Stans Flows Or Crests – help me decide!

so im going down the stans route after all, hearing great things about them and they are just as easy to inflate proper ust tyres onto by various people….

so which rims to go for? i ride basically the white and dark peak, i occasionally hit trail centres (not that often) and head to wales a few times a year….most of the riding is solely rocky peak district with some fast rocky descents….i want a strong light rim that wont ding easily and hold the air running tubeless….so out of these two which should i go for?

if it helps im around 11stone, ride quite light i think, and use tyres no more than 2.25

cheers!

<15st Crest

>15st Flow

At your weight and only wanting fairly narrow tyres then yeah Crests make sense

I’ve got Crests on the HT and Flows on the FS.
Considerably heavier than you at 14st, and not riding remotely “light”.

I’ve battered the hell out of the Flows for two years and they have not gone out of shape at all. A few broken spokes and some minor truing but thta’s all.

I’ve only had the Crests for about six months and maybe they don’t receive the same agro, due to only being on an XC bike, but I’ve still the same weight and clumbsy style. They work well for me with thin tyres. 2.0 MudX on at the moment.

From what you describe, I’m sure Crests would be man enough, but I’d rather be on my Flows if I was rattling down Cavedale or Parkin Clough (to use examples local to you)

This query comes up a fair bit: riders want Crests because they are lighter but they also want the peace of mind that comes with the more bombproof Flows. Answer, imo, is the Arch EX…

http://www.moonglu.com/shop/hopepro2evo-white-stans-archex/

Arch EX are nicely in between, I’d have had them instead of my Crests if they existed at the time. As it is, I’m going to ride the crests until they break, then get the Arch.

Arch EX

They will be my next purchase once my 355’s have finally given up.

Arch or a flow on the back, crest up front?

Crest/Arch EX have lower sidewalls than Flows so may be less susceptible to dings but Stans rims are pretty soft so if you run your tyre pressures low and bash through rocks beware.

Arch or a flow on the back, crest up front?

wider would be better up front wouldn’t it?

Arch or a flow on the back, crest up front?
wider would be better up front wouldn’t it?

On a hardtail the front is often unweighted over obstacles and the rear wheel takes more impacts as it follows through (plus suspension on front). Or that just might be my rubbish riding!!

13 stone and didn’t have any problems with crests riding xc, now have arches but secretly miss the crests, though the arches are stiffer, but that could be the build.

thomthumb – Member

Arch or a flow on the back, crest up front?

wider would be better up front wouldn’t it? I don’t know – you mean because you generally run a bigger tyre up front so a wider rim is better?
Just thinking that the stronger, more durable rim at the back makes sense – rear wheel gets battered relative to the front IME.

Conversely Flows aren’t that heavy, are nice and stiff, and work well with big tyres. And round the Peak I’d prefer to run big but relatively light tyres tubeless at low pressure on wide rims.

I’d be inclined to suggest Arch’s, they seem a tad sturdier than my Crests and have been trouble free in 2yrs ownership. I’m simillar in weight, riding style, riding area to you from what you’ve said.

I just got a set of ZTR FLows on Hope hubs and am very happy. Wanted a good set of wheels capable of everything (certainly more than me). Curently on BFe.

exactly as honourablegeorge. Crests occasionally need a bit of a tweek for almost exactly the same riding you describe with nice fat tyres at low pressures. A couple of big dings now, but no actual loss of performance after 18 months of pretty hard use.

definitely go for the Arch EX not the old Arch.

12stone. Run Crests in the Peak – all good. But I would fancy (for peace of mind) something wider for Rocky days – so considering buying a pair of Arches EX

I’m just over 11 stone:

Lapierre Zesty with Flows on Pro II’s
Ragley Blue Pig X with Crests on Pro II’s

When i was buying the new wheels for the Zesty i umm’d and ahhh’d over whether to go Flow or Crest.

Decided to go for the Flow’s on the basis that there isn’t a huge amount in it weight wise, i like to chuck the bike about a bit and if i get to the Alps next year as i’m hoping to i’d have the right wheels for the job.

A month after buying the flows i managed to ding a rim on the Crest:
GO FOR THE FLOWS!!

after 18 months of pretty hard use.
Did you lend your wheels to someone else Paul 😉

Second what Baldy says, although for a little peace of mind, and after seeing them at 18bikes, I would really like a set of Arch EX’s

“<15st Crest
>15st Flow “

and Arch EX?

“Arch or a flow on the back, crest up front? “
wtf, why?
Surely you want wider/stiffer up front for better tyre profile for cornering/whatnot? Then may as well match the rear? A Crest has the same width as an Arch EX, but lighter/flexier, so maybe ArchEX/Crest f/r might work as an imbalanced set or something?

“umm’d and ahhh’d over whether to go Flow or Crest.
Decided to go for the Flow’s on the basis that there isn’t a huge amount in it weight wise”
No, only about 260g in it. Its not like its rotating weight or anything either

I’d get flows unless you’re some sort of racer

UPDATE!

just ordered a flow front wheel! got it at a cracking price too 🙂

i havent ordered the rear one yet, am gonna run this for a bit up front see how i get on with it, then sell my current rear and get a flow eventually out back, running xm819usts so intruiged to see what the comparison will be like tubeless run together for a month or two 🙂

again thanks for the help, im no racer unfortunately so crests are out, i ride alot of rocky stuff so the flow seemed a no brainer and lbs agreed too

now someone please convice me that maxxis UST tyres will go on as easily as they do on my 819’s with a track pump…pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

£?

i get a hefty old discount at the lbs 😉 mates rates if you like… ill be getting my rear one from them too thats for sure!