I ran pro2’s with 719 rims and have recently changed to pro2’s with crest rims … setting them up tubeless was far easier with the crest rims (yellow tape and superstar valves). They went up first time with a track pump … even without the sealant in at first then I just added the sealant through the valves.
The 719’s seemed to take may attempts and eventually I needed a compressor.

I know this is a bit late;

Any LBS worth going to will have most common spokes if they don’t then there is every chance they wont have HOOP spokes as they are built with 6-10 different rim choices so there is every chance that is at least 20 different spoke lengths as all rims are different.

Wheels is Wheels when it comes to replacing the spokes unless it’s a bit wierd then they either have them or they don’t.

Hoop spokes? My point was Hoops use normal spokes, most bike shops will have a selection of spoke lengths, if one doesn’t the next probably will. A lot of UST/tubeless wheelsets have different nipples and spokes. I’ve waited weeks for replacements for a Shimano XT wheelset and had numerous orders cancelled from different online shops, in the end I managed to get 1 XTR nipple through a LBS which despite not matching, does fit.

I’ve got a set of Stans Arch EX and I’ve decided this avo that I’m getting rid of them and going back to Mavic!

They’re just so much hassle, impossible to get tyres on and off, you have to drill them out if you want to run shrader, the tyres don’t sit straight and I keep getting punctures.

All in all not worth the hassle IMO. In all the years I’ve run mavic (albeit 321s/521s) I’ve never had a puncture and they’ve always been easy to work with.

My enduro has stans arch ex on 3.30 hubs and have been spot on so far , only 2 days at fod and some local stuff
No issue fitting tyres ( but I never seem to)
Still nice and true
Light weight
All good for me

Do see lots of mavic rims cracked round the eyelets too , this may often be down to to high a spoke tension imo

Never had any trouble getting Schwalbe’s onto Crest rims – just make sure the tyre’s sitting in the middle of the rim when you come to get the last bit over.

Question for the wheel builders – spoke tension for the Crest rim is stated as 95kgf, how is that worked out in the real world, given that (presumably) the drive side (rear) would need more tension than the non-drive side (and vice versa up front)? Your thoughts would be appreciated folks.

I’ve ran stans rims since before they became fashionable, from about 2005. Mostly flows, but some crests in the last couple of years.

IMO, they are softer than the Maxtal alloy that mavic use. They accumulate rock marks and scuffs more easily and do seem a little more prone to flat spots. Like Peter Poddy, I tend to keep my rims for a good while, and I have found that eyeleted rims seem to give more mileage. Presently I’m using Sun-ringle black flags that seem to offer similar benefits to Stans, but have eyelets.

Despite being softer Stan notubes rims are lighter for a comparable strength, have a wider profile and they make tubelessing so very easy. This was especially true in the early days of tubeless when pretty much it was Stans notubes or UST. You’d save 100 to 150g going with stans over Mavic.

I’ve never once encountered the fabled tight tyre syndrome that seems so frequently reported on here, but then, I’m like the thumb guy.

With my own stans wheels I’ve just left the left hand side with a lower tension than the right
And have the right hand side right up to the limit
Done this with the older Olympics , my podium mmx and now the arch
And always given a good durable wheel
Does help I have a meter to measure the tension

I’ve ran stans rims since before they became fashionable, from about 2005. Mostly flows, but some crests in the last couple of years.

They didn’t introduce the Flow until much later Shirley? The Olympic was their original rim about then wasn’t it?

I could be up to a year out.

The olympic was around for a little while before the flow. In May 2005 I got my 5spot frame and I put my F519’s on it. By the end of the year I had traded up to DT swiss run tubeless with an eclipse kit (remember them? So yes, it would have been a little later, likely early 06 – easter 06.