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I've destroyed my Spank Oozy rims so am looking to rebuild my pro 2 evo hubs onto some new rims. I've decided on DT ex471s, anything else I should consider? I like the look of Pacentis but want something a bit more ding proof.
My main confusion is spokes. The LBS will be building them up and I trust the wheelbuilder, he's pretty good in my experience but I have no idea about what spokes are good for what. Sapim lasers are pretty light but the blurb speaks of shock absorbing properties, I'm concerned that would translate to flex. DT champions seem stiff but heavy, and competitions seem a bit generic. At the moment Sapim races seem to me like a good option.
The wheels will be going on my Covert and will be ridden long distance XC rides locally, punctuated by rocky steps and decent sized jumps and drops. With around 1 uplift day in wales a month and an annual trip to the alps for proper DH stuff. Basically they need to be light and stiff, a bit moon on a stick but cost isn't much of a probem.
"Shock absorbing properties" is teh lolz. Marketing guff.
competitions seem a bit generic. At the moment Sapim races seem to me like a good option.
Er, they're basically the same. They're as "generic" as each other: the default choice for double-butted spokes from each brand. It's not as if your bike's going to look any different with one versus the other. [i]Personally[/i] I think there's rarely any need to use anything other than Comps on most builds (I'm sure you can substitute Races in that; I just happen to use DT: the quality is uniformly good IME, so they build nicely and I've never broken one, and if it ain't broke don't fix it). If you want to save weight you could use Revs or whatever the Sapim equivalent is, but I'd suggest you don't want them on the drive side, and perhaps also the leading spokes on disc wheels, so you won't get the full saving. Going two-cross on the front (and perhaps the rear NDS) would save a little weight over three-cross, if you were fussed.
What he said though I've used alpina spokes for a while now in place of DT comps.
Cheers, can get a set of comps for 30 quid from the same place as the rims.
Spoke calculator spat out 259.9, 260.2, 258.8 and 258.6, I'm guessing 260 is what I need all round?
Also tempted by spank oozy trail rims over the dts, an extra 30 quid for the pair but 50g lighter each.... And possibly a bit blingier
No, I'd go 260/260/258/258 with those figures. Make sure the nipple lengths in the calculations are consistent with what you're going to get, if they come as part of the spoke order (which is usual with Comps): most of the time you get 12mm nipples but CRC always used to hand out 14s, no idea if they still do. 12s generally give the best build.
Sapim Laser is literally the blank spoke they use to make the expensive CX-Ray- to make a CX Ray they take a laser and squish it. That does make it stronger- more forging- but ime the laser is a perfectly decent spoke anyway.
That said, my new wheels are getting DT Comp Races, because Steve D told me to. I went into the shop having planned my build in great detail, he told me I was wrong, I held out for black and folded on everything else 😆 But he knows, so, it'll be fine.
I've always stuck with DT comps and don't recall breaking any. The CX rays cound snazzy but seem pretty expensive for saving some weight. You have a Covert so you are a proper biker and not a weight weenie! I'm really pleased with my WTB frequency i25 rims. They have stayed true and remain dent free so far with probably just under 18 months of riding. Sensible weight and price as well. I had EN521s before that but wanted something slightly wider and tubeless. The Mavics seemed proper hard though.
I find that Sapim spokes break a lot easier than DT spokes especially when they are a few years old. I usually build with Alpina or DT spokes now depending where i can get them from at a good price.
DT Aerolites are the equivalent of a CX-Ray and they're just a squashed Revolution. No reason to bother on an MTB IMO. Go Revolutions if you want lightweight (I probably wouldn't on a bike of that ilk), but bladed are a waste. Speaking as someone who's had both CX-Rays and Aerolites.
Hard to beat a Competition for a 'standard' spoke.
So I've been and spoken to the builder, he reckons DT comps are the way to go. and he said just get 260s all round. He'll be the one building them so I suppose I should trust him
EDIT: Just spotted 259mm on sale for 27p each, that's 17 quid for the lot, think they would work out even better being bang in the middle of the measurements, they're cheap because they come without nipples but the ex471 comes with the special squorx nipples anyway
Wher are you seeing comps at that price?
Rose bikes. Payment doesn't seem to be working though