[Closed] best wheel set for £550

Bit ethe bullet and go mavic crossmax. Either st or sx depending on your priorities. The mp3 replacement scheme is well worth it too.

Crossmax ST (or SX if you're rough) all day long. Brilliant wheels.

If you could push to 800, I'd be running some Syntace MX35's (the width is insane for the weight). If not, then I'd go cheap and cheerful with some Superstar hubs laced to Stans.

Do the mavics still have the god awful hubs that were seeing them being slated in all the mags?

Also, never buy anything with proprietary spokes for obvious reasons.

I've got the 2012 ST's and can't fault them, they're a very good wheelset.

I currently run DT1800 with Hope pro II front and DT 180 rear.

DT 180? The ceramic bearing £600 hub? If so, rebuild that.

I just don't get factory wheels any more. For that budget I'd get DT240s on your choice of Stan's rim - Crest, Arch Ex or Flow. With an appropriate DT spoke for your riding/weight either Comps/Super Comps or Revolutions.

...best wheel set for £550...

...Mainly trail center riding...

...any other suggestions.

get a grip?

hth.

😕

bwaarp - Member

Do the mavics still have the god awful hubs that were seeing them being slated in all the mags?

No, they have all new hubs that are spot on.

For trail centre riding this amount of money is insane I got hope pro2 evo's on stans flow for £269.00 awesome wheelset for all the riding you are going to do so save a couple of hundred quid and put it towards a trip to the alps or something like a skills course and improve your riding. 😀 8)

Roval Traverse ELs

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Roval-Traverse-EL-Disc-MTB-Wheelset_34734.htm?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Product_Search&utm_campaign=Froogle02

And spend the rest on hookers and blow.

ahwiles, If I knew what your angle was I would respond accordingly.

njee, no its the two pawl system.

I will have a look at the ST'S then.

who says he cannot afford the other things you suggest?

he asked for advice on stuff in HIS budget

I ride other trails and dont roll over a trail center. I hit them hard usually racing in a group of 5-8 of us. The benifits of a lighter more responsive wheel are apparant and benifical in this enviroment as the hardest single track. It fits in with my normal life schedule. No im not the most gifted but am Mias trained coach and normally run with who ever and where ever I ride with. I find that most people who criticize people for where they get there kicks are all front and little ability.

Is it possible to give advice on the wheels and not my choice of location.

ahwiles, If I knew what your angle was I would respond accordingly.

For [s]trail centre[/s] any riding this amount of money is insane

it seems to me that you've chosen your budget, and now you're looking for ways to meet it. there are plenty of other things to spend your money on.

(a nice meal, a long weekend in berlin, guitar lessons, etc.)

i am of course an idiot - try not to get upset by the ramblings of an idiot.

(and, in my humble opinion: trail centres are ace)

I wouldn't touch Crap Bros wheels with a 10-foot colour-coordinated proprietary spoke.

easton havens !

550 on mountain bike wheels.

**** me.

Regarding the Crank Bros wheels, I'm aware of their well founded reputation but I've had Iodine 3 wheels on my bike for 6 months or so now and so far I've been very impressed. Very sturdy feeling and they've taken a fair old battering around Wales and still feel like new. Couldn't be happier with them so far and I hope it stays that way.

Also I believe the Cobalt wheels are more xc focused so depending on what trails you're riding they may not be that suitable anyway.

A mate recently bought some of Easton wheels for his Zesty and is having to send one of them back already. Fairly surprised about that.

£550 for wheels is mid-range these days let's be honest! With carbon and what not, that's the cost of one Enve rim!

I paid that for some Crossmax USTs back in 2001!

tracknicko - Member
550 on mountain bike wheels.

**** me.

£550 for wheels is mid-range these days let's be honest!

what they ask for, and thus define as THE range is very, very different from what i'd pay and thus consider MY range.

£550 is a staggering amount of money for something i/we are going to drag through slop and land sideways on like a bag of spanners.

I've just spent that much on some wheels as a stand in until I can afford my carbon set....

If you can afford it who cares!

what they ask for, and thus define as THE range is very, very different from what i'd pay and thus consider MY range.

What are you doing here exactly? I imagine most threads must give you a heart attack. I'd pay £550 for wheels rather than £300 for a seatpost...

loving my crossmax sx and st's 😀

njee20 - Member
£550 for wheels is mid-range these days let's be honest!

I'll admit i've not done any thorough market research before posting this comment but i'd have to say that's BS. 🙂

Pro 2/stans arch ex - fits the bill perfectly and leaves you with change!

I'll admit i've not done any thorough market research before posting this comment but i'd have to say that's BS

In pure price terms I should say. Plenty of £1500 wheelsets out there now. Whether they offer any advantage over a £550 wheelset is something else altogther...

What are you doing here exactly?

thats a question with a depressing answer. not sure really. just my 2p for an interesting debate and lively conversation.

your spending priorities seem sensible.

A friend of ours had a haircut that cost £300. I have no hair,buy the wheels.

BOR MD7 hubs on BOR/ FRM 388 rims.

Light, strong, with a fast pickup.

Have a newly built set of Kings on XM819s if you are interested at much less than you are looking to spend

IMO there is only three choices in wheels.

Budget option - pro2/stans
Better option - chris king/stans
Best option - chris king/carbon rim/cx ray spokes

You can't go wrong with dt swiss 240s, but again out of budget.

The pro2/stans is the only option in your budget.

The hope hubs are ok, nowt special, spares are readily available and not extortionate.

Mavic hub construction are pretty horrific in my experience. Spares are expensive and annoying to get too.

Chris king - hubs for life, fully serviceable, a treat to work on.

I haven't read the thread but for that sort of money I'd be buying 2 wheelsets, one with something burly like Flows and something else lighter.

BOR MD7 hubs on BOR/ FRM 388 rims.

Light, strong, with a fast pickup.

njee20 - Member
In pure price terms I should say. Plenty of £1500 wheelsets out there now. Whether they offer any advantage over a £550 wheelset is something else altogther...

Fair does njee - As you say there are some of £1k+ wheelsets out there.

My thinking was that in terms of performance - £550 is right up there in the top bracket.

I got Hope pro2's 28 h on Stans Crest with CX-Ray spokes and prolock brass nipples from Jon @ Just Riding Along for under £500, very strong and light - 670g front and 790g rear for a cove hummer with 140mm fork - i don't hang about when i'm riding either, i imagine this may be too light for your set-up though.

What wheel is best for you obviously depends on your riding style and for what it worth (i work in a bike shop) i'd avoid Easton's unless you enjoy stripping down the freehub every time you ride in mud, Avoid crank bros as the spoke tension and build quality is not always consistent, although if you get them rebuilt by someone who knows what their doing they can build into a very decent wheel but if you brake a spoke you'd better be carrying spares as the vast majority of bike shops won't have them. Mavic's ST's are good, well built and pretty bomb proof and the mp3 program is nice to have as an insurance policy.

But if it was myself i'd get Hope hubs, reliable and spares are in every bike shop - very easy to service. Whatever stans rim floats your boat - perhaps a Flow or Flow EX if you hit stuff fast and like a wide rim or the Arch if your a bit more cautious and considered, Sapim CX-Ray spokes with Prolock nipples and get them built by someone who knows what their doing, either Just Riding Along or Strada or similar. They'd build up about 1700g and be Bomb proof.

Get handbuilt or nothing, I suggest nothing

well I will see the best deal I can get on the ST's. I will see if any of my LBS can do them then and issues can be sorted quicker.

St's have stood up to my clumsy attempts at wrecking them today at cwmcarn downhill (red) and the previous 12months of clubhandedness!

Although they are expensive at least they don't make that godawful din that hope hubs do.

For around that money I recently built up some DT 240s hubs with Revolution spokes and tubeless compatible, non-exploding (so far...) Chinese carbon rims. They weighed in at 1530g minus yellow tape and valves. They've been great so far but I've not been overly shredding the gnar...

Bike24 has crossmax st for 490 euro ,some other euro sites cheap too

I did a good one with my 2012 ST's....I found a discounted 2011 set online, went into my local Evans and they price matched them with 2012 ones...was a nice saving on the RRP. Is it my fault the staff don't know what they're selling?

I wouldn't have done it with a independent LBS before I get slated!!

Bike-components.de have DT EX1750s for 550 Euro.

Bike-components.de have DT EX1750s for 550 Euro.

Thanks but these are center lock only and also 2012, not sure what the difference is I will look at the specs.

Proberts, I like the 240'sand had them on the last bike that some scrot robbed, my concern is what to do if the rims shattered after a short time

For that budget I'd get DT240s on your choice of Stan's rim

That's what I'd do.

Well, I'd get a set of ProII Evo Hoops and save myself £250, but if you want to spend £550 then I'd definitely be going DT240s on Flows.

EX1750s are only available in 6-hole only.

Crossmax ST or 240's on ZTR crest rims ?

I picked up some secondhand but unused Crossmax slr's with rocket rons for £500 in summer. Amazing wheels. Strong and very light. Can't fault them.

Last year I decided to treat myself and came very close to a pair of DT carbon rimmed jobbies at (a discounted) £1500 - and then saw a bit of sense and bought two pairs of Hope Pro2 evo SP's c/w Crests for less than £600.

Very happy with them.

quick update my wheelset is DT SWISS M1800 WITH PRO II front and M1800 Rear hub (not 180) They aren't broke, just looking for something lighter as strong and with better pick up. I will be keeping the M1800 for another bike.

Have Chris King fallen out of favour?

I've had crossmax wheels for years, had enduros, XL's, ST's, SX's, and just got some ST 29's, for the overall package of weight, stiffness, strength I think they're superb, never had any major issues and ust rims are great for faff free tubeless..
ST's are my fave for general riding, sx's for proper loony stuff..

I got some American Classic Race for my 29er for £530, weigh in at 1450g. Very happy with them, they do heavier duty rims too for a bit more weight.

Crossmax ST are very good but I dont think I'd bother with any wheel that didnt have regular spokes again, getting replacements is a stupidly expensive headache.

What wheels for trail centre riding? Ha!

For that sort of money I'd leave it in the bank, and use the wheels you have for riding the trail centres, if anything like mr fudge, i'd put it to a hol in the alps.

What wheels for trail centre riding? Ha!

Can you let me know where Im allowed to ride with upgraded wheels,

If Innerleithen,Coedy,Glentress,Whinlatter,Llandegla,Whinlatter,Penmach

The peaks, North Wales moors etc....aren't going to feel any benefit or are they going to banish me?

Another ST Troll!! with no intelect to come up with something constructive, yes I could roll around on any wheels, I could roll around any terain but thats not the question. If the answer is Ha, £550!! or trail center!!! tell me why its not woth upgrading I might even save some money

I wouldn't worry about it. It's your money - you can spend it on what you like and ride wherever you like.

As I said, I'd go for Hope Hoops and save £250, but if you want to spend more then you'd struggle to beat DT240s on either Flows or another Stans rim.

There really is a lot of anti money spend nazi's on this forum. The OP is more than likely aware that he can get perfectly good wheels for half his budget, but had the means and desire to spend what he wants. Why make a song and dance about it?

Anyway... Another huge vote for DT Swiss 240 hubs here. There really is no contest if you can afford them. Chris Kings are heavy, noisy and a PITA to look after by comparison. Go with a set of these built onto Stans Crest/Arch/Flow rims (depends on your desired width and strength) built up with DT comp spokes. There's very little point in CX Rays on an MTB (other than their fatigue life if you do huge milages), they are also more flexy than the venerable DT comp. If you must save a tiny bit more weight, go for DT Super Comps. Revolutions are lighter still but can be too flexy IMO.

If you're happy with an off the shelf wheel set though, the Spesh Roval Traverse EL's that northwind linked to are also very good. They feature DT Swiss hub internals, rims very much like a stan's crest, straight pull super comp spokes and they're light for a wheel that's up to a fair amount of abuse. I've had a set for 18 months now and they've been superb. Not as easy to fix as a Handbuilt wheel though due to proprietary rims and spokes.

Was going to suggest Campagnolo Neutrons, but then remembered this is a mountain bike forum 😆
But, speaking of Campag wheels. Do Fulcrum do offroad ??

I can add Fulcrum to the recommendation list.

Either red metal or red power (or whatever their AM wheels are called).

Often can be found for a good price and a credible alternative to Mavic ST/SX or DT 240s

"No intelect", lol.

There's very little point in CX Rays on an MTB (other than their fatigue life if you do huge milages), they are also more flexy than the venerable DT comp. If you must save a tiny bit more weight, go for DT Super Comps. Revolutions are lighter still but can be too flexy IMO.

Agree that CX-Rays are pointless on MTBs, but they're no flexier than Revs - it's just a flattened Laser, Aerolites = flattened Rev.

well I have bought some ZTR CREST on 240's. I am just getting some center locks and I will report back with an update.

I'm just getting some CB iodines, with such a mixed bag of reviews around it will be interesting to see how they do .

good choice - will be a great set of wheels.

I really like the look of the Industry Nine hubs but for availability of spares I would stick with Hope.

Hope Pro 2 Evo spares are readily available at loads of shops and failing that next day online.

I'd pair them with Arch EX rims - perfect balance of light weight and strength or if you are light and easy on your rims then Crest for a bit more weight saving.

I can recommend Moonglu as my personal experience of their wheel builds has been very positive.

Bit late.

Thanks anyway, They were in the Ex display at CRC and with the extra 10% off I couldnt resist,

Under £400 as well