Looking at buying the components to build a new pair of wheels. Decided on Hope Pro 2 hubs and Sapim spokes but cant make my mind up on the rims apart from the colour. Can anyone tell me the difference between the XM 317 and the XC 717 apart from 50 grams, £15 and a sticker.

Is the XM all mtn rim so it'll be tougher?

But then again 717 is xc but has been used by all mtn users on here etc.

Whats your riding style/weight/bike?

diminishing weight makes for higher prices! If you look for 350g rims you can double the price of a 717! I think SSC are selling a 300g rim for £90ish too…

I've just built up an xm317 for a friend and the finish (ie closeup, eyelets, join etc) on them is just as good as my 717's. I think the idea is they are tougher but much of this will depend on your wheel build really.

XM317 has a pinned joint, XC717 is welded to produce a stronger more reliable joint(only once, but have seen a Mavic pinned joint seperate).

So far i've only used XM317's on both my FS and Hardtail, i don't treat either with kid gloves and i've yet to buckle one.

I've split a pinned rim before, but it took hooking up on a 4x course in a crash that caused me a couple of relatively serious injuries.

So apart from the pinned joint which doesnt bother me they seem to be pretty much the same rim just £30 cheaper the pair.

Only problem now is deciding the Hope hub colour it was just going to be black but looking at the red hubs its got me thinking black rims, black spokes, red hubs hhmm could be nice discreet and tasteful with just a hint of colour.

Black or silver is the way to go with hubs. I've always regretted coloured ones sooner or later…

Supposedly the 317 is made of a softer alloy… Though I have to say I've not really seen anything to back that up, so it could just be internet talk.

Just to throw nother option at you, if you're going Pro II, have you considered Hope Hoops with Stans rims. Cheapest way to get Stans rims which are great (255 or Flow) without the trouble of having to build them. I hear good things from people who've had them from Roger @ wheelpro.

317 ARE made from a softer alloy, Thus they are not stronger but weaker. Weight difference is less than 40g, actually it's about 20-30g. I had v-brake versions of 717 weighing practicaly the same as 317 (437g vs 440).

717 are made from maxtal, it's stronger than regular alloys used for rims.

another vote for Hope Hoops using Stans 355 rims here… I have that set up for 26" and 29" and no probs yet (and not heard anything negative at all). The Stans rims are expensive alone, but no extra over the Mavic rims when bought as part of the Hope Hoops.

Lighter, wider, easier to run tubeless (I find my converted 717 rims almost impossible to inflate tubeless tyres on) and seemingly just as reliable…

Thanks for the advice on the Stans rims but as I am building these wheels myself Stans rims would cost waaaaaay too much I think Hope get them at a special rate.

I would only go with Mavic anyway I have used loads of different types of rims over the years ( and it has been a lot of years I remember when this was all factories ) and they have never let me down. I know this a cue for stories about how the house burnt down, my wife left me and the dog bit me all because I used Mavic rims but I reckon the frogs know how to make a metal hoop.

(Mr MC posting)
mtbrdot, can you explain what "maxtal" is apart from a Mavic marketing term, that makes it stronger than a "regular" rim alloy?

Having researched aerospace alloys for Alcoa (7475 at various tempers) and BAe (7050 superplastic) I'm not sure how Maxtal compares?

You may well know exactly what you are talking about, but a bit more imformation would be useful.

Maxtal contains small amounts unobtainium, bolloxium and gobbledegookium.

another vote for Hope Hoops using Stans 355 rims here… I have that set up for 26" and 29" and no probs yet (and not heard anything negative at all). The Stans rims are expensive alone, but no extra over the Mavic rims when bought as part of the Hope Hoops.

Please excuse my ignorance, but WTF are Hope Hoops? If, in the above example, the rims are Stans, and the hubs are Pro IIs. Is it just a nickname for a build from the Hope factory or something?

Hope hoops are hope factory built hand finished wheels. Choice of hubs and rims.

Ones with pro2 hubs rrp at about £280 a pair with any of the rim options (selection of Mavic, ZTR, and DT).

There's info on the Hope website.