Just been notified by my LBS after having a new drive train fitted that bothe rims have cracked around the eyelets. They are Stans Arch rims and the mechanic seems to think it’s a common fault uith Stans rims as they have no rings around the eyelets. So can anyone recommend a rim of a similar weight but is lesss susceptible to cracking? Thanks.

Santa Cruz Reserve?

Budget? Which probably boils down to “Alu or Carbon?”

Unless you don’t want Carbon anyway…

Also, internal width?

Which Arch rims? We need a bit more information about expected rim weight and internal width plus budget.

Off the top of my head, I’ve got WTB Asyms on one wheelset and they’re eyletted and not insane money. 583g/rim and 29mm internal width. They seem to be lasting me well enough (I’ve got 35mm 27.5’s at 570g ea not the 29mm 29’s I just mentioned)

DT Swiss XM421 looks similar width and weight, DT are top of the shop for alu rims these days. Very tough for their weight.

Worth mentioning that although the higher end DT rims dont have eyelets they do use a special nipple and washer arrangement to spread the load and prevent cracking around the spoke holes.

Which Arch rims? We need a bit more information about expected rim weight and internal width plus budget.

The Mk 3 ones.
Material: 6069 aluminum
ETRTO: 622×26.0 (29 “)
Number of holes: 32
External width: 29.3 mm
Inner width: 26 mm
Rim height: 16 mm
EARTH: 605 (29 “)
Weight: 453g (29 “)

I could be tempted down the carbon rim route (my road bike and cross bikes both have carbon rims) but I have dented so many MTB rims that I am a bit unsure about carbon wheels for mtbing.

It’s hard to see past DT rims. Just choose width and then balance weight, strength, cost.

I have a set of nearly new 25mm internal DT wheels in the classifieds…

The eyelets are the “rings”. Stans rims don’t have eyelets.
Plenty of rims (without eyelets) crack at the spoke holes, it doesn’t mean you need to replace them, unless the spokes have started to pull through the rim bed.

Stan’s are renowned for cracking, especially if the spoke tension is on the high side.

Equivalent to an Arch in DT’s is an XM421 (25mm), or a XM481 which is a bit wider (30mm).

Yes I’ve gone for the XM481 rim which is also a similar weight to the Arch. I use these wheels for all things. Bit of ‘all mountain ‘ riding but also racing so I need something that’s strong enough but not so heavy it becomes a hindrance on the climbs.

sixth element carbon 30mm width (lifetime warranty if you pay £30).
dt swiss m1700 seem decent too, dented and scraped the rims but keep going, will replace with SE

DT or WTB

Whichever DT Swiss rims are about the weight you require. Likely that the XMxxx range being the most direct comparison to Stans Arch.

It’s nothing to do with eyelets or otherwise, it’s just that the Arches don’t have much metal in, and people quite often ask too much of them. You can only go so wide and so light without losing strength and durability.

DT seem to have it absolutely nailed but wtb have some really good options too and often cheaper- my frequency teams aren’t light but they’re hard as nails