[Closed] Anyone tried superstar components wheelsets?

Would be OK with that on the front - not that bothered about front hubs and the build is prob ok. Wouldn't fancy that rear wheel build - a mediocre rear hub is going to be a ballache sooner or later.

All the sets I've had have been brilliant. Can't fault them at all. Switch hubs on xc, am and dh rims. All spot on.

I've got a front wheel built by them (sentinel on switch) and it's been fine. Also got 2 of their rear hubs (switch and tesla) built onto wheels which weren't built by them and the hubs have been fine too. They've both done quite a lot of miles and been fully submerged in rivers etc...

Not too pleased with mine, knew it was a gamble but I got a pair of "bombproof" and none too light XC wheels for my hybrid and they're barely up to road use never mind offroad, they need constant attention despite never seeing anything harder than a canal path. Shit, frankly.

To be fair, I knew the risks and I've not taken them up on the free retension, because it'd mean being without the bike and also they blatantly don't know what they're doing. And the thing is, I could take the wheels into a proper wheelbuilder and get them sorted and it'd still not be a bad price- so you could think of them as a parts kit that just happened to come more or less assembled.

So it's not all bad. But it's not very good.

Got a couple of sets of Superstar wheels on Switch hubs (one with SS branded rims and the other with Flows). Both sets needed a bit of a tighten before use but have been solid since then (both are a couple of years old now). Have replaced the bearings a couple of times on the Flow wheels - a few deep ford crossings did for them.

Happy overall - happy enough to have a set of Flow EX on SS Tesla hubs ready to go on the new build.

Got a set of their road wheels (£170 and a genuine 1600g weight), been running them for over a year with no problems.

Got a very nice set of their 650b Tactic rims on their Tesla hubs (SKF bearings, pull on/off conversion between QR, 12mm, 15mm and 20mm, steel freehub)....again, awesome wide profile that happily supports 2.5 width tyres, decent weight and have never been anything but true...around £250 i think in one of their sales.

I think they're great and havent had any problems with my two sets,

Not too pleased with mine, knew it was a gamble but I got a pair of "bombproof" and none too light XC wheels for my hybrid and they're barely up to road use never mind offroad

In contrast, my xc rims on switch hubs have lived on my Dialled hardtail for nearly two years now, been ragged about the peaks, trail centres, chicksands and Woburn, never done a thing to them.

Best part of a year on my set including a lot of rain, grit, sand and very little care and they're going strong, previously had hope hoops and I can spot little difference in performance between the two. Very pleased with my purchase over all.

There are stories of them being poorly tensioned out of the box though I had no such trouble. Even if you assume they're going to need tensioning on day one they usually come out better priced than the competition.

i'll vouch for the wheelsets also, this is my third pair (3 different bikes) and all have held up well, I have put a few dents/ dings in the current rear wheel but i am currently doing a season in the alps. The other 2 sets held up fine

The build quality seems to be a bit hit or miss.

I know people who have had no trouble with them. I got a pair of Stans crest with Evo switch hubs. They lost all spoke tension within an hour of using them for the first time. Customer service is poor so I ended up taking it to the LBS to have the wheel rebuilt.

Superstar offer a lifetime wheel truing service but you need to remember to keep the box, post them off and be without your wheels for however long it takes. I found it easier to go to my LBS.

The hubs and rims are great for the price but factor into the cost the fact that you may need to have them rebuilt!

I've got a pair of switch hubs on alex rims for CX duties, and general shitty weather road riding. a about a year old now, maybe 2000 miles in them, faultless.

I'm with Northwind on this one. My Stan's/Switch combo had barely been tensioned and what was there was all over the place. They came up with the usual BS about spokes "settling" and offered the free truing, which is worth sweet FA when they wouldn't cover the cost of postage. Was all fine after it'd been done properly though. Bearings were pretty short-lived, but even the cheapest ones off ebay lasted 4 times longer. The alu-freehubs are pretty fragile too and eventually chew themselves to death on the ratchet ring in the hub. Steel freehub sorts that easily, and it seems to have been a known issue on Novatec's own wheelsets, which used the same/similar hubs. So, that doesn't sound very good, does it. Still half-decent value for the parts over-all, but expect to have to put in some effort to make them work.

I bought some two years ago and they have been fine. I was so paranoid after reading stuff on here about poor spoke tension that I checked them after every ride but never found any play even during a rough week in Scotland. The weak link was the Pacenti rim which acquired a massive dink after the Scottish week. Switch hubs have been fine too so I feel it is very much the luck of the draw how they are built

Mine have been great for staying true.
Bearings in the front wheel were shagged after 3 months though,
when I wrote to Superstar explaining that I only handwash my bike, they ran through the whole misuse of product (ie, god forbid your woods has mud / water in it)

My flows on switch have been ace, once they'd been rebuilt by LBS after both completely de-tensioning on the second ride.
18km from home.

I'd buy again, but get the LBS to review them first.

I've got Pacenti rims on Switch hubs,been ok,but had them tweeked at LBS as sort of insurance.

I think the problem isn't so much that they can't build good wheels- they clearly can, a mate of mine had a dh set and they were really well done and loads of people are happy with theirs. Which makes you wonder, why are some so bad? I don't know if they've got a wee production line and one of the dudes is awful, or if they've got one guy who can build good wheels but sometimes doesn't bother, or what... I'm assuming they're machine built and hand checked or something?

I've run a couple of different sets now - Switch Evo on Alex Supra 30 and Tesla on Sentinel. Both were absolutely fine with no problems whatsoever.

I've heard that some people have had issues with uneven tension but we have to bear in mind it's the internet so very easy for something to look like a big problem, but the telling thing would be the stats vs units sold (I seem to remember an ad saying 25,000 wheelsets sold, and I know that's a pretty legit figure as a friend who works for a bearing supplier was quoting that kind of bearing quantity to SS to specify SKF bearings for the Tesla Evo hubs).

I'd say well worth getting them - and if on first few rides they need a retension, pop down to your local friendly wheelbuilder to get them retensioned.

As Northwind says - you get a lot for your money so even if you are unlucky and need to factor in for someone to retension, you're still getting a bargain.

Another happy customer here. I've got three sets of ss rims on switch hubs - one of which they did for me as a special at no extra cost.

Same for me on crest / switch. Was shocked after 1 day xc that they were very loose. Had to retension 3 times and they've been fine since.
Fair price for the weight

Just fitted a set of the Pavé 28s to my buddy's Tarmac and he's delighted with them, says they feel light, stiff and efficient. Time will tell how they last.

Switch hubs and 29er crests here - nice and true but spoke tension was non existent. Not worth sending back so LBS sorted them out for £10 a wheel. Still miles cheaper than elsewhere - just inconvenient.

Mine were rubbish. Spoke tension was poor and bearings lasted about 3 rides. Superstar weren't interested until I threatened trading standards, only then did they help.

That was 3 years ago and I've run Hope Since and wouldn't get anything else.

Thanks for responses and feedback, can't really afford to take a punt, so gone for a new set of maxlight ix's

Ta.

29er Crest on switch hubs here for about a year. Great wheels, no complaints especially considering the price.

I've no relevant experience, but I'll be looking at this thread with amusement as nothing seems to divide opinion on STW like Superstar Components.

Other contenders are On-One / PX, Chinese lights and wheel size.

You know that scene from Live and Let Die where the voodoo man opens the box of snakes.........

I had a set of Alex rimmed/ switch hubbed wheelset from them. Absolutely brilliant, couldn't fault them at all. I put them on every bike I built, great after sales support ordering different axles etc.. unless I turned into a brand snob Superstar would be the first port of call if I needed a wheelset.

Ps. Never had to retension.