[Closed] What rims for...

I've just ordered some new wheels with Mavic 423 rims, at 23mm internal they're not terribly fashionable, but they're wider than the 521s I used to run on my 26" - those where the best rims I've ever owned, total reliability, they were still completely straight ding free after what must be 5 years of bashing them around Wales (where i live) trips to the Alps etc.

I've no idea how the 423s will be, they haven't even arrived yet - but on the performance of the 521s I've decided that a bit an unfashionable width was worth maintaining the loyalty that Mavic have earned with me.

i25's are pretty good but not as good as the EX471's I've now got. (Also 14+ stone). Reasonably light for the 25mm internal width.

These are going for £25 a pop right now, and aren't fashionably wide, but are a great rim.

I used Crests (which are lighter) for trail wheels for ages, and never had a bother, and I'm lighter than you.

Edit - link might have helped

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/RISTZTR/stans-notubes-ztr-arch-ex-mtb-32-hole-rim

I am coming around to the same opinion P-Jay.

My old 26" EN521's never flinched at anything I threw them at. With these WTB's I can snap a spoke bunny hoping a tree root.

I guess as the industry standard weight for rims seems to be well under 500g now, they are just not going to ever be that sturdy.

I have some WTB i23 rims that came on a Whyte G150. They are a little hefty at over 500g a piece but appear pretty sturdy with it. I've hardly used them but the bike was a well used demo bike when I bought it and they were still almost round despite signs of a less than sympathetic life

From my experience any welded Mavic rim will be good - if you actually compare the weights to similar offerings from elsewhere they're pretty good weight wise and you can get a proper UST rim, so no faffing about.

I'm not sure about the fashionable width, but having been at this game for ever I tend to let fashions die down before spending my cash on them.

Very impressed with my DT Swiss XM481 rims I had built recently by justridingalong. It could be the build but i prefer the ride to my light bike carbons. The 27.5 rim is 490g albeit I have the 29er. Only downside is they're quite spendy for an alu rim but they're light and they seem strong. Think Richie Rude uses them for the enduros.

Just riding about [i]passionately[/i]

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I should qualify that my rims are WTB i23 Frequency Race. I know there are plenty of variants of these.

I have never considered the DT Swiss. Thanks, I will take a look at these also. Spendy isn't too much of an issue as long as it isn't carbon spendy.

@ thv3 - I am no writer. I tried to think of a concise way of conveying that I like to ride in a spirited fashion but no longer have the balls to ride extreme terrain.
How would you describe the way you regard your approach to riding without using overly used cliché that would make you just sound more dad than Brad?

I'm using DT EX471's on my Scout build. Plenty stiff enough for me and Gwin seemed to get on well with them 🙂

DT seem to be the ones at the moment. Either EX471 or XM481. The 481's are billed as more 'trail' and less 'enduro', wider, slightly lighter so not as tough but still very good and being used on plenty of 160mm travel bike builds.

I have just build some this week for my Patrol. They were great to build and felt stiff during truing. They come with nipples and potentially fiddly washers.

The Frequency is a very sturdy rim tbh. (the Team and Race are literally the same rim, Race is just the OEM stickering) Pulling spokes through means they must be completely destroyed... (Transition's website says they come with STs, which are a much lower spec rim)

Most of what's been mentioned are really in the same ballpark as the Frequency, so since the Frequencies obviously haven't been up to it I'd think you need to go stronger. The EX471's at least as good as the WTB, but anything that hammered a Frequency will hammer those too I reckon.

Oh yeah. I'd double check this but for at least some sizes, the ERD of the WTB rims and DTs is the same/near as dammit so it'd be a simple swap.

Thanks Northwind.

The ST was available for the Scout 2, The Scout 1 got the Frequency Race. I know this has changed with the tweaked frame and the Scout 1 now gets Easton Arcs. Mine was the earlier model in the far far better yellow colour.

The trouble is, I don't think I have been hammering these rims. My fitness and confidence is well down from say 2 years ago. The Gnarliest descent I have done this year was a Bridleway in Purbeck (The rocky one down to Woody Hyde camp site if anyone knows it).

Just had some WTB i25 KOMs built up as a spare set, On one were selling the rims off, first impressions are that they are sturdy but they do look narrow compared to their latest offerings

Were your WTBs machine built? If so, it may be the build quality as opposed to the rim that's the issue. Maybe get a decent wheel builder to give them a once over.

Hi Tracey, I read somewhere, I am sure it was a WTB employee, that the KOM's are not as tough as the Frequency's and more geared toward the racer. Possibly not suitable for a fat lad like myself.

@ Qwerty. No idea how the wheels were built as they arrived on my new bike last year. I do like your suggestion though, it would at least put off the expense of new rims just to try that.

far far better yellow colour

KOM's are not as tough as the Frequency's and more geared toward the racer. Possibly not suitable for a fat lad like myself.

Hmm, I need to do some browsing on the DT Swiss web site this evening.

Thanks all. I think I have enough advise to go on now.

-Speak to LBS about rebuilding existing wheel set.

-Price up new wheel set with DT Swiss rims, maybe Hope hubs.

Hope Tech Enduros seem to be the wheel of choice in our group, me included. Not light, or wide, but very tough - and you get the excellent Hope hubs of course. If they survive me crashing into rocks, then that is a sign of their strength

As others have said if the spokes are snapping it's most likely to be the build rather than the rim itself. But if you're constantly having to true it this could well be the rim, and if the rim's been knocked out of shape you're never going to manage to build it strong even with new spokes...

I'm a big fan of the halo vapour rims come in all sizes and seem to be bomb proof for the weight and built a fair few pairs with everyone happy with them as well.

Turns out my spokes were all wound tight as hell.

Had the wheels rebuilt by my LBS with new double butted spokes. I have ridden about 10 hours since and no spokes have broken, nice.

Crank Cycles in Alton deserve a credit.