I’m wondering if anyone can help me pick out any alternative rims to Crests? The Crests sound fine for weight and inner width, but all the stories of struggling to get tyres on sounds daft to me. I’m looking for rims for trail / XC / bikepacking. Like the sound of 21mm rims coz I like running big 2.4″ tyres. I am not that light, 14 stone. plus about 15 kilos of kit all in on a bikepacking setup, but I don’t ride hard really, no big drops or jumps, so don’t need overbuit rims. Just worried about fixing a puncture on hour 14 of an all dayer, in the dark, with midges and rain. Needs to be easy.

What tyres do you use? Maxxis are easy peasy to get on and off, so are pre-2011 Schwalbe and Bontrager tyres.

2010 Conti MKs black chilli folding, 2011 Schwalbe Supermotos folding.

“pre-2011 Schwalbe and Bontrager tyres”
well maybe immediately pre-2011, but upto ~’09 ACX TLR bontys were a real PITA to fit to normally slack mavic rims. Bizarrely MudX TLRs of the same age were a doddle

Slightly narrower than the Crests but what about Arch rims? Considered a bit tougher than 355s although I’ve never had any problems with 355s…had them couple of years now and they really have held up to everything plus have never been a problem getting tyres on and off.

If you’d consider other stans , then youd be better off with 21mm archEX over 19mm arch. Unless the older BST of the arch suits better for tyres on/off? ArchEX I would imagine would be similar to Crests for tyres on/off as they’re both the newer lower BST/rim height?

Don’t Crests have a recommended max rider weight of about 80kg, just like the 355’s had? In reality, they’re a lightweight XC rim for people with finesse, they’re tough for what they are, but I can’t help but think for your desired application it would be better to errr on the side of caution?

Anyway, at 14 stone plus 15kg of gear, I’d be less worried about weight and more worried about running something tough enough. Not overbuilt, but a Stans Flow would be the logical answer as its got a bit more to it than the crest so is stronger and will take the weight better, it won’t flex as much either. And your 2.4″ tyres will have a great profile on the 22mm internal rim width.

Though by the sounds of things, you’re not intending to run tubeless. I which case save yourself some money, take a look at the Mavic XM719 or EN521. Either will definitely do the job you require well, without being too heavy.

Unless the older BST of the arch suits better for tyres on/off?

It does, Alpine, Podium and Crest (and now Arch EX) are all slightly larger!

Running Arch rims with 2.35 tyres and v happy with strength:weight….so far 🙂

As a measure, I have been running Mavic 317 rims for about 5 years, not had any problems, from Glentress red / black, to Alps, to bikepacking. I am really not fast or hard on the rough, enjoy the climbs and the trail journey more than blasting downhill at speed.

I do like lightweight kit where possible.

Crests are 340 grams
Arch EX are 400 grams
317s are 440 grams
719 are 460 grams
521 are 520 grams
DT Swiss XR 400 are 400 grams
Pacenti TL28 are 360 grams but look to mimic the Crests

Tubeless?

If not Spank Vomax rims are meant to be brilliant.

What about BOR? I don’t know much about them but don’t they make light rims very similar to Stans?

Surely its not fair to compare crests with 317s?

What’s the weight of a 717?

Weight weenies rekons 403g average for the 717

I wouldn’t have thought the 717 is going to be any good for someone wanting to run 2.4 tyres though.

Yes I want wider rims than 717s. I want wide, light, easy to use rims.

I am running tubes. I don’t have any plans to run tubeless.

Spank Vomax are 18.5mm wide, maybe not wide enough?

Oozy Evo are 21mm and 420 grams, still 80 grams heavier per wheel.

“317s are 440 grams
719 are 460 grams
521 are 520 grams”
Plus whatever the spoke eyelets weigh? Seem to think Ive read XM719s are actually the other side fo 500g once supplied with spoke eyelets?

I thought EN521s were 540g which would add 400g (+64 spoke eyelets) to the bike over crests

I have no issues at all with crests and various Maxxis wire and folding bead tyres from 2.1 to 2.4in widths. Currently got 2.4in Advantages in there no issues. Can’t say they’re any better or worse for tyres on and off than 717s or similar that I’ve used before.

The crest is pretty damn tough for what it is – I’ve ridden mine pretty hard over the last couple of years in lots of rocky places and there are a couple of non-performance impairing dings in the rear and it now needs a bit of a tweak with a spoke key.

Having said that, I’d go for the Arch EX if I was looking to buy rims now. It’s stiffer and tougher for not a lot more weight. Probably the perfect trail riding compromise.

Are the spoke eyelets not part of the rim? I thought it was only the nipples that had to be added?

I think he’s getting confused with UST 819 rims, where eyelets/ferrules are screwed in to the rim once you have threaded the nipple onto the spoke.

First time I put a tyres on a crest rim I had problems. Then I learnt how to do it properly. Never had a problem since. Make sure the the bead is in the central channel all the way round.

Has anyone used the Pacenti TL28? What are they like for getting tyres on and off?

Mavic en521s are what you need
Just collected mine from
http://www.wheelcraft.net/

Have heard Crest/Flows being called Stans-so-soft due to them being…..well….a bit soft!

Having seen a Mavic and a Stans laced up I would certainly not consider buying Stans!

521s are 540 grams, at least 100 grams per rim over what I want, and 200 grams per rim over the Crests.

I think they are unnecessary for my riding style.

I want wide and light 🙂

What did you see in the built up Stans rims you didn’t like?

“he’s getting confused with UST 819 rims”
Probably
I seem to remember somebody on here saying XM719s (claimed at 455g) weigh in at over 500g in the flesh, so was pushing that assuming EN521s and others would be similar
The eyelets are part of the rim, at least my XM719s seem to be, they didnt fall out or anything when I rehubbed my wheel, not that I tried to push the eyelets out or anything

What did you see in the built up Stans rims you didn’t like?

The Mavic rims were so much easier to true up from scratch
Stans have become known as “Stanssosft” in the same way the Cannondale attracted the “Crackandfail” , and Commencal as “Commonfail”
The bead to locate the tyre is also very shallow and I suspect may not survive a high speed puncture in the way a Mavic will
Like the OP I am pushing 15st fully kitted out but prefer my equipment to be a bit burly and last a few years of abuse…. 😉

Stans have become known as “Stanssosft”

Google would suggest you made that up.

I’ve never had a problem getting Schwalbe, maxxis or kenda tyres onto Crests or Arches. The 2012 tubeless-ready Schwalbes are a bit tighter but it just means you need to use a tyre lever instead of fingers.

I didn’t have a problem with Crests at 13 stone, now have arches but prefer the width of the Crests with hindsight. great rims, wouldn’t look at anything apart from Stan’s now.

Not quite as heavy as you, but do the same kinda riding. Moved onto Crests early last year and they just work. Tyres come on/off reasonably easy (when using tyre levers), and I’ve had to part-remove tyres (in the field) to patch when the latex doesn’t quite manage it.

IME Bonty Team’s, Mud X’s and Maxxis Ardents all work well.