Whats a good wheel for a 15 stone rider for XC racing? I’ve just smashed up my front wheel which was a DT Swiss 420sl. I’ve previously broken wheels with Bonty race rims too.

I don’t have any problems on my bikes that get used for all-mountain or DH abuse but then I’m using Spank rims and Mavic 729’s respectivily. They seem overkill for XC though!

Anyone any experience with Bonty Rhythem Elites? They sound like a good compromise in weight/strength/cost.

im 15.5 stone, and i use pro2’s on xm321, not stupidly light, but light enough and dead strond

If you want to try tubeless 819s are very stiff, can take a beating and are not too heavy. I run those and Im 15 stone(all solid muscle).

16.5st and mavic 717s have done me fine, they get ridden pretty hard too, maybe adjust your style to become a little smoother?

Im 14.5 st and use 321s on Hope Xc hubs. i ride them with no finesse over rocky Peak trails and they haven’t compained once in 3 years.

819s and UST tyres.

Specialized Roval Traversee – technically an ‘All Mountain’ wheelset but at 1580g per set they’re easily light enough for xc racing.

I’m 18 stone…and very good with a spoke key !

I’m over 15st and also run 717 on Hope for both the XC bike and the trail bike. Never had a problem with either set and I’m not one to hold back on the downs !!!

You guys on mavic 717s are obviously not trying hard enough 😉

I’ve always smashed lightweight rims as long as I can remember. I tend to just plough through obsticles rather than trying to go around them so it has alot to do with my riding style I suppose. Sun singletracks, Mavic ST’s, 729’s, and Spank SubRosas have all been good for that though.

Anyway I’ve gone ahead and ordered the Rhythem Elites as the LBS could do them for £200 including tubless ready kit. They are barely lighter than some of the ones mentioned above but if it keeps me racing so be it!

18 stone! got sick of rear punctures whilst going mad down Innerliethen (never really anywhere else) on 717 rims

Now on 729 rims and gone ghetto tubeless with some nice fat 2.3 Kenda’s

No worries.

719?

18.5 stones of ex-rugby player (flab and muscle) – I have run DT 4.2’s on Hope pro II hubs (Hope Hoops) with no problems for 2 years and now running Mavic Crossmaxx ST’s on my new Giant Trance X0.

Depends how you ride. Smooth, no probs. A 12 stone rider can bend rims if clumsy and heavy riding. I do smaller jumps, rock gardens, 1-2 ft drop offs no probs with mine.

i’m 24 stone and run mavic 819s for 2 years with no problems

Using Hope pro II with DT 4.2 rims with no problems. I’m 91-ish Kg and not averse to air-time. No problems at all in 2 years.

Have a look at Stans Arch rims, nice and strong but only 420g.

spend the more money on similar parts but get roger musson/wheelpro to build it. The way he talks in his book, i would expect to get proper advice about what is realistically the lightest you can go and then a fantastic build. Its costly, but he has a ‘won’t need truing’ garuantee afterwards. My mate has a set of tubeless dh wheels he has absolutely hammered the crap out of, and he really is a very fast ‘flat out, plough through’ rider, and his are still straight as a die.

DT EX1750.. good raceable weight for the larger gent.

I have gone up from crosrides to Bonty Rhythm’s and love them, way stiffer than the crossrides, great build quality (DT cartridge bearing hubs) and same weight (1900g Comps) which is damn good for a 22mm rim setup, as light if not lighter than any DT or mavic /Hope II setup.

Great buy, surviving my 15.5st abuse on a Pace hardtail too, and loving the extra grip/traction from the fatter rim, looking forward to getting back to the 2.2’s from the mud tyres