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Looking for recommendations for a set of 700cc gravel wheels budget up to £400.
Any thoughts?
Ryan Builds Wheels, Factotum Gravel 650b or 700c. DT Swiss G540 rims on Bitex centrelok hubs. Just got mine after new year and they're great for £315 (ish)
I paid that for DT Swiss GR1600s - bargain of the year that I doubt you'd find today. But brilliant wheels if you can find them.
It's worth remembering that any terribly undtrendy, narrow (20-25mm) and non-boost mtb xc wheels.. tend to be about perfect spec gravel bike wheels!
Push budget up £50 and look at these 1500g beauts from Token:
https://www.merlincycles.com/token-g23ar-clincher-gravel-disc-wheelset-700c-148095.html?utm_source=PHG&utm_medium=AffiliateMarketing&utm_campaign=phg-GB&ucpo=77376&from=kelkoo&gclid=CjwKCAiA9bmABhBbEiwASb35VwbAI-vfvhmQdMDjWZuADK-13pkbEO88st0Mdm6qN1fAM6zs6mrwZxoCXp4QAvD_BwE
I've just got the 650b variant (even lighter)
DT Swiss GR1600s
Mine were sub 400£ (from bikediscount.de) before Xmas....
The Hunt look good, any first hand experience of their build quality?
I'd suggest Hope's light xc wheels. The Fortus 23 Tim is a more heavier than 20fives but as eyelets at the spoke holes. Couple this to bullet proof hubs that can be adapted to nearly anything. Ok so they're not the lightest but I reckon the penalty is worth it for reliability.
My LBS built some up for me a while ago.
DT SWISS 350 hubs with H+Sons Hydra rims - £380 all in.
Very happy with them.
I suspect stock might be the biggest issue you have...
Strada All Season Disc - DT rims, Miche hubs, exceptional build quality.
Another vote for Ryanbuildswheels here although he’s only built me wheels to my specs but I can’t see how his off the shelf wheels would be anything other than superb. Wheels he has built for me that would suit the OP
Dtswiss xr331 on Bitex bx106 32spoke Sapim d:light weight taped 1580g
Dtswiss xr361 on Bitex bx106 28spoke Sapim d:light weight taped ca.1600g
Kinlin xr31t on Bitex bx106 laced 24/28 with Sapim d:light weight 1700g
He’s built at least 4 other pairs for me including a very tough touring/audax/rough stuff pair of DTSwiss xm421 laced to son28 dynamo hub and hope pro4 rear, and road wheels.
I was selling the above Kinlin rim pair last autumn but after mixed interest I kept them and have been using them on my cx race bike with road tyres for winter rides.
He and his co-op team are very good at what they do.
The Hunt look good, any first hand experience of their build quality?
I’ll tell you in 3 months when my new bike finally turns up!
Local bike shop or failing that Ryanbuildswheels.....
Hope hubs and DT rims..... Or dt hubs / rims or if going with Ryan give him an open brief as he knows his stuff....
Hunts are popular, but I'd personally avoid - I'd avoid any generic rebranded stuff.
The Hunt look good, any first hand experience of their build quality?
Had a pair on the gravel bike for a couple of months but apart from dragging them through some local mud haven't given them much of a battering yet so hard to say.
I did find them very straightforward to set up a Panaracer Gravel King SK 35 on tubeless though, with only a standard floor pump to reseal it.
Ive used the Hunt wheels on my Escapade for the past 4 months, plenty of road miles, no complaints so far. TBH I chose them as they had the best availability at the time, compared to Hope and others. Came set up for tubeless, tires inflated with just a track pump.
If they're in budget the DT Swiss CR1600 without a doubt.
If not DT 350 hubs on a rim to suit budget and the best spokes you can afford
Many thanks all, plenty to consider
DT SWISS 350 hubs with H+Sons Hydra rims – £380 all in.
This, or similar, I have 350s built on Pacenti Forza rims with Sapim spokes, cost approx £400 although I built myself. The 350s are the smoothest spinning cartridge bearing hubs I've ever owned, and I include Hope in that.
As a wheelset they've been amazing, almost road wheel weight (1700g pair), roll well, have shrugged off the knocks, 40mm tyres seem to sit perfectly, no pinch flats at 40psi and latex tubes but roll fast.
That's a rim brake build right enough but the disc rims are the same but slightly heavier and with a bigger logo 😎
Edit: should point out that Kinlin rims are definitely the cost-conscious choice, they do everything that sexier branded rims to at half the price. If I could bear to do without logos and colourful stickers on my rims I could have saved £40 an end by going Kinlin instead of Pacenti.
almost road wheel weight (1700g pair)
Where do you get your road wheels from !!!
Where do you get your road wheels from !!!
Eh? 1700g is a fairly standard weight for a set of £350/£400 road wheels, especially handbuilt?
Granted, the Fulcrums on my good bike are 1550g/set but I think they retail at more than £400...
Edit: not comparing to low profile/liw spoke count weight weenie climbing hoops or far eastern unbranded imported carbon etc etc