[Closed] 1600g 29er wheelset recommendations

Hope Pro2 on Light Bicycle carbon rims. Sorted 😀

I'd go Lightbicycle on DT240 myself- can't see the point of putting nice rims on cheap hubs and if you do the buy-used-wheels-throw-or-sell-the-rest thing it's pretty cost effective.

Oi! NW.... They're very good value for money excellent hub, not cheap hubs.

Scandalous!

They're alright value in a wheelset, good adaptability, mediocre reliability, not all that light... Mine are alright, I just wouldn't put them in a higher end wheelset like that.

The DTs are ridiculously expensive new, mind, but a good used proposition.

Changing tyres and going tubeless can drop around 300g per wheel

I have 3 sets of DT hubs and numerous Hopes. I prefer the Hopes due to serviceability. Unless you are going for uber race 190 ceramics I don't see any advatge in DT over Hope.

If you can grab some high end DT wheels they can come in at 1600g or less. Plenty come up sad as people clamour for Chinese carbon...

I have 3 sets of DT hubs and numerous Hopes. I prefer the Hopes due to serviceability. Unless you are going for uber race 190 ceramics I don't see any advatge in DT over Hope.

240s are a chunk lighter than Hopes, the 190s are daft. DTs are just as serviceable, admittedly you need a special tool for the centre bearing, but that's it, and it rarely wears out. I've changed two in 10+ years of owning 240s.

DT Swiss 350 hubs are £150 for a pair from bike-discount.

I have converted my current wheelset to tubeless, so i will check out the prices of LB carbon

Ibis 928 less than 1600grms and DT rear hub.

Do you [i]really[/i] want a 1600g pair of 29er wheels?

I wouldn't go lighter than 1750g (in alu) as a rough rule of thumb. Even then I prefer a bit more burliness.

Really? I'd ride trail centres on my 1370g 29er wheels, just as I did on the 1240g 26" ones that preceded them...

Even for a bike of the OP's ilk I'd be happy with something c1600g, particularly if that's with light hubs. Obviously XC rims and heavy hubs may be less sensible...

Are they carbon?

Another vote for Light Bicycle rims on Hope.

I have a burly 160mm bike for heavier duties. I am not dead set on a pr that must be 1600g but it seemed a sensible weight given the role of that bike and the mass of its fairly careful rider.

If im miles off track then im happy to be advised. All advice greatfully received

Just bought a pair of am all mountain wheels for my own gyro, think they're about 1750g quoted weight. Can feel the difference between the standard wheels mavic 319 hope hubs. Go up tubeless easy as well.

29er Based on Shimano XT hubs no QR no tape no valve

Stans Crest and DT rev spokes are race only for me at 1599g

Stans Arch and DT Comp spokes are my usual wheels at 1897g

The front Crest has done 10 months as general useage wheel with no problems. The rear died rapidly.
They were extremely flattering though.
The current heavier wheels are far more sensible and increased fitness makes them feel the same (and the 1kg tyre on the front). Hopefully the difference will be still there come the first race when I put the lighter ones back on.

I'd like to try a set of 1400g wheels. What's the spec on those njee?

Are they carbon?

The 29er ones are, the 26" ones weren't. Why?

Thing is that arbitrary weights are just that, you can't necessarily draw a direct correlation between weight and strength.

The 29er ones are, the 26" ones weren't. Why?

'Cos I specifically said I was talking about 29er wheels in aluminium.

AC Wide Lightnings - excellent wheels, great wide rim, sub 1.600g. Done.

WTB KOM rims are good, seem pretty strong and light. I went for those for my 29er rather than LB carbon, having previously bought LB rims for my 26er. Not totally convinced by the quality of LB rims, or carbon as a rim material in general, but could possibly be tempted again.

Ditto for the AM classic wide lightening (although mine are 650b)

240s are a chunk lighter than Hopes

Really? IIRC it was less than 50g in the rear last I checked. Replacing that drive side bearing on DT's is a bitch, heating a hub shell to change a bearing is not something I'm generally happy about...

Tom, you can have light, strnog and stiff, but it'll cost you....

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I go hope pro2s with my lb rims because they're light enough, cheap enough, are easily adaptable, are home serviceable without specialist tools and the spares are relatively cheap and available pretty much everywhere. I appreciate they're not Gucci hubs, but they're well above the norm in terms of quality. It's easy to forget that as we sit atop the nipple of niche on the breast of sub group on the body of a minority sport.

In one of my previous jobs as an lbs mechanic, I saw just as many 240s in as hopes, but hopes don't have any proprietary parts in them. 27 quid for Pawls and springs? No thanks, and there's really barely any difference in weight between them.

It's also my experience that lighter riders don't really have much of an appreciation for how much extra deflection can be made on components by a pie Lord giving it some. I'd not want a 1600g set of 29er wheels unless they were extremely high end and made of the best possible materials. Even then I'd be dubious. 1600g in a 29 wheel is what? Roughly equivalent to crests? My 26 in crests had to be trued every fortnight. I gave up on them after a year, but even then I couldn't sell them because they had too many flat spots.

Scienceofficer - Member

In one of my previous jobs as an lbs mechanic, I saw just as many 240s in as hopes, but hopes don't have any proprietary parts in them. 27 quid for Pawls and springs?

Interesting post... Hope are full of proprietary parts, including the pawls and springs 😕 The 2 hubs are basically identical in that respect. And while the Hope springs are cheap they're also fragile, I've been through several sets (including breaking 3 new springs in a week in the alps) Hope to their credit sent me out a wee bag of them when I moaned, though ironically the cabletie bits I bodged into the hubs lasted longer than the proper springs.

Meanwhile DT240s have no pawls at all. So either you're confusing them with a different hub or you mean the ratchet ring set, but that should never need replacing unless you lose a bit or you damage them by using thick grease

The main difference is bearing life, the DTs are just much better sealed, I get on average probably 3 times the life from a bearing in my 240s than in my Pro 2s (using identical bearings). And yep the central one is a pain in the arse to change but it needs done very rarely because it's very well protected.

Also bear in mind that rotating weight is the important bit in all of this (assuming you notice the difference) - and that the further you get from the axle, the more significant it is. You can save rotating weight by going for skinnier or more expensive rims, tyres or tubeless set-ups than you currently have - but all will come with penalties.

Don't sweat saving 50 grams per hub if you can save half of that at the rim by ditching a rubber tubeless strip and going for yellow tape - something that will cost a few pounds instead of a few hundred. The same goes for tyres.

Me? I'm running two pairs of 29er wheels that come in at about 1900gms a pair with tape and tubeless valves. Hubs are all Pro 2 Evos, aside from a Trek FCC front hub; I've had good luck with Hope hubs, and have been able to service every one I've owned. You can also swap out pretty much every type of axle standard, too, which is good if you should ever need to have a spare set, or if you change frames and need different axles.

They're nice and stiff for (relatively) cheap aluminium rims. I've found from experience that a light set of wheels can also mean an easily deflected set of wheels - and I'm about 5kg lighter that yow. Having a set of wheels that's stiff is more important than having one that's light and floppy (or springy).

Another vote for Light Bicycle. My 32H 35mm wide 29er LB rims are on Pro2 Evo hubs (DT Comp spokes) and they weigh 1700g with rim tape and valves. The 27mm wide rims are around 55g lighter so you could drop below 1600g easily enough, and going down to 28 spokes would save a bit more weight, as would lighter hubs.

Having a set of wheels that's stiff is more important than having one that's light and floppy (or springy).

This is just what I was thinking.

Having just got a properly stiff set of 29er wheels (2kg), I'm convinced the stiffness returns a bit of the speed that I might theoretically lose due to the weight.

I won't be going back anyway!

American Classic MTBs here, on target for the weight and have been putting up with my 90kg and little attention needed for over 3 yrs now.

That's on my hardtail though, which doesn't get ploughed into stuff as much as a full sus. However in general, I'm not light on wheels.

TBH I thought they were so light I'd kill them and replace the rims with something burlier, but they've been excellent.

Flows on pro2 on the big bike.

Do you really want a 1600g pair of 29er wheels?

I wouldn't go lighter than 1750g (in alu) as a rough rule of thumb. Even then I prefer a bit more burliness.

I've got some 1800g 29er wheels with ArchEX rims on A2Z hubs, crests would be <1600g so it's not even that light a weight. I'm happy with crest's for 99% of riding and I'm 100kg in my birthday suit!

Only downside is the reliability of the rear hub is suspect, apaprently the freehub teeth wear out in the hub body as the axle isn't the siffest, but at the price they are it's barely more money than a new freehub or bearing kit from some brands.

The LB rims aren't much lighter, but they are apparenlty stiffer so ~1600g wheels should be more than stiff enough.

I'd like to try a set of 1400g wheels. What's the spec on those njee?

They're LB hookless XC 29er rims, American Classic hubs and Revolution spokes, with alu nips. Been good!

240s are a chunk lighter than Hopes

Really? IIRC it was less than 50g in the rear last I checked. Replacing that drive side bearing on DT's is a bitch, heating a hub shell to change a bearing is not something I'm generally happy about...

Meh, 50g is >10%, that's quite a bit, but a "chunk" is subjective. One 240 needed a heatgun, having been owned by someone who'd done a huge number of miles over 10 years, it's not ideal, but I've done a lot of 240s, and once had to use a slightly inappropriate tool to sort them out.

Tom, you can have light, strnog and stiff, but it'll cost you..

Reynolds Topo Ts aren't light as far as tubs go!

It's easy to forget that as we sit atop the nipple of niche on the breast of sub group on the body of a minority sport.

by a pie Lord giving it some

Brilliant!

FWIW I destroyed a set of rear DT240S bearings in approx. 4 (very) wet 4hr races. Everyone says this is an anomaly but if so it was an expensive one.

I have taken onboard the wisdom of needing stiff fit-for-purpose wheelsets.

The set i have seems to cope well with what im currently doing with them.

In the conspicuous absence of anyone wanting to lend ma a 1600g wheelset to play with, i have ordered some lighter tyes. I appeciate that i may be altering the grip/rolling resistance balance, but the move from Conti Trail King 2.2 wired to Schwalbe Nobby Nic evo folders should drop me about 4-500g of 'rim' mass, so it may feel good enough to clarify the issue for me.

Sadly the new tyes have delayed any new wheelset by £46, but it may be a long term gain.

I have been looking into ligther 29er wheelsets, the Velocity Blunt SS rim looks interesting, 30mm external, 26.6mm internal and 425g weight which I think is pretty similar to the LB carbon rims, I am unsure what they would be like in the long run but at £66 per rim they are much cheaper than the carbon alternatives, just match them up with your choice of hubs. When my current wheels die I think this is the route I will go down.

I have been looking into ligther 29er wheelsets, the Velocity Blunt SS rim looks interesting, 30mm external, 26.6mm internal and 425g weight which I think is pretty similar to the LB carbon rims

Assume you're still talking lighter in the context of burly rims? The LB XC rims are claimed 365g, mine were 355/356g (I asked for light ones), but only 22mm internal. The 24mm internal is 390g, the 30mm internal is 420g.

Yes, I am talking in the realms of burlier rims, I think LB quote around 415g for their 30/35mm external AM rims.

I weigh 15 stone + and my 32-hole Arch EX on American Classic mountain hubs have stayed true for a year and half (built by Just Riding Along). They weigh 1624g per pair with valves and rim tape.

Reynolds Topo Ts aren't light as far as tubs go!

Maybe not, but MV32ULs are. With the 190 hubs and CXRays iirc they were about 1200 for the pair. I wouldn't use rims that width with mtb tubs again though.

with these dt240s can you swap the end caps twixt qr and x12 as easily as you can with hopes?

Maybe not, but MV32ULs are. With the 190 hubs and CXRays iirc they were about 1200 for the pair. I wouldn't use rims that width with mtb tubs again though.

MV32s are road wheels shirley 😕

They did the MV29C, but they were clinchers, and 1400g+ IIRC. Were you running road disc wheels with MTB tubs? If so, 1200g isn't [i]that [/i]light, plenty of road tub rims at c250g.

with these dt240s can you swap the end caps twixt qr and x12 as easily as you can with hopes?

As long as you have the right version yes - worth checking you do, there is a QR specific front one.

yourguitarhero - Member
Changing tyres and going tubeless can drop around 300g per wheel

You would have to be starting with some pretty hefty tyres and tubes to make that kind of weight saving .

2 Sets of American Classics here , just the standard 29 tubeless . They come in bang on 1600g and have been pretty much faultless for me over 3 years . The Wide Lightnings look like a good option though .

It's a bit further upthread, Ramsey Neil:

the move from Conti Trail King 2.2 wired to Schwalbe Nobby Nic evo folders should drop me about 4-500g of 'rim' mass, so it may feel good enough to clarify the issue for me.

Sadly the new tyes have delayed any new wheelset by £46, but it may be a long term gain.

The OP has ditched wire bead tyres for folders, at a cost of £23 an end - which is a pretty good Gram/£ ratio. Going tubeless (not sure if this has happened) will save more weight, too.

Sounds like your ACs are pretty reliable, especially for something that's pretty damn light...

I had gone tubeless from day 1, but a 29er 2.2 Conti Trail King is still over 900g (if i remember correctly).

My Nobby Nics hav arrived and say 605g each on the box. I havnt weighed them, or more importantly ridden them. However if they work well, its a lot of mass to lose from the extremities of the wheel.

Personally I would use white industries cld hubs on velocity blunt so rims. Would weigh in at 1700g though. Carbon rims would allow the use of thinner laser spokes as the rims are very stiff and before anyone says that is a foolish idea I rode a set of carbon tubular rim 28 spoke front and rear laced up with sapim laser spokes and I have no issues. I these wheels for racing mostly and I do a fair bit of it as well.

EDITED FOR MY STUPIDITY AND INABILITY TO READ PROPERLY...

Back on topic... Just got some N.O.S. BOR Cold Black 29er wheels to go on my new Carbon HT I'm building. They come in at just under 1600g for the pair. The hubs are light, 125 and 225g respectively quoted, and the rims are pretty light for 29er rims at 425g each. The Sapim D-Light spokes and 64 nipples make up the remaining weight.

They're about as light as I'd reasonably want to go using ally rims, even for an out and out XC bike. But then I'm not the most finessed of riders, and value a stiff wheel over out and out weight savings.

Dt Swiss XR 1501 1510grms and plenty stiff.

Another vote for AC Wide Lightening, great wheels

Sram Roam 40?

Were you running road disc wheels with MTB tubs?

Just the rims, I built the wheels. This was about 5 years ago, before Reynolds made any mtb rims. There wasn't much lighter at the time, certainly not that I could get for super cheap.

I've now got some nice wide chinese carbon tub rims on Tune hubs, don't know their total weight but they are pretty light and stiff...

Mmm, I'd wondered about trying some of the 250g LB tub rims on an MTB, reckon you could do <1100g without going mental, I'd wondered about the width though. That and they'd be wholly wasted!

I've just bought some American Classic Wide Lightenings. They are marketed at 1590gr. Didn't weight them but definitely noticeably lighter than the stans arch ex/evo 2 pair they replaced. Bearings are amazing, they just seem to spin and spin, but the best bit is how wide they are. My 2.3 DHF is more like a 2.5 now! Amazing grip without a lot of obvious extra rolling resistance.

Just put my NN evo folders on the scales. They are 618g.

wondered about trying some of the 250g LB tub rims on an MTB, reckon you could do <1100g without going mental, I'd wondered about the width though

I built some into some CX wheels - snapped straight through.... But I am 85kg, if you are under 70 and ride smoothly YMMV

I am, and I do, but I was still worried that would happen. Not much width for the base tape either, IIRC they were narrower than the Tufo tub tape, not that I was planning to tape, but doesn't leave much surface area to glue.