems, and the pro2 hub clicks away nicely.

    shop around, there are often some bargains to be had.

    Dave

    Northwind
    Full Member

    What flavour of Alp?

    RustyMac
    Full Member

    What about macic EN521 rims

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23206

    36 hole and i believe people have had sucess running them ghetto tubeless.

    reggiegasket
    Free Member

    I’ve got some quite old Hope Bulbs on Mavic D521 wheels which are bombproof, got the 20mm adapters

    There’s your answer. Just tape the 521 rims up with 3M crossweave tape, or run ghetto, and run some decent 2.3+ inch UST tyres and you’ll be fine.

    This is what I’m running this time in the Alps (taped 521s and UST Fat Alberts).

    PimpmasterJazz
    Free Member

    I have 819s that have survived the French, Austrian and Italian Alps as well as Spanish mountains and a few more local ones. They seem a good compromise for climbing and descending, and can take tyres up to 2.5 happily.

    Saying that, my riding is classic ‘all mountain’ – if I were pure DHing I would get something beefier.

    b17
    Free Member

    Reggie, I used the Stans yellow rim tape on the 521s I have, with Bonty Big Earl tubeless ready (with sealant) tyres. It was as though the tyre was such a loose fit on the rim that it just wouldn’t seal, even with a compressor. I’m wary of buying other tubeless tyres to try in case I just end with more ones that are loose.

    Rusty, the above, and some other experience of ghetto that worked but was finnicky (compared to the UST Fulcrums), make me want to aim for a true UST rim. Looks like having the bulbs in 36 hole is the downfall of that plan though.

    With the yellow tape are the ZTR flow rims effectively UST (i.e. tyre a real tight fit too)? Thinking the Hope Hoop Pro 2/Flow combo might be the best overall option…

    alfabus
    Free Member

    my experiences of ztr rims versus ghetto’d or rim-stripped mavic rims is that the stans have more of a ‘shelf’ (for want of a better word) which the tyre bead stretches onto all round.

    Once the bead is on this shelf, it is quite tight, but when it is down in the channel, it is nice and loose. As long as you are aware of this, inflation can be done quite easily with a few tricks (such as inflating with a tube, then only unseating one side in order to remove the tube and re-inflate).

    I’ve used various Conti and Maxxis tyres – not tubeless specific ones with just a single wrap of stans yellow tape, and they have been fine for the alps. I did manage to rip a Maxxis Ignitor in the pyrenees last year, but that was my own fault for not bothering to change from flimsy XC tyres on my first day out there. Single or dual-ply high-rollers and dual-ply minions have all been great.

    The best tyres I’ve used have been Spesh 2bliss ones – specifically some Eskars on my girlfriends bike (with stans 355 rims), they inflated first time with a mini-pump, without even removing the valve core! – very very surprised, never had it so easy with my wheels!

    I can’t speak for UST or LUST tyres on ztr rims because I haven’t tried them.

    Dave

    PimpmasterJazz
    Free Member

    Contrary to Alfabus, I’ve only used UST tyres. They are heavier, but I’ve also heard tales of DHers running them with tubes because the sidewalls are so thick…

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

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