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just about to press the button on some new wheels for my new Transition Smuggler Carbon (140/120mm 29er with boost spacing and Sram XD driver).
Top of the list at the moment is a pair of Hope Pro 4 hubs with Arch Mk3 rims and DT Rev spokes (or Sapim Laser.... not sure which as yet). These are coming out at approx £450 via WheelProject.
The bike will be used mainly for XC and trial (no Enduro as i have another bike for that).
other options would be DT Swiss 350 hubs with the same rims or XM401/421 rims.
As a bit of a curve ball, i spotted that JeJames are selling off sets of Raceface Turbine R wheels for just £400 (RRP £900). They are heavier than the Hope/Arch combo by around 100g but look pretty neat (30mm internal rim).
I'm not going to be running super-wide tyres as the Smuggler won't take a rear tyre much over 2.35".
I always think about future resale when building my bikes as i usually turn them pretty quick. The Turbine wheels seem to be pretty high-end, but my feel is that Hope and Stans are good 'currency' and easily serviceable.
thoughts?
I didn't personally have a good experience with the Arch MK3 rims - as they suffered from multiple fractures at the spoke holes (hopefully Stans have fixed the problem by now though?) So I would go for the DT Swiss rims - mine have been trouble free.
Personally, I'd get Hope hub/DT rim custom builds.
The RF wheels are heavier, as you point out, and the hubs are something like Formula IIRC.
Raceface are generally bad at making things with bearings in them. Like their hopelessly poor BBs. And their rims are not that good. And their carbon cranks are shoddy beyond belief.
They're not a company I'd be keen to buy a wheelset from.
I’d go Pro4 / XM421 with what you’re after. No need to go up to XM481 if you’re not running wide wheels.
Wouldn’t fancy the Raceface wheels tbh.
Oh, and Race Face's recent rims have a reputation for being a bit fragile
RaceFace make brilliant kit providing they stick to one material at a time. Ali cranks - yes. Carbon bars - yes.
Dropper posts, bottom brackets, wheels, carbon cranks - not with someone else's 10ft pole.
okay, thank you. so that rules out the Raceface option.
over the years, i have owned stacks of DT Swiss and Stans wheelsets fitted with both DT Swiss and Hope hubs (2 sets of EX1501's, E1900's, Crests, Arch EX's etc etc etc) and I've never had a problem with any of them. I even used to ride the downhill parts at Afan on Crests with my old Turner Flux (and I'm not a lightweight at circa 93kgs).
my gut is pushing me towards the Hope hubs (as i like the orange!) and the Arch Mk3 rims as the internal width sits well for my planned tyres and they are nice and light.
Just need to work out what spokes... DT Revs or Sapim Lasers
cheers
I have been Arch Mk3’s on Hope Pro 4 hubs on my trance for the last 3 years and they have been faultless. No cracked spoke holes and they have stayed true.
I’d go for the same combo again if I change bikes.
I found my arch mk3 and flow mk3 both dented very easily. Replaced the arch mk3 with a Ex471 which is a fair bit heavier but pretty bomb proof as far as I can tell