[Closed] What wheels for a larger rider?

DT Swiss Ex511 on Hope Pro4

That's the number one option. What about dt240 hubs? More cash though.

I guess carbon rims would be risky?

What about dt240 hubs? More cash though.

If you're happy to pay the premium, then go for it... They're arguably the best hubs on the market, you do pay a fairly significant premium over a Hope Pro4 though for something that 99.9% of owners would never notice the difference with!

I guess carbon rims would be risky?

Not worth bothering with tbh... There's so much evidence now to say that an alloy wheel that's a little more forgiving and affords better traction is more preferable than stiff carbon. Carbon rims still make a lot of sense on a road bike, but I've gone full circle off road and won't be going back to carbon MTB rims any time soon as paying 10x the price for a component that arguably performs worse than the cheaper "inferior" alloy rim just doesn't make sense to me...

29er Spank 395+ (35mm inner width)
DT Swiss Competition spokes
Hope Pro 4 front hub
I9 Hydra rear

I'm heavier than you and have been running Hope Pro 4 on Enduro rims for years without problem.

Hard to see past the DT Swiss EX511s with DT Swiss 350 hubs on Ebay, below £400 and looks like they are still shipping from Germany

Disagree with comments relating to carbon rims - I’m around 85kg and have dinged and dented a ton of alloy rims including Hope and dt swiss to the extent that they no longer work tubeless which is basically a new rim for me.

Had a set of carbons and not had any issue.

mboy
Free Member

There’s so much evidence now to say that an alloy wheel that’s a little more forgiving and affords better traction is more preferable than stiff carbon.

Carbon rims don't have to be any stiffer than aluminium, though. The set of lightbicycles I have on my Remedy just feel like any other wheel (I have 2 wheelsets that go in that bike, with pretty much the same spokes, hubs, spoke count and weight aside I honestly can't feel any difference between the carbons and the alu WTBs). I mean, I'm sure some are, but just like with anything else carbon, it's a material that can be very stiff but that's a design choice.

(I suspect that from an engineering point of view, if you want to built a "forgiving" or flexible wheel then carbon is a better material than aluminium. But equally, marketing people like selling stiff don't they)

Not saying that necessarily carbon is the right answer here... Alu rims have come on miles since I built those carbon ones, and "cheap" carbon got more expensive, I don't think I'd do the same today. The current DT range are phenomenal tbh, even though I don't like the washers and bloody silly nipples.

I’m a chunk heavier than you and have nothing but praise for hunt endurowides.

I've just bought some enduro-wides from Hunt for my first 'normal sized wheel' bike build for a long time, so thats good to hear @loverofminkys (superb user name BTW, reminds me of the Aberdonian term for certain folk as 'minky-boots' 😆 - any connection?)

Only addition I have is to suggest, IMHO: not Stans. I've been through rather a lot of Hugo (29+) and Flow (29er) rims to suggest that cracks/failure at the nipple and frequent flat spots/dings etc are not a coincidence. Like nobeer, Lighbicycle rims seem quite good as an alternative.

Hope hubs seems as good as any as long as you stay on top of maintenance of the rear. Whip those bearings out of free hub or hub shell as soon as there is any hint of 'not quite right' feeling. If they go wrong, it'll lead to a cascade of be-shittedness.

Hard to see past the DT Swiss EX511s with DT Swiss 350 hubs on Ebay, below £400 and looks like they are still shipping from Germany

This.
I bought a set in the summer for my hardtail and they are great. Built to order and delivered in around a week.
(I'm 105kg for reference.)

Search for seller fitwheels_eu on eBay.

I also have a set of Stan's Arch Mk3 on Hope Pro4 hubs on my full sus and they are still going strong after 3.5 years with nothing more than an annual regrease of the free hub.

I’m just the wrong side of 100kg and have had 4 or 5 pairs of hope wheels so far. They all still work fine by the way, just upgrades and new bikes!
Pro2’s on day rims for my 26 full sus days, pro4 on Hope Twenty5 rims for my CX bike (current) and 2 pairs of pro4 on hope Enduro/Fortus rims for my 27.5” HT (current) - would definitely recommend!!

I am well above your weight,

Rear Hubs, hope pro 2 work well and I imagine pro4 will as well. Avoid the trials hub if you fancy SS it eats one of the bearings

Front hubs, run anything

Rims pacenti DL31 are very good, have damaged one but others I have are fine

I've been smashing through rocks on my pro 4s on dtswiss 471s then swapped the front to a 511 (and rebuilt s second rear pro2 Evo and old front 471

They're all still true and ding free

As a 115kg thrasher, I had to learn to build my own wheels many years ago. Most factory built wheels just didn’t last.

I now have (cheaper Chinese) carbon rims on my wheels, laced to hope hubs. It’s been years since I bent or dinged a rum.

I’ve had a flowmk3 rim fail catastrophically before, but I think it was a bit of a freak issue.

Bottom line is, the build is just as important as the rim strength.

EX511 on 240 best option, followed by same rims on 350, followed by same rims on Hope.

I've had the same debate.
I went with ex511 and hope hubs, debated on dt240 but was more cash and it's cool to have a bit of Hope Support local