Which are the best rims to buy?

Ricitius

Right now I weigh 225 lbs, but when I'm weight training I tend to go up to 245 lbs. On my daily commutes on my MTB I go across all sorts of rocky, hilly, disregarded terrains (all kinds, especially when I decide to cut across places). When I first got my KHS MTB my tubes would go flat every other day, I'm not kidding at all. I decided to get heavy duty tubes. I'm glad that I haven't had a problem since.

Now I'm thinking on taking it a step further. I'm wondering what are the best rims and tires to own. I'm not interested in getting disc brakes that's for sure. Thankyou kindly for reading,
New Cycling Fanatic

AzzaC

Mavic. Are of high quality, decent weight and price. Some of the velocity ones are good too.

__________________
07 Giant Anthem 0 - lots of mods! XTR, Juicy Ultimates, Mavic Crossmax SLRs and more
05 Specialized Stumpjumper Marathon with Juicy 7's and X0
Surly 1x1 singlespeed
06 Giant TCR1

Ricitius

I went to the Mavic website to look at their wheels, however I don't know what the difference is between them? Does anyone know?

AzzaC

The site is a bit 'crap' at the moment with the main info page on rims "coming soon". I take it as you mention tubes, that you are running normal tyres (non-tubeless).


Basically, there are 3 rims I would choose. The XC717, XM719 and XM317. All at different prices and for different riding styles.

The 717 is primarily for racing, it is a light rim at around 420g. The other two are more for 'trail-riding' and may suit you better. They are slightly heavier. If you are really hard on your rims, then the XM317's may be your best bet. You can look at their construction and see that they have multiple box-sections, making for a stronger, sturdier rim, but with a weight penalty.

Go to your LBS and check out their Mavic catalog for more info.

also, the velocity mountain goats or triple v (only 36H though) are good.
http://velocityusa.com/rims/atb-rims.php

HTH

__________________
07 Giant Anthem 0 - lots of mods! XTR, Juicy Ultimates, Mavic Crossmax SLRs and more
05 Specialized Stumpjumper Marathon with Juicy 7's and X0
Surly 1x1 singlespeed
06 Giant TCR1

Ricitius

Thankyou kindly for taking the time to answer my questions, I'm new to all of this. I've always ridden a bicycle. It's just that I never took time to know my bicycle

Well from what I have found on the net it seems that the Velocity Triple V wheel sets tend to be cheaper than the Mavic XM317 wheels. Does the price discrepency come at a cost of quality? Meaning, are the Mavic XM317 wheels worth the extra $30+?

One more concern, I have a Shimano Deore rear derailleur and I have only seen the Mavic XM317 rear Wheel with a Deore hub? Should I worry about this, or do they make compatible hubs for the Velocity Trible V wheel?

gclark8

Velocity Zvino, if you can find a 40 spoke hub they will take 40 spokes, or 36, 32, etc.
http://www.velocitywheels.com/zvino.htm

__________________
Cheers,
George.

Ricitius

I just found this website:
http://www.superspokes.com/pages/784526/index.htm
However they only sell the wheel set with 32 spoke rims. Do you know of a place that will sell them as 40 spoke rims? Or any other deals out there.

Thanks

gclark8

This rim can take as many or few spokes as you wish. The job is to find a MTB Hub with a high spoke count. 36 is the highest I can find in the Shimano Book. E-mail or Phone Velocity, they may know of hubs with higher spoke counts and will custom build wheels.

__________________
Cheers,
George.

Ricitius

Since I'm here in the States, they seem to only sell to retailers and in wholesale lots.

However I e-mailed the people in www.superspokes.com with the request and this is what they replied:

"The Velocity Zvino is only available at 32 hole at this time. We can however offer you an excellent deal on a Deep V MTB set at 40 hole. These rims are Bombproof! At $265 a set Disc or Non-Disc they are a Great Buy. Let me know what you think Ricardo. The Deep V has an aero Profile resulting in strength unmatched. Thank you."

What do you think of this Deep V MTB? Will it hold a 240+ me through tough riding?

AzzaC

IMHO, the Deep V is overated in terms of strength. I have seen quite a few damaged by heavy riders.

The extra weight of them doesn't help either. If you are really concerned, perhaps you should look at some of the rims designed for "freeride" use.

__________________
07 Giant Anthem 0 - lots of mods! XTR, Juicy Ultimates, Mavic Crossmax SLRs and more
05 Specialized Stumpjumper Marathon with Juicy 7's and X0
Surly 1x1 singlespeed
06 Giant TCR1

gclark8

That's what I like about Forums, 2 posters and 3 opinions.

I know the Zvino will work, the Deep-V MTB rim is not the same as the road rim, it is wider and thicker. If the USA dealer is giving a warranty, go for it!

__________________
Cheers,
George.

Ricitius

"Freeride" wheels? What are some good wheel sets that don't use disc brakes? Sorry to ask so many questions, but there is just so much out there.

I was also thinking that it might be best to buy the hubs and the rims seperately; then send them to an LBS or some place on the net to get them made into wheels. What do you think? This way I could choose the best hubs and the best rims. Do any of you know of a reputable place online that takes what you send them to make into wheels?

gclark8

Harris Cyclery sells hubs, rims, and builds wheels, have a look at their page. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/

__________________
Cheers,
George.

Ricitius

I just e-mailed them a moment ago. Here's the letter:

"Howdy,
Last spring I purchased a new KHS Sport MTB, I think it was an '04 model. During the first month of riding the bicycle I experienced about four or five flats. It turns out that I needed heavy duty tubes, since I weigh about 250 pounds when weight training. I use this bicycle for my daily comutes to and from school/work; in addition to riding through trails etc in the weekends, or when ever I have time. However I've always been cautious when riding about. Even though they are heavy duty tubes I think that I'm going to cause a spoke to go through and get a flat, since the rims aren't dual layered. Stuff like that is always in the back of my mind, which is why I tend not to have a lot of fun while riding.

I have been asking around in the www.cyclingforums.com's forums for mtb wheels that would fit me best. They mentioned the Velocity Zvino wheels. However every site I encountered only sold them with 32 or 36 spokes. Then someone told me about your site, and mentioned that "Harris Cyclery sells hubs, rims, and builds wheels..." So I was wondering if you can build Zvino tires that with 40 spokes. I heard that a cyclist that weighs as much as me(250 lbs) would be better off in a tire with 40 spokes.

I have a Deore rear dereilleur. I think it's either eight or nine speed. If you can build the wheels, about how much would it cost? If you cannot, I was wondering which hubs, both front and back, should I look into getting? That way I can buy the rims and the hubs online and take them to a local bike shop here in town(Austin, TX) and have it built. Sorry to take up your time.

Thankyou kindly,
Ricardo Andrade"

Hopefully they'll respond soon. I'll post what they say. Do any of you have any ideas or the hubs to get?