You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Hi all, currently have WTB Scraper 35 and Ranger light tyres on my Genesis Longitude (27.5+). The wheels are getting on a bit so I'm thinking of building up a new set with Light Bicycle AM740 rims to shed some weight and gain some stiffness.
The WTB combo has always been an absolute nightmare to fit and remove tyres (especially when I've had to do it out on the trail), so I'm wondering if the LB rims are also known for being tight to mount tubeless?
The ones I'm looking at are hookless design and don't seem to have the small bead channel at the edge like the WTB, so I figure the tyres will be easier to remove when necessary? Interested to hear from owners about their experience either with those particular rims or LB in general, most reviews online seem pretty positive so I'm not worried about build quality, etc, just how there are to mount up.
FYI I'm probably going to go with Specialized tyres this time, as I've had good experience with them on my other bike.
Thanks!
I run two sets of light bicycle rims and both sets I had made with sealed rim beds.
This means I don't need any rim tape and I find tyres will fit and remove by hand and go up with a track pump (I typically use maxxis)
sealed rim beds
I don’t want to derail the thread but briefly….how does that work? Special nipples?
You have to feed the nipples around via the valve hole. I think I've read it can be done with a magnet but not sure how that works. Clearly alloy nipples not so easy either.
Putting a nipple into a valve hole and then fishing it around to thread a spoke into it? That sounds like a recipe for a mental breakdown.
Yes, I saw that was an option in their rims! Sounds nice but for a multi day/week tour I'd be worried about a broken spoke/nipple and the resulting extra faff trying to fix it...
Yes I'd imagine so. Having played get the missing PHR washer out of the rim (with spoke holes) it's not one I wish to try.
I’ve got a set of road rims from them and I don’t remember the tires being difficult to fit, although this can come down to the tire just as much as it can the rim in my experience.
I’ve got around 10 sets of Nextie rims from 22mm all the way upto 35mm and I’ve always been able to mount any tyres including Gp5000TL which were supposed to be a pain. Some have needed plastic levers, but no real faff.
I’ve literally just finished tensioning and truing on a pair of 650b WR30’s. The Gravel kings popped on thumbs only, as did the GP5000’s on the 700c set I just finished.
this is the 12th pair I’ve built and I have 5 sets currently in the household. Great quality rims, very easy to build with but balls to no spoke holes, life’s too short for that!
That sounds like a recipe for a mental breakdown.
It also sounds like one of the few bike related tasks that would be more frustrating than faffing around with rim tape. Although I loved the Mavic Deemax wheelset I had- fitting new tyres felt like cheating.
Sorry OP no help to your original question 🫢
You have to feed the nipples around via the valve hole
Oh. I get pissed off if I have to shake a nipple out of a regular rim so probably not for me.
I'm pretty sure I've seen a video where someone was using a short thread end from a spoke attached to a string with a magnet to pull them in and around the rim on sealed rim beds.
I had to replace a couple of broken spokes on a non-drilled rim bed, the nipples didn't fall through with half a spoke attached so it as just a case of being careful not to let it fall inside when switching the spoke over.
You could presumably ensure the nipple is at the top of the wheel and let gravity help you out.
I've been tempted by a set of their plus wheels and the no taping appeals for tyre changes. I've been riding off road since 1985 and have failed to break a single spoke in that time but what's the betting that the minute I got some I'd start breaking them every ride!
Wow! That seems faffy. The finished product is appealing though
Putting a nipple into a valve hole and then fishing it around to thread a spoke into it? That sounds like a recipe for a mental breakdown.
Just wait until one needs replacing part way round the wheel and you can't fit a new one over the top of the others...
sealed rim beds
I don’t want to derail the thread but briefly….
🤣🤣🤣
^ oops. Sorry OP
My own out of date experience from six or seven years ago was LB rims were absolutely fine and LB good to deal with. My rims have a slight bulge in the rim bed that holds the bead in place and wasn’t a problem until I tried Rimpact inserts and though they were fine to fit the tyres could be an absolute pig to remove. Back in those days of $1.8 to the pound the prices were super competitive too
^ oops. Sorry OP
Haha, no worries! I'd been curious about the sealed beds too, but think I will steer clear for this build.
Thanks for the replies, no horror stories so I think they'll definitely be better than what I have now!
I have a pair of Light Bicycle rims, not the deald rim bed ones, they were very easy to build up and put a tyre on, using both tubed and tubeless
I think the rims are the same as yours, AM something at least
I have a set of the rims without holes and they are very lovely indeed to set up tubeless and run.
On the how to replace a nipple you do use a magnet with a small length (tiny) of spoke as correctly nipples are alloy or brass. It’s actually very easy and they have a video showing how to do it.
i have a set of 30mm 29er rims. i used them for about 8 years year round and still use them in the winter. they are great. tyres inflate with a track pump.
Sealed beds were mentioned recently on a "tubeless tape, what a faff" thread. It's about an extra 45-60 minutes per wheel. Even with all the little bits of magnet and thread and such.
As a an (ex) wheel builder, just don't. Done it once, never again (and IIRC that was low spoke count road rims)
Learn how to tape your rims.
If you're on a multiday tour, snap a spoke, and it punctures your rim tape, that's a major faff -- sealed rim beds would solve that and surely the nipple of a snapped spoke can typically be salvaged?
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/broken-spokes-and-tubeless-tape-damage/
That said...
Just wait until one needs replacing part way round the wheel and you can’t fit a new one over the top of the others…
If the rim design was such that this is true I'd steer well clear...
How much are they per rim? I picked up some 30mm BTLOS rims last year that have been great, built with chinese hubs and sapim spokes. Built up a wheelset at about 1400g which have been great. I've heard lots about light bicycle rims, but not recently in terms of cost
and surely the nipple of a snapped spoke can typically be salvaged?
Nope, occasionally it can. Depending where the failure is.
Back to the rims I’ve had some LB rims built by a cycle shop for 6 years. 1 broken spoke and true up but that was probably lack of maintenance on my part.recommended. In fact you made me go and price up their mullet build for my hardtail. Can we be certain their hope pro4 builds are genuine hubs?
Back to the rims I’ve had some LB rims built by a cycle shop for 6 years. 1 broken spoke and true up but that was probably lack of maintenance on my part.recommended. In fact you made me go and price up their mullet build for my hardtail. Can we be certain their hope pro4 builds are genuine hubs?
Have you ever seem fake ones?
How much are they per rim? I picked up some 30mm BTLOS rims last year that have been great, built with chinese hubs and sapim spokes. Built up a wheelset at about 1400g which have been great. I’ve heard lots about light bicycle rims, but not recently in terms of cost
depends on rim, but £200-£300 per rim landed cost these days. I wish for the 1.8 exchange rate again!