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I managed to pick up a set of white DT240 hubs from here a while ago with the intention of building a nice light set of road wheels which can take a disc for my Croix de Fer.
In my head the wheels were going to be all white - making a super white mean machine that is going to be a bitch to clean!
However, chatting with roady mates in the know, I have been advised that Mavic Open Pro rims pretty much set the standard for quality v weight v durability v price tradeoffs and with the Stans rims coming in at about £30ish (very brief internet search) more a rim with negligible weight saving it's hard to argue.
But the Stan's rims are white. The Mavics silver or black!
I am already dissapointed I can't get the DT spokes in white, but could probably cope...
My head is telling me forget the looks, get silver (20p cheaper per spoke) spokes and the silver Mavic rims (£4 per rim cheaper).
But there is a grumble in the background making me think that white stans rims, with black spokes would look pretty groovy.
Any thoughts from the hive?
Dom
I have this dilemma all of the time with my bikes. If performance is not the only factor then build what you want... Groovy is the way, IMO
Give us a look when done please 😉
Go all silver with Hope hubs as well, very nice.
This is the thing - If performance was the only factor, I wouldn't own a Croix de Fer!!!! The looks of this bike are quite important to me... But can't decide if they are important enough to add another ~£30 per wheel
TSC - Already bought the DT240s. They are sat waiting to be turned into something useful!
could get them powder coated I suppose...!
You can get white DT Competitions and Aerolites, fair bit more expensive, but they exist. Or, stupid as it sounds, spray some.
Stan's rims are about 50g per rim lighter, which is a fair bit IMO. Although really you should get some white FFWD F2Rs and do it properly!
Do you just like riding your bike, or does the hobby side of having a nice bike, choosing your own build, getting it "just so" give you pleasure too?
If the answer's "yes", spend the extra. No, it won't make you faster etc, but you will enjoy your bike more - which is the whole point, right? It's not just about the ride.
stans alphas are 80gm lighter or so? no cheaper way off saving that weight AFAIK.
tubeless too.
Sorry IDGAS about coloour, that is hopelessly gay.
IA,
With all of my other bikes, just riding is what is important to me, but I think the CdF is such a pretty bike that it warrants keeping that way, hence I am not applying my normal "ooo that's a good deal, sod the colour it'll make the bike better" attitude.
I definately think this is my "just so" bike.
FFWD?!
Yes, stands for Fast Forward, they do carbon wheels, and they do white 20mm rims (same as the Planet X ones). Look a bit gash though as they've still got a bare carbon brake surface, but at 250g they really do save weight.
it a CdF which weighs a tonne anyway, so a few grams saving is not really what it's about...
Chris - It's rotating weight so it will make a slight difference, far more of a difference than losing the same weight on the frame... But, I agree, not enough of a difference to justify carbon rims. So I think the FFWD's are off the cards.
I am not a particularly light rider (75 - 8o kg depending on bowel movements), but am using 32 hole hubs (240s are MTB hubs)... Wondering if I can build enough stiffness into a lighter rim...
Just had a look at the Alpha rims, can they be de-stickered? On the stans website they look black and stickered too me....
I think so, mine are just anodised, so they'll be stuck on to that I think.
Mine are on the road bike, no issues so far.
Certainly can on the MTB rims, just peel off.
Cynic-al, are yours white?
You can't anodise white, so no.
They won't be lacquered though, so you'll still be able to peel them off.
Ah, didn't know that....
Hmm, looks like I might be back on the powder coating option if white is a must!
I had a look at the white Arch MTB rims, but the weight was listed as 40g more per rim than the black. I guess the difference in anodized vs paint, either way I thought sod it I'm not sticking a needless 80g on for vanity sake (assuming the list weights were correct).