Submitted by
Chris S
a Weekend Warrior
from Baton Rouge, LA Date Reviewed: May 16, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Comite
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Strong rim for an entry level rim. Fairly lightweight.
Weaknesses:
Havnt found any so far.
Similar Products Used:
rhyno lites, and the Giant factory rims.
Bike Setup:
mostly stock Trek 4900. Wheels came on it.
Bottom Line:
Put about 60 miles on this bike since I got it last week and havn't seen any major issues. About 25 of the miles where on mixed technical and gravel road trail, the rest was on the road commuting to class. So far its stayed true and tight, hopefully I wont have to break out the truing wrench...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
FIREtrekker Ed
a Weekend Warrior
from L.A. So Cal Date Reviewed: April 11, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Palos Verdes Hills
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
LBS Smiths
Strengths:
Surprisingly Light and strong/Great entry level rims, or all around rims with good setup.
Weaknesses:
Brake wall sucks when when wet- wish they had ceramic coating -I overcame this however by upgrading 2 ceramic pads on XTR M960 Vbrake-Awesome brake response! MUST TRUE or adjust spokes often!
If these came with your bike, leave em on there. They aren't XC wheels but with their weight they sure feel like it. They aren't hardcore mountain wheels, but they sure are strong enough to take on some sick rock gardens & drops...and endure on bumpy ground. IN order to get the most performance from these wheels you have to true them often -maintenance only. I've trued them 6 times this past year, but I only HAD to twice. The rest was for maintenance only (it's a good idea if you ride often and 4mid-range wheels like these). Also upgrade your spokes, hubs, and brakes for optimal use. In the spirit of upgrading, no sense in buying new -I've upgraded my MTB for type of riding I do and as so I've upgraded my wheelset, BUT kept the Corvairs. They get the job done with no dents, kinks, or tweaks and will surpass your expectations. Once you're ready for the next level(XC,AM,DH), then buy new stronger wheels. But you won't forget the Bontragers ... Good riding!
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Submitted by
Paul Rintoule
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney Australia Date Reviewed: February 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
redhill
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Clarence Street Cyclery
Strengths:
strong, reliable, stay true - if properly tensioned
Weaknesses:
a titch heavy
Similar Products Used:
Mavic XC, Ryhno Lite, Mammoth
Bike Setup:
2005 Trek Liquid with Nixon Platinum fork etc
Bottom Line:
The originally these rims came with a new Fisher Sugar. Before delivery, the bike mechanic at Clarence Street named Israel, a great guy who went on to run the workshop, personally tightened all of the spokes by hand. He said I would get a much better life out of them. I'm 5' 11" and weigh about 210lbs and wear out two chains, a rear cluster and front chainwheels in less than 12 months. He was absolutely correct. I actually wore the rear rim out after about 2 years and the front is now on my Liquid. I have hardly ever had to tweak these rims. I have never put them seriously out of round. So tension them up and they will give sterling service!
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Submitted by
Mike Madsen
a Weekend Warrior
from Pleasant Hill, CA, USA Date Reviewed: August 4, 2005
Favorite Trail:
NorthStar MTB
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Came With my TREK 6500
Strengths:
Strong, Long Lasing
Weaknesses:
Every month or so needs tru'ing but nothing really bad.
Similar Products Used:
Mavic X 221 (not very good rims)
Bike Setup:
Drops, MTB, Race, ECT
Bottom Line:
I take alot of drops 3-5FT high go on long rides and if you keep your tires inflated to 50PSI or higher they wont cause pinches or bend/crack. Also Go down stairs and even up some (up to a 8 stair at 20mph) and they hold like a rock. With my riding I get them trued about every two months. They perfect for the AMature rider or someone who is just starting out.
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Submitted by
Voodoo
a Cross Country Rider
from Zagreb,Croatia Date Reviewed: May 30, 2005
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
ROG-Joma
Strengths:
If you're a grandma, and have under 100 lbs... there is no better rim for the money.
Weaknesses:
They bend...They don't bend when you hit them, grind them into the ground after a two yard leap,they just bend, on a straight road.
Similar Products Used:
matrix 750
Bike Setup:
TREK 6500
Bottom Line:
To qoute a music artist who in of his songs says : "Life is a lesson, you learn it when you're through", although not a great piece of art, has a lot of truth in it.Therefore, now that I'm through with these rims I feel adequate to point to criticize about their performance. I'm not a professional racer, but I tend to do 30-60 miles on average,with long pause periods though =), pulling around 20 miles an hour, on asphalt, dirt and rocky trails. The rims have withstood some serious beating over the period of , around three years that I've used them. But, after 5000 km, they have decided on an unprovoced attack on any unfortunate part of my body found in the path of the asphalt that suddenly came rushing at me. But ultimately, since this is the bottom line, the rims are worth their price.
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Submitted by
Kevin
a Racer
from Steamboat Springs Date Reviewed: July 22, 2004
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Strong Rims take the abuse.
Weaknesses:
Could be lighter
Bike Setup:
Stock Trek Fuel 80 2001
Bottom Line:
The rims can take abuse. They have withstood numerious collusions with protruding rocks during high speed mountain bike races and have kept true while hopping down technical rock trails with the occasional crashing mistake. Least to say some other components haven't been so fortunate. Overall the wheels have probably seen over a thousand high impact miles and a good deal of softer road miles.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeremy
a Cross Country Rider
from Chatsworth, CA Date Reviewed: January 22, 2004
Favorite Trail:
cheseboro (only real one i've ridden)
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$39.00
Purchased At:
Cycle world
Strengths:
Extremely strong, tolerant to hardcore abuse.
Weaknesses:
There arent any really, with the exception of the fact that the slightest amount of water will cause the brakes to squeak, but thats nothing that a little dirt can't fix
Bottom Line:
I have been riding this rim for a year. I have had no problems. I have gotten the front one trued once, and the back never had any problems. For all of the abuse i administer to it, i am surprised that i haven't cracked the rim by now. I have hit some of the hardest of surfaces and the rim itself stayed as true as the day i bought it. I have no complaints at all
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Submitted by
eric
a
from san diego Date Reviewed: October 30, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Anything at Mammoth
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
Bulletproof so far
Weaknesses:
none so far
Bike Setup:
2001 Trek 8000 LT w/Hayes Discs
Bottom Line:
These came stock on my bike, with Bontrager hubs. In 2 years of riding...flat stuff, mud, sand, rocks, DHing at Big Bear and Mammoth, these rims have stayed true and round with out a problem. I have endoed multiple times at Mammoth and Bear w/o a ding in either rim. Hit nasty sharp and pointy granite boulders in Mammoth...no issues. The wheelsets have impressed me. I DO believe the strength of the rim is made by the quality of the wheel build. In other words GET IT DONE RIGHT!
=)
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Submitted by
Colin Beck
a Cross Country Rider
from Winchester VA USA Date Reviewed: September 16, 2003
Favorite Trail:
snowshoe
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Mulhaupts
Strengths:
good if you don't plan on every riding your bike off road
Weaknesses:
I had my bike, Gary Fisher Tassajara, for 6 days, yes 6 days before I bent both of the wheels. The rhyno lites I had on my old bike lasted me over 6 years with nothing more than an occasional tighting of a spoke,and I rode them a heck of a lot harder.
Similar Products Used:
rhyno lite
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Tassajara
Bottom Line:
Don't buy this rim, it sucks, weight looks all that doesn't matter when your walking your bike, buy a rhyno lite.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew Cohen
a Weekend Warrior
from Richmond, Va Date Reviewed: December 29, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Powhite Park
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Decent for light hitting and riding
Weaknesses:
To skinny, heavy
Bike Setup:
Trek 6700, m515 Shimano Clipless
Bottom Line:
I weigh 140 lbs. These came on my Trek 6700 and i have already taken a chunk out of the side of the front rim. no other problems yet I've done a 5ft. drop on them and they held up.
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Submitted by
Brendan Connors
a Cross Country Rider
from Davis, CA, USA (needs more hills) Date Reviewed: November 18, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Rockville Hills in Fairfield, CA
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
Durable good braking surface
Weaknesses:
none that I can diagnose
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Fisher Tassajara with upgraded drivetrain
Bottom Line:
I've been very happy with these rims, although I have little to compare them to. I test rode these as well as something less expensive on a trek 4700 and I could tell a huge difference in braking power, most likely due to the machined grooves in the sidewall. They've also withstood two crashes which by all means should have bent them, but they are still true!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Darac
a
from Croatia Date Reviewed: October 7, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
strong enough for XC,good entry level rim,wide breaking surface,not too heavy
Weaknesses:
bit heavy for serious XC,must be trued regullary
Bike Setup:
came with Trek Fuel 80/2001
Bottom Line:
a few months ago I crashed at 30 km/h speed with some girl driving cheap hardtail,hiting her rim full front...after some sick superman endo,I helped the girl laying underneath her bike...boy that was the sight to see:cracked fork crown,bended bar and number eight look a like shaped rim,not to mention some minor scratches(on bike as well as her legs and arms),corvair was fine not even a tiny flex...they earned my trust,now they're still rolling straight after almost a year
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Submitted by
Chris Chupka
a Weekend Warrior
from Abilene TX Date Reviewed: May 21, 2002
Favorite Trail:
ABC
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
Biketown
Strengths:
Strong, black when new
Weaknesses:
all the anodizing is gone, pinch flats(a few), way to wobbly when run on a little lower pressure. Heavy, heavy. Get them if you are just staring out like me, until you know what you like.
Similar Products Used:
old mavics with my old Paramount
Bike Setup:
Trek 6500 stock except Time ATACs, Ritchey Pro stem, seatpost, flat bar(me and my bike trying to lose a little weight), slime
Bottom Line:
They gotta be strong. I am 225lbs. Hit steep facing rocks twice hard enough to go over the front. Bunny hop curbs on way to school(about 20 a day)never bent only out of true once. Lot of rocks on our little trail here in Abilene, I think I hit them all. Still hold my fat @%# up.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
tim finnegan
a Cross Country Rider
from brockton, ma Date Reviewed: April 27, 2002
Favorite Trail:
naked bunny
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
better than a wagon wheel
Weaknesses:
flimsy. i believe they're also possessed by satan.
Similar Products Used:
weinman(blech), sun rhyno lites
Bike Setup:
fisher tassajara, with powerpuff girls sticker on top tube.
Bottom Line:
these things came out of true right away. that was from maryland riding. had them trued again, then went home to mass. going pretty easy on rock gardens and graveyards couldn't save these things from their evil ways. i guess if you're concerned about weight, and don't let the rear wheel touch anything but hardback, you should be allright. the rhyno's have been much better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
DENNIS C
a Weekend Warrior
from PAWTUCKET RI, 02861 Date Reviewed: October 9, 2001
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
CAME WITH THE BIKE!
Strengths:
TOUGH, AND NICE LOOKING!
Weaknesses:
PINCH FLATS!
Bike Setup:
EARLY UNIVEGA DUAL ACTION TEAM, BONTRAGER RIMS, HUBS, SEATPOST ,SEAT ,AZONIC HANDLEBARS, RST GAMA TRIPLE CROWN 5 INCHES OF TRAVEL, FOX FLOAT REAR SHOCK!
Bottom Line:
I BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF THIS BIKE. I'M 210 POUNDS AND LIKE TO RIDE ANYTHING! TRAILS, URBAN, ETC, AND I HAVE HAD NO REAL PROBLEMS. I HAVE BEEN NOTICING THAT PEOPLE SAY THE CORVAIR RIMS GO OUT OF TRUE EASY! WELL AFTER MANY DAYS OF 6 TO 8 FT DROPS AND LOTS OF DIRT JUMPING THEY STAID TRUE WHICH IS GREAT! THEN ON FRIDAY I WAS HIT BY A CAR WHILE RIDING AND MY FRONT RIMS BENT! IF THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GE THEM OUT OF TRUE THEY ARE A GREAT PRODUCT!
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Submitted by
eric baker
a Cross Country Rider
from west hartford, ct Date Reviewed: August 24, 2001
Favorite Trail:
i like em all
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
newington bike
Strengths:
they look strong
Weaknesses:
spaghan spaghetti is much stiffer and stronger than they are they might still be in one piece if they were made of spaghetti.
Similar Products Used:
spaggheti"o"s
Bike Setup:
fuel 80
Bottom Line:
they blow hardcore dont buy them for any reason.
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Submitted by
matt
a
from new jersey Date Reviewed: August 6, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came on my trek
Strengths:
strong
Weaknesses:
imperfection in my rear rim. need to send it in. i have popped 9 tires in three months cause of it
Similar Products Used:
many others
Bike Setup:
trek 4900
Bottom Line:
they work, cept for the imperfection
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a
from The Coast Date Reviewed: June 27, 2001
Favorite Trail:
The Legless Dogg
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
my friend
Strengths:
good rims nice color
Weaknesses:
Just one
Similar Products Used:
crappy rims
Bike Setup:
Trek 6500
Bottom Line:
These rims are workin for me but the hub had a sticky berring tat made a clicking noise good for ridrs who dont want to go BIG anytime soon
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Erik
a Cross Country Rider
from Sacramento,Ca, USA Date Reviewed: June 27, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Foresthill divide/clementine
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
came with bike
Weaknesses:
weak, bend like spaghetti
Bike Setup:
fisher hhek disc
Bottom Line:
150 lb rider who rides hard but not nuts. No huge drops. I have had theese rims on my last two fishers and have been equally unimpressed with both. Last bike had rim brakes and the problem of truing was a real pain. Current bike has discs so the problem is not so apparent. RIms are flexy and cheap. So bad that my girlfriend (not a hard rider at all) bends her rims frequently. Between the two sets I get a bunch of seat time with truing rims.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Milwaukee, WI, USA Date Reviewed: June 21, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$75.00
Purchased At:
Emery's Cycle
Strengths:
Inexpensive, welded seam, asym construction on rear
Weaknesses:
too new to tell
Similar Products Used:
mavic 222 w/ LX hub and Wheelsmith spokes, bontrager mustangs
Bike Setup:
Mongoose DX 10.7
Bottom Line:
Purchased a rear Corvair as a spare while my Mavic 222 rear wheel was getting replaced on warranty. The Mavic seam seperated due to stress from XC racing. The Corvair was recommended for the welded seam, machined sidewall and ASYM construction. Road it last night in a time trial race and it remained true.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rider Boy of Jersey
a Weekend Warrior
from Northern Jersey, NEW JERSEY, USA Date Reviewed: June 5, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Rt. 15 Bicycle Outlet
Strengths:
Looks nice. Excelent for light to moderate competition.
Weaknesses:
Truing is a pain.
Bike Setup:
Base 2000 Trek 6500
Bottom Line:
This is good product over all. I love them rims... they are great especially the ASYM back one...never comes out of tru. I cant say the same about the front rim. I was riding my bike, and was going about 20 in the trails of rocks and dead leaves and all...having a good time and all the sudden i seed some rodent pop out, i try not to kill it and swerve and then i fly of the bike and it hits a huge boulder. Anyways...the front rim is not messed up all the way, just needs truing.. BUT THATS IMPOSSIBLE... got it trued 5 times and everytime i get bACK ON IT EVENT TO TAKE A GENTLE RIDE IT COMES OUT OF TRUE. So the moral of the day is........DOnt abuse the product.. road and slight trail riding is its best.. nothing straneous.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Greg
a Cross Country Rider
from NJ Date Reviewed: May 8, 2001
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
came stock on '99 GFisher kaitai
Strengths:
None--these things are crap.
Weaknesses:
Don't stay true--flexxxxxy. Bent the bejesus out of my rear wheel. Can't hold up to the simplest bunny hops or basic abuse.Then again, I'm a big guy...197 lbs. But still, I'd expect more from Bontrager.
Similar Products Used:
None--these were stock on my '99 Gary Fisher Kaitai.
Bike Setup:
Doesn't matter--this is a product review on rims, not a brag session on my rig.
Bottom Line:
Do yourself a favor and get yourself something decent after you shred these rims. Again, I'm a clydesdale, but by no means did I do anything serious like a 15 foot drop off, just mucking about on singletrack with your average rock gardens and log hops. I expected better from the venerable Bontrager name. Sorry Keith, but you need to make stiffer components. These are crap! 1 flaming turd.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel Richardson
a Racer
from San Diego, Ca, US Date Reviewed: April 30, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Single tracks
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Uc cyc
Strengths:
The rims are about half in half not strong or weak
Weaknesses:
They have been giving me a lot of trouble. I have minorly bent both rims in a mater of two weeks, but i ride everyday for at least 4 hours.
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher
Bottom Line:
Don't wast your money on these rims.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Laura
a Cross Country Rider
from London, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: April 25, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Greasy Stick
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
I made them
Strengths:
They can fit in the garbage
Weaknesses:
Can't handle a 20 ft. Wheelie drop. Come out of true on a crub.
Similar Products Used:
Mavic
Bike Setup:
Kona Stinky Deluxe
Bottom Line:
I tried to do a 20 ft drop off a cliff and the rim just shattered. My spokes were in my arm and It caused me to have 10 hours of surgery. I would go with CCM rims next time, they are stronger. One time on the CCMs I tried the same drop the guy in NWD tried and landed it, My rims Still held up
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
david
a Cross Country Rider
from fairfax, vermont Date Reviewed: April 22, 2001
Favorite Trail:
sweet woods of fairfax
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
skirack, burlington
Strengths:
suprisingly light for the strength. based on the pyramid of bike parts (cheap, strong, light) i'd say it's got all three. i've ridden plenty of rocks, downhills, jumps, etc... and i've yet to have to true these rims. i believe it's partly to do with the fact that their on bontrager hubs, which have also treated me quite well.
Weaknesses:
no longer made
Similar Products Used:
i've completely ruined all my rims before, except for sun. shimanos have tended to warp much, much faster
Bike Setup:
gary fisher, deore lx/xt, lots of bontrager, judy c....
Bottom Line:
for a welded rim there's nothing better that i've seen, they blow away the shimanos
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Josh
a Cross Country Rider
from New Hampshire Date Reviewed: March 30, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Not to heavy. Surprisingly (!) strong
Weaknesses:
havn't really seen any yet
Similar Products Used:
no name crap ass rims
Bottom Line:
I used these for cross country riding as well as trials for about a year now. Considering that I got these sued I am soooo impressed with their strength. I killed a couple of wheels before, and was sure that eventually this one would bite the dust, but incredibly it has stayed near perfectly true through the good amount of abuse that I've put it through. I have it built with 15 gauge (?) spokes onto a bontrager hub. The hub, too, has also been really good to me. I must have an exceptionally good build of this wheel because I see others have not been so lucky. I think wheel build has a whole lot to do with the strength of a wheel. Just as much as the strength of the rim.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
trevor kavanaugh
a Cross Country Rider
from villanova Pa Date Reviewed: March 27, 2001
Favorite Trail:
wissahickon area...
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
stock on bike
Strengths:
easy to tru...
Weaknesses:
flatspots from rock riding...
Similar Products Used:
none just converted from BMX'in where i was oppsessed with UKAI rims
Bike Setup:
stock gary fisher Tajahara minus xt rear shifter...
Bottom Line:
i am replacing the rims as soon as i get my tax return... I weigh about 175, and easily untrue this rim, but it has honed my truing skills, it would be a good rim if u don't plan on getting air, and weigh under 150...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Taylor Long
a
from Vancouver, B.C. Date Reviewed: February 13, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Stock on my bike
Strengths:
they are round when new and resemble a mountain bike wheel
Weaknesses:
I saw that this rim got a 3.60 rating or close to that and I felt it was my duty to bring that lower, because that is WAY too high! These rims are bad. I flat spotted the rims in 4 places on one occasion practicing a 2 foot drop. I am 160 pounds. That's bad. If you are a weenie and all you do is paved paths, they may last beyond a month, but otherwise get something stronger (Rhyno lites or something)
Similar Products Used:
This is my first bike-I switched to Mavic D521's after I destroyed these rims.
Bike Setup:
Trek 6000
Bottom Line:
Don't waste the money unless you really are going to just ride on paved paths or gravel roads. If you want to do any free riding or technical trails they won't hold up.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gaoo
a
from Quebec Date Reviewed: January 16, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Bromont
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
light vs solidity, asym rear, radial front, tough black finish, stay true pretty long
Weaknesses:
no eyelets, paint comes off easily near tube valve, will break after some time
Similar Products Used:
Mavic 321 disc, Zac-19
Bike Setup:
'99 Trek 6500 ZX, Psylo SL, XT rear, Bontrager cockpit, ... LX, STX-RC and the famous Alivio front derailleur (still working)
Bottom Line:
Great rim for all around use. People who had problems with truing must tight more the spokes. Mine lasted me one year before it begins to crack. You must run these with at least 45 psi, if not you will hurt him. But a good cheap rim that can take all abuse if properly tuned
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon
a Cross Country Rider
from Tulsa, OK Date Reviewed: January 2, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Turkey Mtn Area
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Cheap. Seem durable for XC
Weaknesses:
A little rear truing is needed after a lond day of hard rocky decents & landings.
Bike Setup:
Bike with Bontrager Corvair rims
Bottom Line:
These are good rims for XC on a budget as long as you know how to use a spoke wrench. Cant reccomend them for anything more demanding than XC.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Clean Willie
a Racer
from Heck's Half Acre Date Reviewed: November 1, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Nastier the better
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Nice looking rim, brakes pretty well for a non ceramic. Front rim standing up better then expected.
Weaknesses:
No eyelets, not much use on a rear wheel, not very strong out back for rocks and airborne commando stuff. Ping! Plank! Pop! Creeeeeaaaak!
Similar Products Used:
Weinmann, Bontrag Mustangs & Valiants, Mavic 221, various Suns
Bike Setup:
Std Equip on my '99 Fisher HooKoo, Bonty hubs, 32 2-cross rear, 28 radial front.
Bottom Line:
I have nothing against Bontrager, believe me, I really want to like these rims, I really, really do, and the front rim has taken a whipping without so much as creaking. However, on the rear, after 100 hrs of serious snot kicking, the rim has given up on me, the first time I've ever trashed a rear rim (I'm a light guy). A little black magic on the truing stand is required after every ride now to keep the damn thing from collapsing again (I rebuilt it). Sorry, Keith, it just isn't designed for MTB use, but a Mustang or a Valiant (good luck with those on other bikes) appears to be in my future. So, if you ride these off road, front use is okay, but be ready to hammer the bejesus out of the rear to straighten it trailside, then get to know your spoke wrench. Riding my Corvairs until I find some money to replace them. 2.5 out of 5 actually, but I'll give it 3.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael Bodo
a Cross Country Rider
from Ann Arbor, MI Date Reviewed: August 7, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Brighton
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Cheap. A good enough wheel if your not a hammerhead!
Weaknesses:
Cannot take sustained abuse or head-on hits.
Similar Products Used:
Ritchie SCR's
Bike Setup:
Trek 6000
Bottom Line:
Bent the crap out of my rear wheel last week after only 3 months of trail riding and also found out that part of it was to a degenerative condition that is profound with this particular wheel design called "dishing." The front one went on me today after a couple minor scrapes - no serious hits. Go figure! I guess what can one expect to get with a $500.00 bike.
If the trails you generally ride or hope to ride take you over lots of roots, log's, and rock's, upgrade your Corvairs now to something higher-end. You'll be glad you did!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
joe wood
a Weekend Warrior
from denver,colorado,us Date Reviewed: June 25, 2000
Favorite Trail:
any with rocks
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Awesome looks, srong, durable
Weaknesses:
can bend when riding hard
Similar Products Used:
mustangs
Bike Setup:
Trek 6500- came standard on this bike
Bottom Line:
good for anyone with rec riding and some hard riding although if serious rider go for upgrades.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ethan
a Cross Country Rider
from Western Massachusetts Date Reviewed: June 3, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Don't know the name
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
I guess they weren't too expensive. They aren't too chubby either. They are fine as long as you stay on the ground for the most part.
Weaknesses:
Well, after giving my rear one a nice little dimple and thus screwing the whole thing up, I'd like to see them strengthened.
Similar Products Used:
Many a wheel
Bike Setup:
Hoo Koo E Koo
Bottom Line:
They realy were nice wheels. I guess that I just went a little too airborne a little too often with them. They were very nice when I was on the ground. I guess they held out a lot longer than they should have under me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
glen ki
a Cross Country Rider
from elmhurst Date Reviewed: May 4, 2000
Favorite Trail:
cedar lake
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
strong, light
Weaknesses:
zip
Similar Products Used:
mavic 221, 223
Bike Setup:
trek 7000 99
Bottom Line:
I ran these rims over with my buick, a rather large buick at that, and their straight, the skewer however was bent at 2 90 degree angles, so I cut it off with a hack saw, and put a new one in, and tok it to the shop for a looksee, and they took about 5 minuts worth the truing, and I rode that day, cool.
5 flamin sh#t wagons
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian Monck
a Weekend Warrior
from Randolph, NJ, USA Date Reviewed: March 31, 2000
Favorite Trail:
anywhere
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
nifty black
Weaknesses:
I taco'd the rim after my first 60 miles.
Similar Products Used:
nada
Bike Setup:
stock 99 trek 7000, minus the rear rim in place with a mavic
Bottom Line:
These rims are alright I guess. I would never use them again due to the fact that I was riding around, went around a corner with a couple of bumps and the things bent to hell. I didn't fall and the things went thunk. I had to ride out on a taco'd rim and the tire started eating through the frame, I was like holy crap. Don't recccoment them at all.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
spud
a
from fonthill eh Date Reviewed: March 29, 2000
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
quite strong for a XC rim
Weaknesses:
natta
Bottom Line:
my corvairs are DA bomb. after a year of dirt jumping, stair hucking, and all around abuse, these rims have stayed true-- -amazing. one of the reasons of this is because they we're built very well, and their bontrager.. enough said! ....im replacing the front one though, cause im up gradin to a hope front disc. oh well-- rhynolites are supposed to be even betta!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean Benzon
a Weekend Warrior
from Miami,Fl/Central PA Date Reviewed: January 24, 2000
Favorite Trail:
main street
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
it sure is perty! fairly light for a mid-grade rim, w/Bontrager hub.
Weaknesses:
A little weak for hard riding, I managed to thrash it nicely doing mostly reasonable stuff.
Similar Products Used:
nothing worth mentioning
Bike Setup:
99' GF Kaitai, mostly stock
Bottom Line:
Asym design doesn't seem to want to stay fixed once I bang it back into shape...run over one little squirrel and it's back to that lovely skateboard-on-the-sidewalk feeling, or maybe the old "bike doesn't go where i point it anymore." Unfortunately I have to get out the spoke wrench every night to make it rideable, at least until i can save up $100 for something new. I don't want to verbally trash this rim though, i'm sure it would be really nice for light trail riding, and those who are smart enough to not ride curbs and whatnot.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben Jensen
a Cross Country Rider
from Bismarck, ND, USA Date Reviewed: January 15, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Andrew Creek (ND Badlands)
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
not real expensive; pretty good weight
Weaknesses:
untrue much to easy
Similar Products Used:
mavics
Bike Setup:
'99 Gary Fisher Kaitai
Bottom Line:
Good for the money, but they get bent too easy. I'd much rather have a set of Mavics.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Head-Case
a Weekend Warrior
from London mate Date Reviewed: January 8, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Epping Forest DH/DS
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Increadibly beautiful looks, with he-man strength. I have jumped on these wheels (don't tell trek warranty dept.), and they have stood up to a good beating. They are also light enough for XC racing
Weaknesses:
rear wheel is quite soft, so goes out of true if the tyres are not above 40p.s.i
Similar Products Used:
LX/517
Bike Setup:
Trek 6500 WSD 12.5 (wicked for jumping on!)
Bottom Line:
Ideal wheel for XC/Recreational use. withstands jumping and racing. What more could you want?
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Shawshank
a Cross-Country Rider
from Osan AB Korea Date Reviewed: November 26, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Brown Mountain
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Nice to look at Hold up even if you beat the hell out of them
Weaknesses:
None as of yet
Similar Products Used:
Mavic Sun WTB
Bike Setup:
99 Trek 7000
Bottom Line:
I was alittle worried about the durability of them at first but after putting them through some harsh riding for about 6 months without ever having to true them I am impressed. I would recommend them to anyone. To bad you can't buy them aftermarket.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Redondo, CA Date Reviewed: September 28, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Nice black finish Machined sidewalls
Bike Setup:
Stock VRX 200
Bottom Line:
These rims have held up extremely well for me. I haven't had to true them once even though I've been exploring the fun of downhill racing at Big Bear. Feel like a lighter package (with bontrager hubs) than my buddies LX setup
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JLAH
a Weekend Warrior
from Pee Jay Date Reviewed: September 23, 1999
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Had been using it for a long time, and still looks great and works perfectly.
Weaknesses:
The Corvair word doesn't look good.
Similar Products Used:
Rigida, Araya
Bike Setup:
Joshua F4, Judy C
Bottom Line:
It's a tough, durable and great colour rim. Just great, I hav been using it for months, and it's still working fine with no problems at all.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Reid
a Cross-Country Rider
from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Date Reviewed: September 21, 1999
Favorite Trail:
too many to list
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Look good, strong
Weaknesses:
Still looking
Similar Products Used:
Many matrix models
Bike Setup:
Trek 7000 ZX (99) with a few tweaks
Bottom Line:
I ride in an extremely harsh environment - lots of fist-sized rocks and tons of exposed, rough rock, and these rims have held up just fine. I put a flat spot on the rear when I miscalculated a curb (d'oh!!). The rim went out of true, but I hammered out the flat spot (mostly) and re-trued the wheel - I've been hammering ever since with no problems. Great rims for stock equipment! I'll give 'em 5 scorchers for bang for the buck.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rick Vera
a Cross-Country Rider
from Galloway, Nj Date Reviewed: August 6, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Smithville & Parven
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Seems strong Not bad in the weight area
Weaknesses:
I don't beleive you can buy these, only sold to Bike manufactures Not great in the weight area
Similar Products Used:
I had these before upgrading to Mustangs
Bike Setup:
On my Trek 7000
Bottom Line:
They worked fine with little adjustments. By the way, in the Bontragger Mustang section, I ment the price was about $55, the $200 came from the entire wheelset of Bontrager Comp2 Hubs and DT Swiss Spokes.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
spud
a Cross-Country Rider
from fonthhil;;;;l Date Reviewed: July 23, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
first of all, for that hoser that had his spokes loossen: get real you skid..most new wheel's spokes come loose..this is called B R E A K I N G I N. the rear is ASYM which really does make the wheel stronger. mine have been ridden really hard for the past 3 months, and they are still fairly true. But you might have a hard time buying these wheels because they are only sold to bike manufacturers( i think), this is why they aren't on bonty's page.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TAD
a Cross-Country Rider
from Albuquerque, NM Date Reviewed: July 12, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Tough, durable, stay true
Weaknesses:
A little heavier than some rims
Bike Setup:
'99 TREK 7000
Bottom Line:
I have ridden hard (rocky, rough terrain) on these rims for 3-4 months and they are still as true as when new. Seem like a great product. Bontrager does not show them on their WEB page, but I got some info on them from TREK. The pair weighs 135g more than the Mustangs.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dennis
a Cross-Country Rider
from Leonard, MI Date Reviewed: June 19, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Bald Mt.
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Look cool, machined sidewalls
Weaknesses:
untrue too easy
Similar Products Used:
Mavic 238
Bike Setup:
Trek 7000, JudyXC
Bottom Line:
These rimms came stock on my 7000. I thought they were cool at first because they had the radial lace front and asyetrical rear and also they come on the Klein attitude so they must be good right? Wrong! During my first ride the spokes started loosening on both wheels and they became so untrue that i had to loosen my brakes to make it back. I took them back to the shop where they were tightened. so far they are alright but I think it is unsafe to put wheels on a bike that have the potential to fall apart.
Overall Rating:
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