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Submitted by
arby
a Weekend Warrior
from michigan
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | I don't go on trails | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | price-availability | | Weaknesses: | really really tough to change a flat | | Bike Setup: | Raleigh comfort/hybrid mountain type bike | | Bottom Line: | The wheelset that that came on my 300 dollar
bike was just too cheap to ignore so I went to
REI and picked up the cheapest wheelset they had
which is 100 times better than the no-name set
that came on my bike. they are round and true
after 350 miles of riding around the neighborhood
but I have lost the confidence I had that I could
change a flat tire on the side of the road, away
from home. Changing a tube on the side of the road
with plastic tire levers isn't going to happen with
Sun CR-18 rims. I had to take them to the local bike
to have the tires and tubes mounted after ruining
3 tubes in a row trying to mount them myself the first
time | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff D
a Weekend Warrior
from Wisconsin
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere anytime | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | on-line auction | | Strengths: | Cheap, solid, wheels on the bike go round and round | | Weaknesses: | resemble a tank more than a gazell | | Similar Products Used: | Cheapish Bontrager wheels | | Bike Setup: | 29ER Gary Fisher fro winter riding. | | Bottom Line: | Got these as a second wheel set with studded ice tires, for easy switching back and forth depending on snow, ice, etc. Got mine used. They're heavy, but they were cheap, and they've stayed round. I've only used wire bead tires with no problem. Get yourself a Kool Stop tire bead jack (about $13) and you can put ANY tire on ANY wheel easy. Good hefty tire levers help too. You get what you pay for and I'm happy. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
talkingspoon
a Weekend Warrior
from kitchener, ontario
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | komakozy | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | work | | Strengths: | cheap, light | | Weaknesses: | bend easy, not very strong | | Similar Products Used: | alex dm 18 | | Bike Setup: | xc, dirt jumping, light free ride | | Bottom Line: | good rim for a beginner. DON'T use for dirt jumping. bad idea!!!! bend easy. ok for xc but light xc and small drops like 2' at most. i would not tell anyone to go out and buy this rim unless they were just starting out. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FireTomase
a Weekend Warrior
from Northeast US
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Rocks and gnoll | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | dunno | | Strengths: | Stays true, brakes quietly, they come in simple polished aluminum color, cheap | | Weaknesses: | nothing | | Similar Products Used: | xc717, xc317, some alex xc rim | | Bike Setup: | SS hardtail with White Industries ENO hub (no dish) laced 3x both sides | | Bottom Line: | I have no idea where this wheel was built (came with my used bike) but it has never been trued and is perfect. I bet it has something to do with the symmetrical lacing but I have ridden on the rim with a flat tire, have recklessly pinch flatted on sharp curbs and have gone off lots of bb scraping rocks. This is my most abused rim and is also the only one I've never trued. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zog
a Racer
from UK
Date Reviewed: December 17, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Bikedock.co.uk | | Strengths: | Cheap, no pointless features like a welded joint. Did I mention they're cheap? | | Weaknesses: | Only single eyelets, although these can be an advantage if you use large flange hubs or weird spoking patterns, because they let the spoke nipple orient itself better. | | Similar Products Used: | Sun Rhyno Lite, various Mavics, DT XR 4.1 | | Bike Setup: | Road use only, 36 spokes rear. | | Bottom Line: | Rims have no real strength - it's all in the wheel build. If the spokes are properly tight, the only thing you have to worry about (barring that storm drain that will catch and trash any wheel) is fatigue cracking round the spoke holes. These aren't Mavics, so they shouldn't. Forget 32 spokes on the rear; only 16 of them are really taking the weight. Go for 36 double-butted spokes, get them TIGHT and properly stress-relieved, and you can ride until the sidewalls wear through. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ERIC WARBURTON
a Weekend Warrior
from MIAMI
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | OLETA PARK, MIAMI | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | CAME WITH BIKE | | Strengths: | INEXPENSIVE, DECENT STRENGTH TO WEIGHT RATIO (FOR THE PRICE). | | Weaknesses: | NEEDS TO BE STRONGER FOR REAR USE ON A HARDTAIL. | | Similar Products Used: | SUN RHYNO LITE, SUN RHYNO LITE XL. | | Bike Setup: | 2000 TREK 6000 CONVERTED TO SINGLE SPEED, TRUVATIV HUSEFELT CRANK WITH ISIS BB AND 34 TOOTH BLACK SPIRE CHAIN RING, EASTON ALUMINUM RISER BARS, GENERIC 45 MM STEM, SURLY 1X1 RIGID FORKS, WOODMAN SS REAR HUB WITH 16T ODYSSEY BMX COG AND SUN RHYNO LITE XL, DEORE FRONT HUB WITH RHYNO LITE RIM, AVID BB7 FRONT DISC BRAKE, GENERIC LX TYPE REAR V BRAKES AND GENERIC LEVERS, GENERIC SEAT AND POST. | | Bottom Line: | In my experience the CR-18 is fine for the front wheel and will take most any abuse. The rear however, not so strong. I destroyed the rear wheel in 2 months or so, while the front lasted me 6 years. I always thought of the cr-18 as an OEM part, comimg on mid level Mtn bikes. The 20 inch version have been standard equipment on many mid level BMX bikes for years, and is often the first part replaced, as they don't tend to hold up very well for this application (the rears, at least). I weigh about 170 pounds and ride mostly cross country type trails, but I do resort to some BMX type jumping and thrashing on occasion.
If you need a stronger wheel and don't mind the extra weight penalty (100 grams or so) I would go with a Rhyno Lite, or if you're extra abusive, a Rhyno lite XL (which I have been abusing for a year or so now with no problems). There are rims out there with better weight to strength ratios, but I'm comparing rims in the same price range.
It's easy to get a cheap, light but not so stong wheel. However, a cheap light and strong wheel will cost alot. When bike building on a budget, I go back to my BMX roots and opt for cheap and light on the front, and cheap and strong but slightly heavy on the rear. Unless of couse you are a notorious front wheel tacoer(is that a word?), but I havn't met many of those. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Keswick, Ont. Canada
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Ravenshoe | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Strengths: | cheap, cheap, cheap. | | Weaknesses: | Garbage rim that needs contant attention to keep true. Spokes constantly break when hitting even moderate hits on the trail resulting in a rim that waves to the other riders behind you. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized hardrock | | Bottom Line: | The OEM rims that came on the bike were alot stronger then these pieces of crap. I only bought them because they were cheap and I really needed a wheel at the time. I should have saved my money and invested in a better rim. i.e Sun Ryno Lite | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JF Bérubé
a Cross Country Rider
from Welland, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | 12 mile creek, St Catharines | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Tough enough for xc if used with suspension, i.e. not to be used as rear wheel on hardtail. | | Weaknesses: | Not tough enough for hammering rough / rocky xc trails.
Rim diameter too big for tire; removing tire = NIGHTMARE even with the best tools and techniques. Not raceable for sure (punctured tire = might as well finish race on foot, you'll save time!) | | Similar Products Used: | mavic xm 517 | | Bottom Line: | Overall rating would be different if the rim would be better sized. Otherwise, it's just an OK rim. I will never buy sun rims again. (I also own sun rim rhino lite, same sizing problems but way tougher).
If cr18's come stock, consider investing right away in something different. After all, when it comes to performance, wheels are probably the most important component of your bike.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from Davis,CA,USA
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | those without hostile motorists | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | LBS (REI) | | Strengths: | (Set up right,) holds true and durable. | | Weaknesses: | None encountered. | | Similar Products Used: | Mavics that developed cracks hence the shift to these. I'm thinking these will give me 100,000 miles of service. | | Bike Setup: | SWB Recumbent @ 300lb load & 20x1.25 26x1.25 tires | | Bottom Line: | I don't even think about them, which is a good thing. I built them up myself with the reused 14ga spokes and XT hubs and keep them well tensioned (at ~100 or 23-25 on the Park tension meter) and acceptably true. I tour long and hard (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/daviscalf) and it would be great if all my other equipment served me as well. Have yet to break a spoke! (Get yourself a tension meter.) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Racer
from Gainesville, Florida
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Strengths: | Great all around rim if you are not a idiot and know how to build wheels. | | Weaknesses: | A little tight when removing/installing tires. | | Similar Products Used: | DT rims (aweful), Sun all the way! | | Bike Setup: | SS fully rigid - wheels home built on Philwood hubs, DT Revolution light weight road spokes with alloy nipples. 32 hole. | | Bottom Line: | I am 6'3" and weigh 195. I ride hard and in the Florida. Not much downhill but with all the hurricanes lately, the trails are filled with some serious log hopping obstacles. Seriously, pay no attention to the one chili posts.
These rims are very good. Build the wheel correctly, keep spoke tension reasonably tight, and they will serve you well. I am currenly buidling a 29er with Sun CR-18s, Chris King Hubs and lightweight spokes and allow nipples. I trust these rims implicitly!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick Watson
a Downhiller
from Calmar
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | dromedary | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$37.00 | | Purchased At: | River City Cycle | | Strengths: | LIght easy to take off and tighten | | Weaknesses: | very weak rim cannot take much pressure on jumps | | Similar Products Used: | rhyno lyte rims | | Bike Setup: | rocky mountian hammer clippless pedals marzochi bomber shocks and cr 18 sunrims which suck | | Bottom Line: | they are very weak on jumps and i do not suggest them to any mountain bikers who ride alot of downhill tracks | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
stack
a Racer
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Middlesex Fells | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Cheap, stay true (handbuilt, though) | | Weaknesses: | Completely impossible to change the tires | | Similar Products Used: | XC 717s, DT 4.1, lots of other low-end stuff | | Bottom Line: | Ding easily. Completely, totally impossible to change tires. I hate these rims. I really really really hate these rims | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ryan
a
from Sodus
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | jensonusa.com | | Strengths: | price! 75 bucks got me front and rear laced to LX hubs, very good combo, and they look nice | | Weaknesses: | they are a pain to get tires on and off...umm they left me with lots of money in my pocket? | | Similar Products Used: | sun xj (i think), and cheap crap rims... | | Bike Setup: | mongoose a50r, all lx, panaracer fire xc pro, time atac, much more... | | Bottom Line: | these rims hold up fine, i dont know WHAT you guys are doing to your rims... im 200+ pounds and i ride some rough trails at times, these rims are still darn close to perfectly true. very good deal for the money, and they do seem to brake better than other rims ive used. all in all a good buy! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steven
a Cross Country Rider
from Petaluma, CA
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | lickbike.com and eBay | | Strengths: | Cheap. Strong. Reasonably light. Simple. Comes in both road and mountain sizes, both 36 and 32 hole. Comes in black (though I had to do some searching...). | | Weaknesses: | None, as far as I'm concerned. | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic 238's (or something like that - OE on my '97 Diamondback), Mach 1 CFS (junk OE on my '04 Cannondale R400 that I rode across the US) | | Bike Setup: | I'm using these rims on both of my bikes:
1. Diamondback Zetec 4.1 w/ rigid fork and Surly Singleator. Big ring and middle ring on a LX crank up front, two cogs in the back, with about 4 links of removable chain (via two Powerlinks) so I can easily switch between a good high gear for pavement and a good medium gear for trails. On One Mungo moustache bars. Avid SD7 brakes. Original LX hubs (rear silent clutch) relaced by me to black CR18's with black Wheelsmith spokes.
2. Takara tourer from the 70s converted to a fixed commuter/beater bike. 700c CR18's laced 3x to a Suzue basic (R) and radially to a vintage Normandy (F) by me with DT's. | | Bottom Line: | I've been running these rims on my fixed/beater bike for over a year now. They were the first set of wheels I ever built, and I've put them through hell. Foul weather, light off-roading, etc. and they keep asking for more. They've only required a minor amount of touch-up truing here and there (more than I can say for a set of machine built wheels...). The only issue has been that the rear rim developed a slight inward dent near the seam (probably from when I was running narrow tires but still riding up/down/off curbs). It has no effect on the ride (since I don't need a rear brake) and the wheel stayed true nonetheless.
Just about a month or so ago I decided to go with these rims in black for my mountain rebuild when my Mavics wore out based on their great record on my fixie. So far they're also holding up fantastically.
Basically, if you need a cheap, no nonsense, do everything, NOT mavic rim, this is a good choice. I wouldn't recommend it for heavy freeriding or downhilling, but you probably could have figured that out on your own. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Livingston
a Cross Country Rider
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Came with the bike. | | Strengths: | cheap. relatively light. | | Weaknesses: | not weight weenie light. not the strongest. | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Soul, stx-rc hubs, CR-18 rims, raceface turbine lp, sram 9.0sl and xtr, time, rock shox judy tt.... | | Bottom Line: | i have been riding these rims for at least 3 years now and they are still going strong. for the price, they are light.
i have a mixed opinion on strength with these rims, however. they arent the strongest and tend to not want to stay perfectly true under hard riding. on the other hand, they never seem to get so out of true that it will really affect your riding.
i do a large amount of hard trail riding on my bike and they have held up to all sorts of abuse. like mentioned, they will come out of true, but i never seem to be able to get them seriously out of true.
just recently, i started riding trials on these rims as well and i have been doing up to 4 foot tall retaining wall drops (albeit properly which helps a lot) and again the same story. they have come a bit out of true over many rides, but thats it!
so to sum up. i have been greatly satisfied with these rims. they arent the lightest or the strongest, but for the price, they are real troopers.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from INIANAPOLIS, iIN, MARION
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Strengths: | CHEAP LIGHT | | Weaknesses: | Dangerously weak | | Similar Products Used: | specialized midgrade stock | | Bike Setup: | Leader hartail, marzochi, lx level components | | Bottom Line: | Bought a wheelset with lx hubs online for good price. First thing i did was true and tension them and they stayed true for many rides. I was prtty happy with them.
But today i made a quick turn to avoid a nasty rock and did a bigtime endo. i didnt know what happend untill i went to ge back on.. taco city and cracked weld!! I hit nothing!! I think the rim just failed and sent me flying. this rim has not seen alot of abuse either no big drops at all.
bottom line I would be scared to have them on front wheel for even a mildly agressive rider. I am going to get a bulletproof rim i dont care how much it weighs cause if i had landed on rocks i could be in bad shape right now.
maybe a bad rim but this is unforgivable
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
The Sock
a Weekend Warrior
from Etobicoke, Ontario
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Don Valley, Fish Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | So far pretty strong. Can't say much about weight...can't really tell. Also the rims around the eyelets are good for the nipples. Ha...I just wanted to say nipples. | | Weaknesses: | SON OF A B**** TO TAKE A NON FOLDING TIRE ON AND OFF | | Similar Products Used: | Sun Singletrack, Sun Rhyno Lites | | Bike Setup: | Stock Fluid 3.0 | | Bottom Line: | These rims came stock on my bike, and so far I've had no truing problems with them. They seem to work great concering that I've been abusing them pretty badly. I'm pretty hard on trails and doing some urban stuff, and so far no problems. Although I'm having a problem with the pinch flats, but I'm changing my tires and getting downhill tubes to remedy that. Also changing tubes is so freaking hard with these rims, it almost makes me want to use a hammer so I'd have an excuse to change wheelsets. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Karol
a Cross Country Rider
from Bydgoszcz, Poland
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | local store | | Strengths: | Triple chamber and low profile at the same time make this rim relatively light and durable. The wheels (laced by myself) have never gone out of true, even though I race in marthons and xc races. I weigh 75 kg, which is an average weight for a rider. The ABT surface looks quite good after this year, I used it with normal brake pads. One can build very reliable wheels on these rims, provided the wheelbuilder knows what he/she is doing. I use the rims with MARS 9.000 hubs and DT Champion spokes. | | Weaknesses: | While riding I literally pray for not having a flat tire. To fit a tire on those rims is extremely difficult even with two tire levers. I recently bought folded Schwalbe tires and they seem to get in easier. Anyway changing tube during the race costs much time! The rims are unbearably tight. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | An old-school xcbike with mozo pro, xt cantilevers and all the stuff you don't find in modern racing machines ;) | | Bottom Line: | I really love these rims, even though they are so tight to fit the tyre on them. And they are cheap! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Richardson
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: May 4, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Gold Creek, Dungeness Valley | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | Gregg's Greenlake | | Strengths: | These rims are strong as hell for the money. The price above was a close-out for a fully built set and may not be relevant to those purchasing the rims alone. I've only had to true them twice since purchasing last May. | | Weaknesses: | These rims are just slightly wider than standard 26 inch fare, just enough to make fitting wire-rimmed tubes nealry impossible. USE FOLDING TIRES ONLY on these rims. Not only are these tires lighter, they can be put on by hand without a lever on this rim and most others. | | Similar Products Used: | Stock rims on Trek 4300. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4300 frame
Shimano XT Crank
Shimano LX derailleurs, brakes, hubs
Bontrager Stem
Crane Cycles Headset
Sun CR18 wheelset
| | Bottom Line: | USE FOLDING TIRES on these rims. If you do, there's no need to throw an excellent, strong entry-level rim away for something pricier. For newbie and intermediate riders, the rims are excellent for cross-country riding at all rates of speed. No experience jumping or dropping with them. I doubt they would hold up though. Anyone going off 2m+ drops, should have a FS bike anyways, which means they can afford stronger rims for freeriding/downhilling...and probably already own them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alamator
a Weekend Warrior
from Taylorsville, NC
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Riverbend, Dark Mountain NC | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | Rims and wheelset were flawless. CR18's were on my first full suspension and they were great. No bent rims or broken spokes. I ride in fairly rought terrain and I was 60lbs heavier then and I had no problem with them at all. | | Weaknesses: | Maybe a bit "twitchy"...but that could have been the rider. | | Similar Products Used: | Alex rims, Rhyno lites | | Bike Setup: | Used on 1999 Jamis Dakar Comp till last August '03 | | Bottom Line: | Worked for me. Wouldn't have known the difference between a $800 wheelset or these. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Johnson
a Weekend Warrior
from Gorham, ME, USA
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Acadia Carriage Roads | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Harris Cyclery | | Strengths: | Bullet-proof | | Weaknesses: | ERD is a little large, making tire replacement difficult. | | Bike Setup: | ca. 1980 Takara road bike with Shimano 105 components. | | Bottom Line: | I built a set of wheels using the 27x1-1/4 size of this rim for my friend's commuter bike. He rode it hard all of last season, and except for one spoke that loosened up, has not had to have them trued. The owner at Harris Cyclery said they were bullet-proof and my experience has borne that out.
In response to the person who bought a set of wheels from Jenson and had them go out of true, it's probably the wheel builder's fault, not the rims. I have a set of Mavic Open Pro/Ultegra wheels that I bought from them and they were very poorly tensioned. They went out of true as soon as I squeezed the spokes, and have needed frequent trueing. I would not buy another wheelset from Jenson. I'll probably get another set of Open Pro rims and DT spokes and rebuild the set I have when I tire of nursing them along. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Baube
a Weekend Warrior
from Quebec
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | from a friend | | Strengths: | very durable | | Weaknesses: | maybe too thin so i can't put tires bigger than 2.35 | | Similar Products Used: | mavic x221, sun rhyno lite xl | | Bike Setup: | 24 le toy3, cr18(front), rhyno(rear) magura HS-33, manitou black elite.... | | Bottom Line: | they are cheap rim that i bought from a friend and i've waited it to break but in 3 years i did'nt bent, my friend never trued it; i have a theory in this rims they are weak so they bend on a hit but retake it place after...
so that's the best rim i can have in front for urban assault | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Walter Guan
a
from Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | BikePro(LBS) | | Strengths: | Looks good | | Weaknesses: | not very strong, decals fall out(I have SUN IMS) | | Bike Setup: | Stock KHS alite 2000 | | Bottom Line: | This is my bro's bike. He is 13 and weight < 100 lbs. Both rims already need trueing and i'm not sure why b'cos these are no lightweight. He is not haevy or anything. If u can afford it, MAVIC 517's are way better (2 years os trail, trias, road, 5' drops and the are still strong). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Novack
a Cross Country Rider
from Stockbridge,GA
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | windy gap | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$32.00 | | Strengths: | look good | | Weaknesses: | I can't find a tire to fit!!! | | Similar Products Used: | MAVIC!!!!!!! | | Bottom Line: | All the reviews about bends and spoke breakage are poor riders and/or poor builds. But what the hell do I know, I can't ride mine beacuse I can't find a damn tire to fit.
So much for standard sizeing. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Downhiller
from Alberta,canada
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | A-line | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Strengths: | Good rim very strong | | Weaknesses: | bad wheel biuld | | Similar Products Used: | stock poop | | Bike Setup: | 02 giant rincon oury,cr18,Hutchinson python gold | | Bottom Line: | Basically all of you are saying this is a bad rim.Don't listen.all of you who are complaining check the spoke tension.I bet this will settle half your problems.Ihad mine tightened and it is GGGrrreaaattt!.I only wiegh 140.But with a RIM like this it's ALL HOW YOU LAND.You people that are bending these are either a.very heavy b.not too heavy but can't land anything(very very likely).It is a good rim and i like it.Buy it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
adam
a Cross Country Rider
from alberta
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | my trials area | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | local lbs | | Strengths: | look good,quite strong will hold up to meduim drops and
big obstacles | | Weaknesses: | stickers fall off | | Similar Products Used: | cheepies | | Bike Setup: | 2002 giant rincon w/oury grips platforms | | Bottom Line: | Very decent rims for the price i have taken drops
and lots of other stuff and they can tottally take the abuse
buy them if you want a very decent rim without emptying
you bank account | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago, Il, USA
Date Reviewed: July 3, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | the one I'm on | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Cool chrome look. Eyelets. Triple hollow. Looks kinda cheesy, so bike doesn't draw too much attention | | Weaknesses: | Seems cheaply made. ABT doesn't seem as smooth as it once was on my rhyno lites. Something funky going on with it. | | Similar Products Used: | Sun: ME-14a, Venus, Zero D XC (all tcb), Rhyno Lite
Mavic: 217 (ok, but wasn't a rim for me) | | Bike Setup: | Cross Check running oem hutchinson cross tires, bar cons, old long-arm xt canti's, xt hubs, ultegra drive train
| | Bottom Line: | Well, the front rim seems fine. The rear rim reacted weird during the build process. I trued it, made a spoke tension adjustment, but something was amiss. The seam was also slightly unlevel, but whether it's user err or manu I can never know. I don't expect a warrenty on a rim just because wheels get chewed up like mad. Well, riding along, I hit a bump, and the rim warped. Fustrated, the wheel caught the wrath of my fury (yeah, I suppose I could have just grinned and beared it, but it begged for destruction). The other sun rims reacted better in the same situation, and were all 1) built by me and 2) survived for 6 months to a year. The ME-14's (on the same rig) even suicided off my car, but held up. 4 chilis because they are inexpensive, 2 chilis 'cause something is up with sun rims. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nigel Pickard
a Weekend Warrior
from Westwood MA USA
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | JensonUSA | | Strengths: | It was a cheap price, $75 for a wheelset with LX hubs -good enough (or so I thought) for the more occasional rider. Front rim is good. | | Weaknesses: | bends, warps, bends, warps and I don't do big jumps! Back rim is terrible. | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic 238, other rims I can't remember | | Bike Setup: | '96 Rockadile SX -it's a trusty steed | | Bottom Line: | I bought these rims as part of a wheelset -I needed new hubs to accomodate the 9 speed stuff and I thought I had a bargain when I picked these up for $75. I couldn't justify spending a couple of hundred dollars based on my rather gentle riding style and tight wallet.
But.... I was wrong! First, the biggest caveat has to be wheel build -the wheelset I got was a joke with loose spokes everywhere, so I went about tightening and truing to reasonable tension. I'm not an expert mechanic or anything but I reckon even if you have very good rims, they won't last too long with a bad build. Having said that, and knowing that I'm not a master wheel builder but still able to keep my old Mavic 238s in reasonable shape and true, I believe these rims are pretty bad -though it's just the rear rim I have trouble with. Since I've had these rims for a couple of months now, I've had to retrue the rear rim at least three times, and it's getting to be a pain in the arse.
To be fair, these rims might be good but my wheel building skills aren't and I have become a tiny bit more aggressive on riding.... but then again why did my Mavics hold up for so long? My advice is unless you want these for gentle commuting/bike path kind of stuff, spend the money and get better rated rims. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alfred Klek
a Cross Country Rider
from Guilford, CT, USA
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | www.jensonusa.com | | Strengths: | inexpensive (i don't remember how much they cost but i think i got a built wheelset with LX hubs for under $100 USD). it's main strenght is that it provides a platform upon which a "tire" and a "tube" may be mounted. | | Weaknesses: | kindof weak | | Similar Products Used: | sun rhynolite, sun rhyno, some mavic rims (their model names and numbers escape me) | | Bike Setup: | fully rigid (i like the way the bumps feel) chro-mo frame, LX/XT built, LX rims. | | Bottom Line: | i think that the main problem that most people who post here have is that if they ride hard it is inevitable that you are going to break something every once and a while, cope with it and be glad that something on your bike broke rather than something on you. i bent the CR-18 that i was running in the back and replaced it with a rhynolite, but the front wheel is still on there and doing alright. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a
from Salem
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Strengths: | They are really strong, i haven't had to true them yet and i am pretty hard on them. they are also really light and good for XC riders. | | Weaknesses: | None yet | | Bottom Line: | these are really good rims for the money and i am probably going to keep them for a long while. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Yuri Meh
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | snakes and ladders | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | long story | | Strengths: | This thing is pretty light and easy to true | | Weaknesses: | I do some drops, jumps and trails, not all that hardcore but end up getting flat spots when my friends keep doing the same thing over and over again on their bikes without bending their rims | | Bike Setup: | ct18, alivio hub on a 19" aluminum frame with rock shox jett | | Bottom Line: | Good for cross country but be careful on those drops. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill
a Downhiller
from Portland, OR usa
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$42.00 | | Strengths: | These rims rule for the weight even when price doesn't matter. Easy to true and straight out of the box. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Rhyno lite, Zac 19, Alex, Mavic (many different models) | | Bike Setup: | FS 6" rear/5" front, sram 9.0. discs, wide riser bars, laced to disc cartridge hubs with 14/15 dt spokes and alloy nipples | | Bottom Line: | These rims are by far the best I've ever used. I've had Rhyno lites-they held up just as well but with 110 more grams and a tire profile I didn't like even with 2.35. They held up better than any mavic (except the 223 DH). I was swayed to go with the sun discs but figured this way if I ever had to give up discs for any reason I could use a rim break and they only weigh 40 more grams.
I weigh 250 and grew up doing trials and bmx as well as still dirt jumping-these hold up to me and all my riding as well as commuting. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a
from Terrace, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | All Seasons Source For Sports | | Weaknesses: | Not Very Durable | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Norco Charger (stock for now) | | Bottom Line: | I'm not a very hard rider, I take dirt jumps and drops but not very big ones. I ride intermediate freeride/enduro/xc trails and I've already slightly bend my back rim. It's not a bad bend but it slows me down and you can hear it when riding. I hope to buy something like a Sun Rhyno Lite but if you're an XC rider or a beginner this is a good rim for you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Art
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver BC
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Cheap, Pretty Strong... | | Weaknesses: | Ive had 3 spokes break in the rear wheel, not sure if its related to the rim, thought i should mention it. | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Fusion, with narrow tioga slicks | | Bottom Line: | I crashed my bike going 45kph into the back of a parked integra. (some idiot cut me off)
I flew... so did my bike... but the rim stayed true.
I was quite impressed
I use these rims to commute to and from work everyday, and light trail riding on the weekends.
I am right now considering purchasing a new set, Whats Up with some reviews? its like 1 or 5 chillis... what are you doing to constantly break your rims?
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Art
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver BC
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Cheap, Pretty Strong... | | Weaknesses: | Ive had 3 spokes break in the rear wheel, not sure if its related to the rim, thought i should mention it. | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Fusion, with narrow tioga slicks | | Bottom Line: | I crashed my bike going 45kph into the back of a parked integra. (some idiot cut me off)
I flew... so did my bike... but the rim stayed true.
I was quite impressed
I use these rims to commute to and from work everyday, and light trail riding on the weekends.
I am right now considering purchasing a new set, Whats Up with some reviews? its like 1 or 5 chillis... what are you doing to constantly break your rims?
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
option eight
a Cross Country Rider
from New York, NY
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Tulip Bicycle Shop | | Strengths: | weight? I suppose somewhat durable if you ride infrequently | | Weaknesses: | Doesn't like to be knocked around. It cries, and then has a tantrum and scrapes at your breakpads... | | Similar Products Used: | other stock garbage | | Bike Setup: | '98 Jamis Eureka currently being souped up | | Bottom Line: | Came with the bike, so I decided to use 'em until they died... Well they're not quite dead but i have the $$$ to replace 'em so I figured I'd share.
They held up fairly well, longer than I expected, which was nice. I beat them up regularly in the urban arena and they complaind with wobbles almost all the way. Eventually truing stopped becoming effective because of spoke issues- but that's a different story... Would NOT recoment them. The price is wrong. Mabey if they were inexpensive, but you can get better for less.
Don't buy unless you enjoy quality time with the spoke wrench. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alberto Ocasio
a Weekend Warrior
from Bridgeton, NJ
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | JensonUSA | | Strengths: | Durable, Shiny, not too heavy | | Weaknesses: | None found yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Stock rims on Trek 820 | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Trek 820, LX and XT upgraded parts. | | Bottom Line: | I have LX hubs with the CR18's. First thing you have to do when you get these rims is to tension the spokes. The rims had held their true and I haven't had any problems with them at all. Money well spent. Mine are the shiny rims. Look good. Good deal from JensenUSA. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
franck
a Downhiller
from bromont quebec canada
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Bottom Line: | OMG! these rims suck as hell they came whit my new ROCKY MONTAIN PIPELINE and the first day i bent the rear wheel and the front wheel !!i guess these rim are not made for downhiller but for cross country rider ...so i bought a wheel set of the new excalibur dh disc wheel distributed by norco...bottom line cr-018 can go to hell!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a Cross Country Rider
from Okotoks,Canada
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | the bike shop | | Strengths: | Strong | | Weaknesses: | none | | Bike Setup: | 2000 RM Spice | | Bottom Line: | I was skeptical about these until yesterday, hit a drop that seperated my shoulder, but the rims are fine, im a believer now, i have seen the light!
Sun Rims are gooda | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sasquatch
a Weekend Warrior
from Council Blufs, Iowa
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Lewis and Clark | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | supergo | | Strengths: | light,looks good,Strong | | Weaknesses: | For the price NONE | | Bike Setup: | Steel GT hard tail with XT/LX drivetrain | | Bottom Line: | Great rim for the money! I weigh 260lbs ran this rim 3 cross on LX hubs and never had a problem. I ride both street and single track and hit curbs and takin 2-3 foot drops, hit small tree stumps snd never had to true them.
If you need a cheep rim that will do the job this is a good choice.Im a large guy 6'5" and had no problems with them. I would have put them on my new bike but they came with better one's. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dooger booger
a Weekend Warrior
from quesnel, b.c., canada
Date Reviewed: February 28, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | that one | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | the ridge in lower mainland | | Strengths: | looks nice, real light, | | Weaknesses: | untrued, bent, dented, looks like some one took a crowbar to it | | Similar Products Used: | cardboard, circular dog sh!t and OH MY GOD WHATS THAT! | | Bike Setup: | 200 rockey mtn spice, Rino lytes, hayes hydralics, pig dh head set and kore stem,
z1 drop offs, longer triangle that connects to the shock, bash guard | | Bottom Line: | There good but not that good. I bashed mine up after i broke my bike in. They take about a 4 and a half foot drop b4 exploding in to a bloody wobly mess. ill give it a 3 because they are xc rims and not really meant for freeride. only buy em if u dont plan ever to go over more than a 3 and a half foot drop. they still come untrues over that but not wrecked. 5 for the value cause their so cheap and 3 for the overall cause their durable for xc. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jakub
a
from London
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | they don't cost much | | Weaknesses: | every thing. they are just too weak. the wheel build wasn't all that great but the rim itself isn't all the strong. | | Similar Products Used: | mavic X517 Ceramic with XTR hubs | | Bottom Line: | ok it's simpe. these rims aren't all that great. they are good for one thing. if you want to learn how to true wheels these are the rims to get. you'll learn fast and you'll get a lot of practice since you'll be working on them after every ride.
No but really. i liked these rims at first, but then after a while you just get sick of working on them. the only reason why i had them was because they came on my bike. they are a good rim for touring but if you get into real mountain biking it's a rim that you want to stay away from. I say buy a Mavic rim. the French know what they are doing and they build the best rims. i had enough of working on the cr18 that i just went out and bought the mavic X517 Ceramic with XTR hubs they work a hell of a lot better but they also cast a hell of a lot more. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Sacrament, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Salmon Falls | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Cheap, I got LX Hubs, and these rims for $90 | | Weaknesses: | ***NOTE*** Wheel Build was not top quality.
| | Similar Products Used: | Araya RM20 w/Ringle Hubs
Bonty Mustangs w/XT hubs | | Bike Setup: | Ventana LX/XT mix | | Bottom Line: | These rims were a great emergency back replacement when my old wheels failed unexpectedly. The rims are good quality and weigh a decent weight. MOST of the POOR reveiws below are because of WHEEL BUILD not the actual product!!!!
THAT's why the wheels come out of true.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike
a Cross Country Rider
from ny
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | really light, stays true for awhile. | | Weaknesses: | The rear wheel is slightly out of true, no biggie. | | Similar Products Used: | Heavy steel rims. | | Bike Setup: | Rockymtn. Fusion | | Bottom Line: | good if you're a light rider like me. I'am 130lbs and i have'nt had too many problems yet with them. Michelins go good with this rim. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Sioux Falls SD
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | rimrock - | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | strong
reliable | | Weaknesses: | Braking surface
| | Similar Products Used: | mavic 217 517 & 231 | | Bike Setup: | cannondale f700 | | Bottom Line: | had these built since I knew the mavic 231's that came w/ my Cdale wouldn't last more than a summer . I'm a 180 lbs agressive rider . I have used these rims for 2 years . they'd been trued twice and that;s about it . I finally put a flat spot on the rear one after a hell ride in northern Minnesota . Time to try the sumrims 0 degree XC | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
a Cross Country Rider
from Québec, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Could be worst | | Weaknesses: | Need to be trued after 2 rides | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bottom Line: | I weight only 130lbs and these rims get trued fast. So it is not good for people like me who rides hard when going downhill on trails with a lot of rocks and roots. If I have to replace the rims, I will certainly not buy these again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
¿phil?
a
from victoria, bc, canada
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | -came with the bike | | Weaknesses: | -heat up fast
-come untrue very fast
-broke after i had it for a few months | | Bottom Line: | if they come on your bike ride them until they break. Otherwise dont even think about buying them unless you are a beginner or an XC person. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
William Coddington
a Cross Country Rider
from Prior Lake, Mn
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Murphy-Hanrahan | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | strong, Only needed to be trued once in 3 years. Cheep, came with the bike. | | Weaknesses: | Nothings perfect, but I can't complain about these.
| | Similar Products Used: | nothing I would name | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale F700 with stx-rc hubs | | Bottom Line: | I've put about 3-4000 miles on these things most of it easy, but about 1000 hard miles. The back one is still good. The front is shot from when the bike came off the bike rack going down the highway (Totally my fault, so you should question my judgement). I still use it with a slight wobble, since it wont true. I'm looking to upgrade now, but was very happy with them. So if they came with your bike, you don't have to automatically replace them (even if the hubs have a bad rep like the stx since they lasted too), or if you get a good deal on them. Probably not for hardcore downhill riders or racers. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Downhiller
from WA
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | ball Breath | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Damn Cheap rims. I got both of mine for $50 w/LX hubs. | | Weaknesses: | How are you trying to blame? | | Similar Products Used: | ALL OF THEM | | Bike Setup: | GT hardtail, 4Banger | | Bottom Line: | I by them because they are cheap and light. Buy 14g spokes, build your rim RIGHT, buy XT V brakes, change your brake pads and SHUT THE HELL UP! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tom
a
from london
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | This one -----> | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | -Relatively strong
-Relatively Light weight
-Inexpensive
-HANDBUILT USING DT SPOKES | | Weaknesses: | really fat tires won't fit on this, but then again it's not made for really fat tires, so there. | | Similar Products Used: | 517's | | Bottom Line: | Well, the key word to remember is Relative. They're not as Strong as Sun Doublewides, don't expect them to be. They're not as light as Sub IV's, don't expect them to be. They are however, A good ALL AROUND wheelset. I got mine laced up with LX hubs, DT 14 G spokes and nipples, they were stripped from a Rocky (and those guys know how to build wheels) When built PROPERLY, they will do what most people are going to do on them. DH racers, weigh weenies, North Shore types look elsewhere, everyone else look here-->
I do a lot of cross country riding and racing, 12 and 24 hour races especially, and some jumps and drops (like 4-5 feet max) and they've held up just fine. you gotta true them now and then, but you do with all wheels. So I'm a sun customer for life, buy em and you'll find out why.
BTW, it seems they had problems with these wheels in the past, which is why everyone at the bottom hated them, but it's been fixed now so read the recent reviews eh. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
reid
a
from Salt Lake City, UT
Date Reviewed: April 8, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | lightweight
easy build | | Weaknesses: | rim seams sometimes have small bulge(common to all wheels manufactured with pinning vs. welding and machining)-this can easily be taken out with some work | | Similar Products Used: | mavic, matrix, richey | | Bike Setup: | intense tracer & white bros fork
wheels
rear - XTR, 14/15 DT spokes, alloy nipples, 3x gear, radial laced nongear
front - WCW carbon, 14/15 DT, alloy nipples, radially laced | | Bottom Line: | I feel some balance needs to be added to these reviews. I have ridden Sun rims for years with out problems. One set of rims was laced twice and went thru three broken frames (steel, oclv hard tail and oclv dual). I build all my wheels using alloy nipples, liberal coat of spoke prep and only DT spokes(I have found problems with detensioning as well as breaking at the sharp ramp of the butting when using wheelsmith spokes ??quality control??)
I ride through varitey of terrain including jumps and drops, a large portion of riding is on very rocky trails, and I like to let the wheels roll. I weigh 190lbs. and run 45psi in both F&R tires-I check this before each ride. Three times I have ridden home 2-3 mi on rocky trails,carefully, with flat tires (2xR, 1xF). I knew I was trashing tube and tire and expected to ruin the rim. The rubber was trashed but the rims held up. I have put a good twist into a rear rim after landing sideways off a jump. With a little spoke work and use of an open drawer I returned the rim to acceptable useability for a few more months before finally replacing.
I have been very satisfied and continue to use Sun rims on my MTB, road, and cyclo-x bikes.
From the previous reviews it sounds consistently as though problems are occurring with new wheels on new bikes-??to new riders??
-ride quality BUILT wheels with EVEN spoke tensions
-use spoke prep
-check tire pressure before each ride - prevents pinches too
-Learn to Ride - not meant to be a slam or taken as ride cautious and slow BUT you can't smack a poorly tensioned wheel into curbs or land sideways and expect it to stay together. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Josh
a Racer
from NH
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | They spin | | Weaknesses: | really none for the price | | Bike Setup: | 98 K2 3000 xt, xtr stuff | | Bottom Line: | They really arent bad. I have had them for 2 years, and the last year i raced on them. I have even put about 3000 miles on them. I wouldnt buy them, but if I didnt have a lot of money, I would buy them. My way of biking is, I dont replace a part until it breaks, well these came with my bike and have not broke(or become warped). I do have to true them every few rides, but it is minor. I have gotton my money out of them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Butch
a Cross Country Rider
from Vermont
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Great braking surface, strong if assembled correctly (see below) relatively light good looks especially w/ black ano. good price. | | Weaknesses: | Will bend easily if assembled lightweight | | Similar Products Used: | mavic araya | | Bike Setup: | Custom stumpjumper with 9.0SL XTR, XT, LX, Manitou SX | | Bottom Line: | As I stated above I have run these rims for a year now with absolutly no problems. One has to remember that after all these are 25-35 dollar rims. So consequently you have to take that into consideration when it comes time to lace them up. I would recommend 14 guage spokes with a minimum of a 3 cross. If you weigh over 180, as I do, I would recommend 4 cross. If this setup sounds weenie to you than I would suggest you go spend your 100 plus each for the fancy stuff. You will have good luck with these rims if you just try not to cut too much weight off of them during setup. I would rate them a five for value and four overall because the damn stickers fall off. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brent Dombrowski
a Cross-Country Rider
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: January 6, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Weaknesses: |
Blew out. | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavic 217 | | Bike Setup: |
Rockey Mountain Element | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow up to my previous review. It took Sun almost 2 months to return my wheel to me. They claimed they were out of rims. I guess they were. I got a new 0 deg XC when I went to pick up my wheel. Don't depend on theses guys if your racing. Another single star for poor service and that blasted voice mail. Whats so wrong about answering the phone? I'd give them a negative star except they sent me a better rim. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill Kyttle
a Cross-Country Rider
from Forestdale, MA
Date Reviewed: December 6, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Star Wars | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
It's great, light, stiff, and I destroy rims. | | Weaknesses: |
None so far, had to have them Trued once but thats it. | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavic Cross Link | | Bike Setup: |
LX, XT, K2 proflex 3000, Nolleen Elite. | | Bottom Line: | There great rims, adn your can't beat the price. Very good for a person who rides all the time and needs a strong rime for short money. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Cross-Country Rider
from CT
Date Reviewed: December 5, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Hartman Park | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Light weight
Double wall | | Weaknesses: |
none | | Similar Products Used: |
rhyno lights | | Bike Setup: |
Marin hardtail and K2 full suspension | | Bottom Line: | I only use this rim on the front of my 3 bikes, and I build the wheels myself. I've had zero problems with these rims regarding trueness etc. I use their Rhyno Lights on the back and am just amazed at what they can handle. I weigh 180 and probably would not want a cr18 on the back, but never tried that. Four stars since I havent used other front rims to compare these to. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bob
a Cross-Country Rider
from CT
Date Reviewed: November 25, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Tough, light | | Weaknesses: |
not as light as I expected.. | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavic 238
Spinergy Rev-X-Roks | | Bike Setup: |
1999 GT Aggressor SE, Manitou SX-D | | Bottom Line: | I used to ride some spinergy's till I hit a rock sideways and broke 3 spokes in half...I got these as a subsitute until i could buy some Crosslinks...my god these were so much better than i imagined...I can DH on these things and not even phase them..Now i can save some cash and keep these instead of buying some overrated wheelset....Nice wheels | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brent Dombrowski
a Cross-Country Rider
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: October 29, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
McKenzie River Trail | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Stayed true. | | Weaknesses: |
Side walls blew out. | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavic 217s, 238s, Arrayas. | | Bike Setup: |
RM Element Race. | | Bottom Line: | This is the first bike part I've had completely fail on me. I swaped these out with some 217s I had built up after riding them for 6 months.. I put some slicks on them and pumped them up to 80. The front rim blew out in two spots. Didn't even get the wheel on the bike. The rim is on its way back to Sun for replacement. The rear one is still holding up. I'm glad this didn't happen on the trail. Looks like Suns quality control guys are sleeping on the job. I don't trust these things and can't recomend them to anyone. One star for costing me a tube and leaving me deaf. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cary
a Cross-Country Rider
from great falls, va
Date Reviewed: October 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
fox mill, reston | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
have stayed true, light for XC sport | | Weaknesses: |
they aren't appreciating | | Similar Products Used: |
trash | | Bike Setup: |
oury grips, white lightning lube, lx hubs, conti xc tires. | | Bottom Line: | no trueing needed so far and I hit curbs/logs roots(all off seat) and lock up brakes on downhill often. If these last two years, I'll be happy. I'm already shopping for my next wheels(sun sub IVs or Bontrager Mustangs). Only three months doesn't make a 5 on the flame scale, though. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke
a Cross-Country Rider
from Alberta
Date Reviewed: August 18, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
None | | Weaknesses: |
Bends easy, heat up easily | | Similar Products Used: |
none | | Bike Setup: |
1998 muni-mula | | Bottom Line: | This thing suck sh*t, don't waste your money | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DJ
a Cross-Country Rider
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: August 13, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Wears well - in terms of abrasion resistance, decent braking, hit resistance | | Weaknesses: |
staying true | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavic 231's, 238's | | Bike Setup: |
Rocky Mt. Equipe '97
Judy C
Avid 1D brakes | | Bottom Line: | Like others below, I've have a problem with trueness, esp. on the back wheel. I don't know if this is due to the rims themselves, or the build - they came stock on the rig, and I suspect that even though Rocky Mt blows their horn about hand-built by Wheelsmith wheel, they may not be put together by a master craftsman with decades of experience. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JEFF
a Cross-Country Rider
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: July 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Dagmar | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Great rim if you want to practise trueing
(you will have to do it every time you ride) | | Weaknesses: |
Stay away from this product it really sucks big time | | Bike Setup: |
Rocky mountain element race | | Bottom Line: | The second time out the back tire went out of true.The weelset will not stay true no matter what you do. This rim will bend from the smallest impact. I am really angry at rocky mountain. I spent over two thousand dollars for a bike with a wheelset that are incapable of handling any cross country trails!!.Rocky mountain should have tested the rims before including this product with a full suspension bike.Shame on you!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hener
a Cross-Country Rider
from Mössingen, Germany
Date Reviewed: July 26, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
all around the swabian alb``s in germany, europe | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
the front wheel stays in tune | | Weaknesses: |
the back wheel never does | | Similar Products Used: |
none - but soon i will | | Bike Setup: |
element race with maguras H33 | | Bottom Line: | I`ve got thes wheels with my rocky mountain as i bought it.
I can`t understand why rocky m. is choosing this wheelset. The rearset isn`t staying in tune - no matter how long and how hard or soft you ride it. I've tried it myself and in two different bike-shops to get good setup - it failed!!!!
But I'm not shure who is to blame:
- wheeltech`s handbuilder chris (because he built rearset)??
- or the company wheeltech for not giving the builders enough time to built it correctly??
- or sun, maybe the builder has done a good job and the material sucks??
resume:
1) I never buy again a wheeltech wheelset ..
...or do you give me a new rearset???, so i can change my opinion!!
2) I never buy again sun-rims....or do you ddo something to change my opinion???I``m allways open for good news!!!!About the rating: 4 for the front - zero für the back - but the weakest part dominate the rating, sorry! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Corey
a Cross-Country Rider
from Gilmanton, NH
Date Reviewed: July 23, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
carr ridge | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
came on the bike
lasted 1 year
schader valves | | Weaknesses: |
always out of true
can't take a good thrashing
schrader valves | | Similar Products Used: |
mavic 217 | | Bike Setup: |
Kona
Bomber | | Bottom Line: | The front rim is still going okay, a little funny and contantly out of true
But, the back one is totally screwed up. When I ride, I bounce from the large dent in the back rim. I sort of repaired it with some vice grips and a spoke tool. But I am afraid it's not going to make it. If these came on your bike, ride them until they break. Also, they came with schrader valves. Which is okay, but make sure you always have a tube because no one else will have one that fits. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross-Country Rider
from Wabush NF, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
I don't know yet | | Weaknesses: |
The rim | | Bottom Line: | Rims came on a 1999 Oryx 2000S had 4 days and already the back rim is bent and the front one slightly even with the RS Jett XC's up front, and not only that I didn't even drive it hard yet, I'm 200lbs so i'll see how they hold up after a good goin' over. Right now I give it 1 chili. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross-Country Rider
from Boca Raton Fl.
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Oleta River Trail | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
great rim if you like to true your rims (because you will do it every time you use them)! | | Weaknesses: |
bad rim if hate to true your rims (because every time you ride you will)! | | Similar Products Used: |
several types of Mavic & Bontragers | | Bike Setup: |
SV-1000
full XTR
NU XT BONTRAGER MUSTANG WHEELSET | | Bottom Line: | These rims blow goat turds!!!!
These rims came stock on my bike, and worked fine for the 50 miles. After that, every time I rode my bike I needed to true my rear wheel. I only ride X-country and I am 175lbs. So my advice for any potential Sun CR-18 rim buyers is Friends, don't let friends ride Sun Rims! I guess I have to give them one flaming turd, only because they WERE round when I first got them! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tom
a Cross-Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
The one that I'm on? | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
They're round | | Weaknesses: |
The stickers are falling off | | Similar Products Used: |
Circular shits | | Bike Setup: |
KHS Team, manitou Mach 5 w/ speed springs | | Bottom Line: | A few things to remember when buying rims.
1st - If you're a heavy rider, buy a heavy rim. Someone who is 200lbs is obviously going to bend a rim that weighs in at 400g, they weigh so much and the rim is built using so little material. someone who is 160lbs, like me, won't bend lighter rims as easily.
2nd - Spokes make up part of your rim strength. The rim itself is responsible for straight on impact, while the spokes, and therefore the way the rim is built, is responsible for torsional stiffness, meaning how strong the rim is bending it sideways, like going through ruts or landing on the side like you would to TACO it. Idiots who use like 15/16 or 16/17 gague spokes should expect their rims to twist and bend, cause the spokes are so small. Unless you land perfectly square every time, you'll taco thin spoked rims, then you'll go and blame the company, even though you made a bad choice about how the rims should be built, or got an idiot wheelbuilder to make them. Unless you're an Elite recer weight weenie, put 14 GAGUE spokes on, and always use DT SPOKES, others suck goat. That being said, the CR-18's I have are built up with 14 gague DT spokes and alloy nips, with LX hubs. After 3 weeks of riding, they are so slightly out of true that you couldn't notice it without a truing stand, they don't ride funny or even rub against my V brakes. I turned two spokes 1/4 turn, and they were perfectly straight again. I've used them in 2 races, but because of EXAMS right now I havn't been able to ride them too much. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross-Country Rider
from Bozeman, MT
Date Reviewed: June 20, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Where there is no trail | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
very strong, reasonable weight. | | Weaknesses: |
braking surface seems to degrade a bit faster than normal. | | Similar Products Used: |
mavic 217
araya of some sort
too many others to name | | Bike Setup: |
Dimond back welded carbon fiber, from back when DB was respectable. | | Bottom Line: | Simply a good value, I am a light rider (160) but these have remained wonderfuly true for a full year of insane riding, were built up with LX hubs by my lbs mechanic, I love them, would buy them again except for the sidewall wear. Ecxellent value. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
marco1
a Cross-Country Rider
from Scandinavia
Date Reviewed: May 31, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
- | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Weaknesses: |
-most are built badly | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavic 517's & bunch of others | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn HT | | Bottom Line: | Average rim, after being rebuilt these stay true well enough for not replacing them until they are completely trashed.
The braking surface does not stay in reasonably condition for long and has to conditioned reqularly (with those kitchen cleaning pad, nothing fancier).
Anyway, I won't miss them when they are done... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brodie
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada
Date Reviewed: May 16, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Anything technical | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
light weight | | Weaknesses: |
they are WEAK | | Similar Products Used: |
ryhno lites
mavic's | | Bike Setup: |
Rockey Mountain Element Race
Fox Vanilla rear | | Bottom Line: | they blow goat nuts!!!!!
ive already craked them and bent them the first day i rode on them!
my rear is now toast, cracked and bent it 4 times
as soon as i get them straightend they get bent again
if there was a ZERO it would get that! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
EJ
a Weekend Warrior
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: April 6, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Eyelets, Machined sidewalls | | Weaknesses: |
heavy-ish | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavic rims | | Bike Setup: |
Kona Hard Tail, XT. | | Bottom Line: | Strong rim that gets beat up. With XT hubs I have a reliable wheelset that I could ride through a war zone without worry. I weigh 180 and I like to run over rocks and ruts and go through water. My bike is caked with mud, and I'm a lunatic, but my wheels kick AZZZZZ!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rock
a Cross-Country Rider
from Littleton, Co
Date Reviewed: April 3, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Hang on | | Weaknesses: |
Keep reading | | Similar Products Used: |
I hate these new fields | | Bike Setup: |
Who cares? | | Bottom Line: | This goes out to all you people who hate your rims: build them yourself. I built this rim with by my OWN hand and guess what? NO PROBLEMS. I did the same to a Rhyno lite, same result. I did the same to a POS single-wall Araya, same result. Goes to show that wheel builders fail, not wheels | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neville Stead
a Cross-Country Rider
from Delta, BC
Date Reviewed: March 28, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
North Delta Watershed | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Strong | | Weaknesses: |
None | | Similar Products Used: |
Trek Trash | | Bike Setup: |
Canondale Superactive V100 Full suspension | | Bottom Line: | It is my front rim. Built up by my local mechanic. I weigh 220lbs and ride hard. No problems yet. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian H
a weekend warrior
from Bishop, CA
Date Reviewed: February 17, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I've used the CR-18's on a Cannondale SVA1000 now for 1200 rough dirt miles. I've only trued them a couple of times, usually because I like my hoops perfect.
For the people down below that say these rims suck, maybe you should have them built by a artist who knows what their doing. I've taken off camber jumps, high speed boulder fields, roots, drop-offs, and even hit a dog at night and they still run true.Brian | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard
a cross-country rider
from Lachine
Date Reviewed: February 17, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
When I bought my Oryx 5000ds, these bad rims came with it. I think these are the cheapest rims in my live. After one day of heavy trails, I have to adjust all my spokes. CR-18 are sucks! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter McEnsei
a downhiller
from melbourne victoria Australia
Date Reviewed: January 17, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
These rims came of my Iron Horse G-Spot and i can honestly say that they suck, on the second ride on my new bike i dinted them and on the fifth i tacod them, goes to prove that light sucks | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a weekend warrior
from North Carolina
Date Reviewed: January 14, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
The CR18's are great rims. I've never had to true them. And they are very stout rims. However, I don't think that they are as light as everyone makes out. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JG
a racer
from Billericay, Essex UK
Date Reviewed: December 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The CR 18 rims are only as good as your friendly wheelbuilder can make it. My experience has been excellent, but only after taking the wheels back for retrue.As a 180 lb. racer, the wheels have been fine for a year of hard riding.
Also, being US made is definitely a plus! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
uberboy
a weekend warrior
from nj
Date Reviewed: November 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I weigh 200lbs and ride harder than your mom! My Sun rims (DT spokes/XTR hubs) are indestructible! Not too heavy either! These are my 5th set of rims (Mavic 517's, Sun Rhinos great but too heavy,Mavic 238's, and Trek), and by far the best! Enjoy the ride!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gil
a cross-country rider
from Miami, Fl
Date Reviewed: November 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I can't tell you that I am an expert on rims. However, I just tacoed my sun rims this weekend one day before a race. Presently, I am researching if I can find a better deal on rims. I am reading peoples opinions on these rims and it seems unfair. I weigh 210 pds and rode the rims for over one year with minimum truing. I believe I just quarter turned a few spokes a few times. The rims were otherwise light, and durable. I ride through heavy rocks, roots, and 2 feet drop off and until recently no problems with these rims. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scorpion
a
from cross-country rider
Date Reviewed: November 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
LISTEN UP! Everyone is always trashing rims, even though usually it is a bad tensioning/trueing job. Even the best rim in the world is going to taco if it is badly tensioned and/or you take it a 6 ft cliff! Listen closely, because I'll only say this once: When you buy a new bike or wheelset, pay the shop guy the 15 bucks to get him to tension it right, because the factory usually hasn't. Its worth the money. I admit there are some crappy rims out there, but usually it is a tension problem, so cool it! The Suns are an excellent rim. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fast Freddy
a cross-country rider
from Ohio
Date Reviewed: September 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I am a 200 pound plus mountain biker / racer... The very first time out (by the way these were factory rims on my Cannondale)... I slammed the front wheel in a ditch and put a heck of a bend in it.... turns out the wheels were not properly tensioned... after going through and re-trueing and re-tensioning the wheels they have not came out of true... No complaints... Over 600 miles off road... 6 races... numerous 3 foot ledges... and atleast 6 excelent wipe-outs... they still are in good shape... The rims are very Durable - and even the finish is holding up fine... the side walls look good too (even after 2 sets of pads) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ravi
a weekend warrior
from Williams Lake, BC
Date Reviewed: September 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These rims are definitely light - lightweights that is. However, with that said I've had a few crashes on them before they started giving problems and then it was endless - sometimes they seemed to go off true if I breathed on them - slight exageration. Still for a relatively cheap rim (came stock with my Hammer Race) they held up for a while. I'm 170 and try to ride as light as possible so I feel the rims should have held out better. Well they are both tacoed now and the new Mavics I have are excellent and were well built at the local shop. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
George Auger
a downhiller
from New Hampshire
Date Reviewed: July 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These rims suck the big one! The first day I was out on the trails I warped the shit out of them! Some one please tell me what a good rim is..........I actualy have only complaint and that is that the get tweeked out of shape easally! But they are light weight and I suppose they are rather durable considering that I weigh 210 lbs and am 6'1 tall. They came on my Cannondale Super V700. Overall I would not tell some one to buy them unless they weighed very little. Two steemin shits just because they look good and are light. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tyson
a
from racer
Date Reviewed: July 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Theese rims SUCK...Do not ever buy theese wheels. They came on my Norco Mocha, and they come out of true so easily. I actually broke my first rear wheel right in half, then when I got my next one, it broke too. All I am saying is look into something a little better before you decide to go with theese wheels. I would give them nothing, but it won't let me so I have to give them one star...too bad. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jamie lamb
a racer
from nova scotia canada
Date Reviewed: June 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I don't know why everyone hates these rims so much. They came stock on my norco magnum and I race hard and fast but I am only 120 lbs and 13 yrs. old. I race every weekend and slam them all over the trail. The front rim is peerfect and the rear was ok. The first day I got my bike i bent it! The bike shop trued it for free though. Everyone also says these are not the lightest rims in the world. I find them light. I havent rode cross max or cane creek yet. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a cross-country rider
from Madison, WI
Date Reviewed: June 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I must be particularly fortunate, I have these rims and the wheels were built by cannondale, and I have had them trued once after about 500 miles of rooty and rocky singletrack, and one thousand miles of concrete or hardpack. I'm a 160 lb. rider and i'm not overly cautious with my bike, yet i'm not having all of the problems that are spoken of in this review. I want to upgrade my hubs from stx to lx or xt, but i'm afraid to rebuild a solid wheel after reading what i've read. These get a solid four burning dead horses (people give out five flames way too easily in this site) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Carlos J. Montanez
a weekend warrior
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: June 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have about 700 miles on my Sun CR18 rims and have had no problems.
The bike is used strictly for single track mountain rides. I haven't
had to true them yet. There was one small problem that arised from a
bad habit that I developed, riding with under 20 p.s.i., instead of
the recommended 40 to 60. My tires rotated on the rims and teared the
stems. This all happened on a very steep hill at night. Now I always
use at least 50 p.s.i. and put hair spray on the rim (inside). It is possible tha the CR15s are very strong, as long as you land straight, and keep good
air pressure. One thing is certain, the Sun CR15 rims are much better than the Matrix Singletrack Pro on my other bike. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil Smith
a racer
from Connell, WA
Date Reviewed: June 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Bought this wheelset for about $75 at the LBS, st. gauge spokes brass nipples and LX hubs. Have raced them about 5 times and done numerous training rides, no problems so far. I am about 210 lbs and try to ride lightly over rocks, roots, etc. If they last a couple of seasons they will have been a good deal. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike D
a racer
from Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought an F1000 with these rims on it a year ago. They held out until recently, but i just tacoed them beyond all hope. I swear all I did was jump a little dip in the trail and landed with my back wheel in it. The impact wasn't even enough to slow me down. I now have to pay $150 to have a wheel rebuilt with similar spokes and nipples, and I don't know if the front one will give out soon as well. I don't think i should have to pay $300 for something the company saved $20 skimping on. I hope I can get Sun to refund me, but I don't believe that good service makes up for bad products. I have heard that Cannondale should be blamed for building it poorly, but i doubt that was it. I have two friends who have or had installed sun CR-18's. They have both since been charged the same amount as me, and were not reimbursed by Sun. Do not buy these rims. If the bike you want comes with them, have the shop exchange it for a better rim. The extra $75 or so is much more reasonable than $300 sometime down the road. And with these rims, you never know when that time will be. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin S
a cross-country rider
from Venice, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have two, one on the front and one on the back of my new Element Race. The one on the front is in pretty good shape after a week. The one one the back is basically toast. Handbuilt, with DT spokes by Wheeltech. Either the rims suck, the builder sucks, or Rocky sucks for spec'ing them, you decide. I've decided to give them 1 very small chili. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
The Guy with these rims
a racer
from The mountain of K2
Date Reviewed: May 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I had these stupid rims note had and after 20 rides i bent them so bad that my brain exploded ouch I exclaimed. oh what a world what a world. Anyway anybody who buys these rims or owns them should be shoot in the groin and have there heart ripped out buy rustys monkeys and then spit on. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
affended
a weekend warrior
from Canada
Date Reviewed: May 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I don't own a pair of sun rims, I'm just trying to see if I should. I read Sancibar's piece about his daughter falling from the curb so he beat the hell out of his wife to vent his frustrations. Sounds like you need the beating, even if you were just joking. Grow up you dork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
crusty dusty
a weekend warrior
from canada
Date Reviewed: May 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These rims don't suck dammit. They came stock on my Element. And they were handbuilt by some guys at rocky mountain. So they're cool dammit. They're still round and rolling so I can't complain. I don't know how light they are, because my front tire weighs as much as freakin frozen lasagna. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff King
a cross-country rider
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: May 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well I am back!I have had the Cr 18 rims on my old bike and now with my new bike. With the new Hammer race these babies are stock. With a front fork that is plush, these rims are not bad at all! ( Front wheel )
rear is a different story. It might just be the wheel teck at RM or wheelsmith... Whatever, I have never had more problems with a setup like this!Once again I suggest that you go a little bit more expensive and get some Ryno Lites. 100% better.
Oh! if you have no choice... Use lock tight on the nipples.Good luck! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Webb Phillips
a cross-country rider
from New York City
Date Reviewed: May 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These rims are pretty lousy. I basically needed a true after every ride; I only weigh 150 lbs and I ride XC. For some reason a lot of bikes come with them. I tacoed them both, on different occasions, and have replaced them both with bontrager rims. I do things on my bontrager mustang ASYM rear wheel that are worse than what killed my CR18s, and the bontrager stays true. Plus it's lighter. Plus it's only $20 more. Do yourself a favor; buy some bontrager mustangs. I don't have to tell you to get rid of your CR18s; they'll get rid of themselves soon enough. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ski
a cross-country rider
from canada
Date Reviewed: May 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I really don't know why everyone complains about these rims...must be the way the wheels were built. I've had a pair since 1994,I weigh 190lbs and I've ridden on all terrain, taken air off cliffs that have snapped my seatpost (ouch!),and rode mostly on steep,rocky mountain trails,with too many pinch flats on huge rocks to count...believe it or not they have never been trued!!! They are as true as the day I bought them.As for being heavy...whats a total of maybe 100grams?? Go to the can in the morning and you'll lose that extra weight...happy riding :-) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ricksom
a weekend warrior
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well, what can I say. These rims are not the greatest, and I don't know why SUN claims they are strong. Clydesdale rims, I DON'T THINK SO! They don't REALLY have a triple pocket design. I would call it just sidewall reinforcement, because there is no real load bearing rib that goes from sidewall to sidewall on the inside.
These rims came standard on my Rocky Mountain Hammer, and is what everyone is complaining about when they refer to bad wheels in the Hammer product reviews.
These rims are O.K., but not meant for any serious rough, off road riding. They constantly go out of true, create loose spokes, V-brakes wear them down like wood, and they flex so much that they bounce off both brake pads when I do tricky technical single-track.Bottom Line: Don't bother with these if you do any serious off road riding, especially downhill stuff. These rims are meant for smooth trail riding. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
shannon
a cross-country rider
from winston-salem, north carolina
Date Reviewed: May 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Ive had these rims for a couple of months. I really have just recently taken the sport up seriously and have had these wheels on my Ibis Szazbo.(which is the bomb) Well, today I decided to step up my riding agressiveness a level, and guess what.....Yip that's right...these wheels suck a@#. I thought before that truing wheels after every ride was normal...hey, I didn't know any better. Today I potato chipped the rear wheel and had to carry my bike out of the woods, and that sucked. Then I went to the bike shop and being the cool guys they are, they gave me a loaner wheel while they rebuilt me a Mavic...Well, off I went again, and continued a good ride until...you guessed it...the front wheel bent worse than the rear, and the worse thing about it is...neither one was the worse spill I had ever taken......Bottom line is: I don't suggest these wheels for anyone. Im going to switch to some Spin Mags after that episode. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Braeden F.
a racer
from Linconshire, il
Date Reviewed: May 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I was doing some light trial on my bike, i.e. wheelies, hopping on my front and back wheels and low bunnyhops. I noticed my pads touching the rims but i kept going figuring ill true them later. When i put my bike away, i noticed to giant flat spots with acommpanying dents in the sidewalls with hairline cracks and the joint weld where the rim is put together had split. I hopped on my bike, just as i put my weight on it, the split popped my tired and the rear wheel crumbled beneth my body. i weigh 140 lbs and am somewhat gracefull and i dont land hard at all. At least now i have an excuse to go out and get some ringle/ sun 0 degree light rims | | Overall Rating: |
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