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So, I need/would like the following:
650b
XC/Trail use, 14st rider
Not too wide
Not stupidly heavy
100x15 front
135mm qr rear (with ability to go 142x12 at later date)
Sealed cartridge bearings
I'm not finding much that meets that criteria, at the cheaper end merlin are doing Alex Volare 25 on Chosen hubs, Raleigh Probuild for about £170 a set, hardly any info. or reviews though.
Superstar's wheels are a total mystery to me, so many hub choices, nothing to tell them apart or decent tech. specs. and really random, mostly older rim choices. Baffling.
Hope are £350ish, guess I'd just go standard Pro4/TechXC if that were my best option. Would rather not spend that much if I can help it though. Do want something servicable and with longevity though.
I'm liking my Mavic wheels. I know they aren't fashionable but I'm 17 stone and pretty hard on wheels. My old bike had hand built Hopes with D521 rims utterly bombproof. When I bought my new bike with Crossrocs I fully expected to be replacing the rear one pretty sharpish but it's held up the last 9 months really well. Been trued once after a couple of rides just to take up the slack as it were but since then been really solid, I'm surprised TBH as its taken some fairly heavy landings and stayed straight.
200 quid for Crossrides and they meet all your requirements.
I ran some of those Raleigh/Alex wheels last year, for the money I don't think you can do better to be honest.
Light and strong and great service from Merlin
CRC are selling Stan's ZTR Crests fo £40 each right now if you fancy making your own:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/stans-no-tubes-ztr-crest-mtb-rim/rp-prod49052
Having just killed an Arch ex 29er in a relatively minor off I don't think crests are for me, even in 650b
Superstar have got 25% off custom builds at the moment. The Switch hubs are convertible and have cartridge bearings - that is what I got built onto their own 27mm wide rims (xx27). They also do 23mm (EX23) and 25mm (DS25) wide rims. I went with Sapim Race spokes and brass nipples.
Review of the SD25 (25mm width) wheels on the switch hubs:
Info about different spokes:
http://dcrwheels.co.uk/custom-wheelsets/choosing-spokes-advice/
Ideally I'd still like to be able to run something like a 2.2 Conti XC tyre, a lot of these rims are too wide I think?
This positive comment on the Alex Volar wheels from a couple of weeks ago stuck in my mind - http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/wheels-for-a-trail-bike#post-8312550
The Hope Tech XC rims seem a bit too narrow to me, anything under 21mm internal is more prone to burping IME.
2.2in tyres are fine on wider rims, but those Superstar wheels suggested will come out around 2kg, and they'll be doing an offer on the factory ones for £160/pair soon enough anyway.
I tend to pick wheels up on Pinkbike or eBay lately, as there isn't much choice about the £300 level now.
Bump for the day time crowd - any advances on the above?
Have a look at bikestacja, see what they have in your range- they have some spectacular value deals. WTB KOM might be a good choice for rim, from their selection.
Or maybe those Easton Heists CRC has on sale? Wouldn't be on my radar at all at RRP but at £250 they've worth a look
I have dt Swiss e1900 that came with my bike. Was going to swop them out but found them to be lighter than hope enduros so kept them. They've held up under abuse and had no real issues apart from the original bearings weren't the best.
You can pick them up brand new for just over £200 and usually can get cheaper new ones on pinkbike
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/WBI25EGRS/wtb-st-i25-tcs-rim-on-el-guapo-rattlesnake-hubs
Don't know if they have the ability to change rear axle sizes though
I did see those actually, but no reports on the hubs at all or details of spokes.