I should be buying some new wheels today but I don’t actually know what rims to go for yet. Will be used on a hardtail that I intend to ride a bit of everything on – trail centres, DH at Woburn, dirt jumps and maybe a bit of local xc (if it ever dries up and gets fast enough to bother with)! So I probably don’t need something as heavy duty as the 721s on my DH bike but would still like some strength so I’m not always worried about the wheels breaking or anything. So I guess I’m looking at the “all mountain” category?

EN521s maybe? I’ll be ordering from superstar so need to be able to get it from there, they have a fairly good selection 🙂

Flow or flow EX is the standard answer here

Should have said I don’t want tubeless, or to pay ridiculous money.

As you were then!

I’d probably stretch to the Pacenti DL31s: lighter and wider than a 521, but strong too.

Why no tubeless? If buying new wheels this is the time to do it and in my mind all mountain is where it makes the most sense! Oh and flows.

Dropped to XM719’s from my EX721’s great choice for less h’core duties.

Sorry just read your post properly, I have non tubeless superstar 495 wheels on my big bike for DH etc and they are a nice width, holding up well and didn’t cost much.

Edit, no back to flows, you don’t have to run them tubeless, but it gives you the option and the superstar deal is a bargain.

I’ve used Mavic 321/521 quite a lot (running 321s at the moment).

You can pick them up for cheap (particularly the 321s on the 2nd hand market) and they seem to last forever. I find they are a good mix of strength and weight.

I tend to run a Pro II on the front to allow for fork changes and something like XT on the rear (so that it’s quiet!).

Sun eq29 would be my non – stans choice.

But it’s hard to argue with the superstar deals Tbh, they’re cracking value.

As above you can’t go wrong with 321s or 521s. Have used both on the Ramones with 20mm XT they feel noticeably stiffer than an equivalent build using 719s. Good solid direct feel without being harsh or twangy

The 321s are functional and workmanlike whereas 521s are a bit more pro – lighter and a better join

Superstar do a flow wheelset for £200

http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=74&products_id=496

So you have the light weight strength of flows, and tubeless compatibility for when you see sense. 🙂

+1 for Pancenti DL31’s.

for a HT you need a strong rear in particular. I run a EX721 on the rear of my BFe and a Flow EX on the front. The EX721 is very strong.

I’d get Flow EX and I’d get over your fear of tubeless, it’s so good, especially on a hardtail where pressure tweakery has such a positive effect.

Didn’t realise that SS were doing the stans for so cheap, when I looked last they were double the price of a pair of 521s. Reason I dont really want to go tubeless is that it seems like such a faff to set up and the point of this bike is to be as simple as possible. I always seem to read problems on forums about tubeless burping, leaks etc.. Tubes dont weigh that much anyway?!

SS only have the crest left in black, would they be any good?

Edit – may go for those pacenti rims. I was gonna just get em from superstar on switch evo hubs, should be £210 for a pair. Is there likely to be anywhere else I’d get a better deal?

Crest would not hold up for your purposes. Proper tubeless wheels with tubeless tyres are hassle free as long as you don’t run pressures too low. Better grip and much less likely to flat, the difficulties are usually from more ghetto methods.

The newer 521 is great (the big toblerone shaped one), and can be bought very cheep if you’re building them yourself.

I’ve also got Funn Xlerater rims which are slightly wider, think they’re based on a Sun rim? Got mine in a CRC sale for peanuts, but they’d still be good value at £40 or whatever they are.

My only reservation about the superstar/stans combo is that if the hubs don’t outlive the rims then building old rims onto new hubs is much harder than new rims onto old hubs. I’d invest in Hope (or similar) hubs and get cheep rims built well, rather than expensive rims and cheep hubs with variable build quality because as much strength comes from the builder as anything else.

321’s or 521’s. I run 521’s on my jump bike and they stand up to all sorts of abuse.

Edit: just realised you said you are using Superstar. Get Flows in white on Superstar hubs. If you can’t face white rims then 521’s would be my 2nd choice.

Superstar hubs are fine, I’ve had more issues with pro11.

Are you hitting the big lines around the Woburn DH area? Also how much do you weight?

I’ve been running Crests on a long travel hardtail for a few years now and Woburn is regular riding spot.

They are a trail wheel not really AM or DH strength. I weight 90kgs and they have been fine for the XC trails around Woburn and the odd bit of the jump area too, many trips to Wales, Peak and Lake district.

I ride the bike hard, I like to do drops and jumps. I can ride most of the lines at Woburn jump area but am not good enough to clear the big lines and either take a chicken line or mince my way over them.

If that sounds like you then the Crest should be OK. But if you are riding hard and fast enough to clear the jumps at Woburn then I guess the flow would be the one to go for.

I’m using DT Swiss 5.1d, laced to Pro2 32h (front), and Bulb 36h (rear).

Good weight, and so far (several years of riding) they have remained true.

I’d never go tubeless for weight saving, I’d do it for minimised faff once you’ve got the bike up and running. For example, since I put my UST Rubber Queens on a year ago, all I do is check the the pressures (I care way too much but then again I can tell if they’re more than ~10% out) and ride. Run them harder for DJ, run them a bit softer for DH in the dry, softer still for XC in the dry, even softer in the wet, etc. Specialized 2bliss tyres go up really easily on Stans rims and are great value.

Flows/Exes are great with or without tubeless. Haven’t used the Pacentis but a lot of folks are reporting that they ding easier than Stans- which considering Stans are already softer than Mavic doesn’t sound great.

Still, being a little soft doesn’t mean they’re weak but it’s still a drawback.

I’d suggest 521s, I’ve just bought a set for the same purpose and am very pleased with them.

Ok cool I may as well try tubeless then as I need new tyres as well, so could do it all in a one-r!

Right, crests or the pacenti dl31? I do tend to ride most of the lines at woburn and I dont think I’m as hard on the bike as I used to be. About 73kg and I can land jumps fairly smoothly. Heres a couple vids from woburn to show what I ride like. I do have the dh bike for the heavier stuff tho so it might be good to hqve a super light hardtail with the crests if theyd hold up to stuff like cannocks legendary braking bumps ( 😛 ) and the odd bit of dirt jumping?

http://pinkbike.com/u/toddersby/channel/Videos/

I basically dont want to feel like im treading on egg shells when riding. Ive always over built my bikes to take abuse before and been fine, but I’m a lighter and better rider than I used to be! Oh and I don’t really ride rocky tech stuff, prefer smooth flowy trails..

I used a 719 for a whistler season btw and it was fine apart from one ding. Also white rims are a no go I’m afraid, the bike already has white frame/forks and rims would be overkill.

I wouldn’t get crests. From experience they’re not so tough, I completely bent one (proprietary Hope Hoop) on a small otb event. Also, they are narrow which affects the tyre profile. I would recommend tubeless though. I’m looking at buying for similar use, so keep the posts and options coming.

hmm tricky. You’re nice and light but on the other hand you’re doing some large drops too.

If you’re normally quite smooth and making the transitions and you want a light weight wheel then the Crest would be OK. Its coped with me landing to flat on some of those jumps.

But for security the DL31 or the Flow would be the better choice.

Also if running Stans rims you don’t need special tyres to go tubeless, they are designed to run with normal tyres. I use Maxxis Ignitor Exo verisons and before that just used single ply folding bead ones.

I wouldn’t get Crests, case one landing and the back will be out of shape. In my experience hardtails ride better with bigger tyres, and bigger tyres sit much better (and can be run at lower pressures) on wider rims. I think people get far too obsessed with rotating weight – if it was such a big deal then there’s no way bigger wheels would be catching on. Having a fast rolling (especially rear) tyre will make your bike feel faster than saving some weight on the wheels and tyres.

Ok ta. Pacenti it is then unless theres something better and tubeless ready in the same price range.

If white rims are a no go, then 521’s are the answer. Tough as old boots and not too weighty.

Tubeless schmoobless!

Have gone for the Pacenti DL31 as SS have em on an offer with gunmetal switch hubs, and they’ll allow me to try tubeless should I wish in the future 🙂

I’ve also got Funn Xlerater rims which are slightly wider, think they’re based on a Sun rim?

abbah sos rims with a funn badge on. Nice rims, I have a pair for am duties.