[Closed] New wheels recommendations

If you want stiff wheels but fancy lots of trouble and broken bits, poor sealing and sketchy workmanship then yeah please carry on and buy the Mavics.

Cheers not many proper reviews about most just saying they look good , perhaps its time to have a look at the hope hoops then

What axle configuration does your bike have?

I've got a set of Crossmax SX I'm just about to sell. Best wheels I have ever owned. Possibly the best wheels anyone has ever owned.

Contrary to Hopey up there, in teh grand tradition of recommending what you have, my Mavic experience has been completely different.

6 bikes, all on Mavic with the straight pull spoke systems. Mixture of ST's (2 sets), CrossTrail (2 sets), DeeMax (1 set) all as 26" and most recently (like last week), WTS XL's as 27.5 running 11spd Sram compatible hub.

Im a 100kg rider using the ST's and occasionally Deemax. All have been faultless over many years of Alps, Scotland, Morocco, Alpujarra and more. They are the most reliable wheels we have, though Hope are a close second but I have seem exploding Hope hubs.

Very occasionally they pop a spoke from a heavy landing, its easy to sort out. Hubs are rebuilt now with a bearing kit from ebay, not the teflon washer, kits are available to do the upgrade for older wheels.
No worry with rim strips, tubeless is easy.
End caps available to fit most 9mm, 15mm, 20mm and bolt through

Other opinions are available and experiences do differ.

What're your thoughts on the XLs rickmeister?

How much tougher than the STs? I wish they made the SX in 650b, wondering if the XL is close enough to do the job.

I think they are based on the ST's, reading the reviews. They are on mrs rickmeisters HDR and she has only got it last week. She has been hammering it this week and nothings moved in the bedding in process. New rims come with tubeless tyres fitted btw.

My last set of St's came from CRC as a clearance item on 26" wheels. The flat spokes fitted now are better than the old round ones that used to cut into each other....

23mm rim width, light but strong. Great reviews on CRC. I think the ones to avoid if your "stout" are the CrossMax WTS (the yellow ones). The rears collapse.

This is what she got (and thank **** we have a mate in a bike shop)
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/de/en/mavic-crossmax-xl-wts-mtb-wheelset-2015/rp-prod127006

We thought about these but very poor reviews
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/de/en/mavic-crossmax-enduro-wts-mtb-wheelset-2015/rp-prod127005

Cheers, I've got a pal who's ridden the XLs extensively with no problems so far so they probably are tough enough.

I did find the STs a little bit flexy for hard riding in both 26er and 29er forms - but they make a great XC wheelset.

As a rather hefty Gentleman I was also very impressed with my XL's rock solid,super stiff, had to nip the bearings up a few times but once properly adjusted they run lovely and smooth.

Only took them off as I fancied messing about with something wider. Actually giving serious though to putting them back on.

Not all Mavics are created equal it seems.

I can recommend the ST's ran then for 3 years no issue at all, when I sold them they were still running like a dream.

Now have XL's (in 650b guise) and also very impressed, not much heavier but lots stiffer.

I really rate mavic, others don't.

stevedoc - Member

The crossmax appeal to me for tubeless easy factor

TBH, don't worry about that. Any decent UST or TLR rim is pretty much equally easy to tubeless these days. My Stans rims were easier to tubeless than my Mavic USTs! Adding the tape to a TLR rim is a quick and easy job and once done, they function much the same

(you can get unlucky occasionally and damage the tape while changing tyres, sometimes badly enough that you need to redo it... And it slightly complicates replacing spokes. But UST generally makes changing spokes harder too)

I've no beef with Mavic, mine were good, parts availability was iffy but we got there in the end... But wheel "systems" in general can **** off... Normal wheels made with normal parts that you can replace cheaply or upgrade/change size or just find a replacement spoke in the shops, just plain make more sense, and don't really have any downsides.

Thank you all for the imput , im not the heaviest rider at 90 kgs and not the kind to be hitting 5 foot drops but do get "air" now and again ,more rock smashing if im honest in the lakes and peak district

Im running tubeless at the moment so seting up another set isn't a problem just easier with the mavics I guess

Wheel size is 12x135 rear and trough front 15x100 irrc the the larger width rim appeals to be as id like to run closer to 2.4/5 tyres

My wheels can't go 15mm front, but I would recommend a set of the white Crossmax SX if you spot any good ones secondhand.

Yes the rims are unfashionably narrow but they take 2.4 tyres fine and are perfect for Lakes-style rock smashing.

sorry 10x150 < I'm dim today