I’ve just picked up a 2016 Charge Plug2 with the intention of seeing how I get on with it while my other bike gets a brake caliper warrantied. If I can click with it then I’ll sell the fancy bike as it’s a waste just using it for commute.

Bike mostly fine and dandy for the job, but I think the wheels/tyres (No name hubs/rims and 42C Maxxis Roamer) really seem to let it down, Something feels very sluggish and cumbersome, and I think it’s that. (I’m going to try the 28c GP4000s from the other bike to see if that helps)

So, what’s a good budget build for a bike that would mostly be used on a 10 mile commute, with some occasional towpath/light offroad stuff*?

The hubs seem to be a bit of a Novatec no brainer, but I’ve no idea which model is the one to go for with this application in mind? It’s 8sp Claris ATM, but scope for upgrade would be good, although I guess with the new ’11sp on MTB/10sp road freehub’ cassettes that’s not as important now.

And what about rims? I’ll run them tubeless, probably something in the 32-35c range.

Any pointers appreciated!

*Look, I avoided saying gravel!**

**Ahhh dammit.

I used r460 disk  rims on my plug 5.

Cheapish. Lightish. Strongish. Pick all three.

Look quite nice and have been rattled round lots on dirty reiver and other rough stuff.

They’re on novatec hubs something like 772s or 712s maybe or one of each. Aci spokes as they’re cheapest and oft overlooked for sapim and dtswiss despite high quality and rich history.

The rims are tubless compatible. Its a nice wheelset for the dosh

have a look on Spa cycles website.

Kinlin XR22

available in an asymmetric variant for a stronger rear wheel, wide, light enough, nice to build up and about £35 a pop from Spa/cycle clinic

Second the Kinlin XR22 – built some SSCX wheels with them earlier this year and they’ve been faultless. The likes of Hunt and others at this price point use rebranded Kinlin rims

Can’t comment on the rims but are the hubs qr at both ends and is he spacing 100 front 135 rear? If so Planet X had their el Guapo front hub for £15 recently – I bought one and have got a Chinese 9mm qr bolt trough axle thing for it for a fiver off eBay. Then an XT rear hub was £28 in a sale recently at CRC. Really cheap. Second the aci double butted spokes from Cycle basket or DT Swiss from rose bikes. Unless you want to go really cheap and go straight gauge in which case JE James had some very cheap Halo spokes.

You would need to know what the rims are and how heavy they are before knowing if changing them would make any difference.  I see the 2017 Plug 2 came with Alex Draw 1.9p rims which weight 450g so you wouldn’t achieve anything from swapping those out for example as it is the exact same weight of the Kinlin XR22 recommended above.  The hubs could be heavy but that won’t make the bike feel sluggish.

I would think the tyres are the main cause for feeling sluggish and at around 700g each I am not surprised.  When you put on your GP4000s if will feel like a different bike.