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Submitted by
Tom
a
from Sioux Falls, SD USA
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | These wheels came on my '99 Klein attitude race. I've ridden these wheels for over 5 years now all being a Clydesdale, these wheels have never needed to be trued. | | Weaknesses: | black on spokes has worn a bit over 5 years, not really a weakness but that's all I can think of. | | Bike Setup: | Klien Attitude race | | Bottom Line: | They still roll smooth as silk, no problems with the hubs. 5 great years on a hardtail ridden by a clydesdale, some years above 250lb!!! No complaints here! I would recommend these wheels to anybody riding any type of XC, and single track. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone looking for huge air. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
larry pitch
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston, MA, US of A
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | the next one | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | strong proven hoop design. Asym seems like a winner | | Weaknesses: | rear hub, especially free hub assembly | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic/STX, LX & XT, Matrix Swami/LX, Weinman/Altus others I can't think of. | | Bike Setup: | The wheels were stock on a 1999 Mantra Comp. Swapped in a Marzocchi Z2 | | Bottom Line: | 1. Proper wheel build, with uniform correct tension is the key to a long lasting wheel.
I know that My LBS spent a good amount of time on these wheels when setting up the bike. They haven't seen a spoke wrench in 5 years. I'm 215 lbs and not dainty, but the Mantra is plush, I doubt they would have held up as well on my H'tail. The lacing pattern surprised me by being this durable (see note 1)
I had the first rear wheel ('99) replaced after 1 month because the freehub body broke off. It was replaced with a 2000 model, which has lasted longer than I have had LX freehubs.
These wheels have lasted better than I thought they would. I credit my LBS and plush rear suspension, not so much the components. I may build up a Bontrager/XT wheel for replacement.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Stillwater, Ok
Date Reviewed: April 8, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Came on Bike | | Strengths: | Light Wheelset | | Weaknesses: | Dont hold up well over time | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Klein Mantra Comp | | Bottom Line: | I liked this wheelset from the time that I got them when I bought the bike. But today when coming home from riding some single track I realized that I had pulled a nipple throught the rim and upon further inspection I realized that there were 4 more spokes about ready to break as well.
I am 215 pounds and do not ride hard enough to justify what has happened with these wheels. They were perfect six months ago when I bought the bike and they have gone to trash since then. Don't buy an old wheelset like this it will give you nothing but trouble.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ariel Calonne
a Weekend Warrior
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike World | | Strengths: | Light weight, cool radial lacing in front, offset spoke bed in rear. | | Weaknesses: | Area near rear spoke eyelets are starting to show fatigue cracks | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager Mustangs on Shimano STC/RC hubs | | Bike Setup: | Klein Mantra | | Bottom Line: | I am fairly heavy (~200) so I am very impressed by the wear these wheels have taken. I hated to see the cracks developing before the sidewalls were worn, but 3 years of beating is a good deal. No problems with the hubs, though the rear does need occasional tightening. I actually bent the front pretty badly a few years back, and Wheelsmith Palo Alto was able to retrue and tension it like new. These wheels were true out of the box and have stayed that way. I've been riding 32 years, so I've learned to baby wheels. These Bontragers came from Wisconsin and were a great value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bram
a Weekend Warrior
from Assen, The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Bottom Line: | This is follow up on a earlier review. In februari I was positive about the wheelset. It's fading away now. Since a couple of wheeks the rims are showing strong signs of corrosion around the eyelets where the spokes enter the rim. I e-mailed KB and immediately got response, so far so good. Its affirmed that it's corrosion and I should take them to my LBS. Since I'm entering a MTB tour of 4 days, I'll wait till I'm back, then I'll take 'em to the LBS and try to get it covered by the warranty. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
S S
a
from central NY
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | downhill wannabe kid | | Strengths: | black...
gives me something to complain about | | Weaknesses: | extremely flexy...freehub gone to hell...hubs loosened after a week. alloy nipples siezed. won't true. trek | | Similar Products Used: | mavic. shi#mano | | Bike Setup: | '00 jamis dragon...kelly rigid fork...xt/xtr...alivio brakes (i'm poor) | | Bottom Line: | i am between 150-155 pounds and a reasonably smooth rider. i bought these because some fat creep was going to put what looked like a decent set of wheels on his downhill bike...so i appealed to his avarice and offered him $50 on the spot. now, two years is much longer than the forecast week that these wheels would've lasted under gut-boy. however, it has been two years of aggravation. i'm not usually so bitter...i've been spending $$$ on bike parts and riding the crap out of them for 13 years...and this product is just pathetic. COME ON!!! did they prep the spokes? DOUBTFUL. who ever heard of using the tendency of the hub bearings sideloading to your advantage? i had to over-tighten the QR just to keep the hub from flopping around (i know how to adjust cones)...oh, and the freehub sounds like a garbage-disposal with a cat food can wedged in it.
well, thanks for letting me blow off some steam. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bram
a Weekend Warrior
from Assen, The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | - Light
- Look ok
- Nice spokes | | Weaknesses: | - Rear hub | | Similar Products Used: | Ritchey OCR Rock Comp, Bontrager Superstock | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Gary Fisher Sugar 2 size L (with Time ATAC, Magura HS 33, IRC Mythos XC, XTR shifters) | | Bottom Line: | Like all of the reviewers the rearhub makes a lot of noise. The fronthub seems ok though. The rims are strong. I'm a heavy guy at 210 pounds and the wheels needed not to be trued in 1 year. Ride almost once, sometimes twice a week. Always in (very) muddy conditions. When I’m hitting my bike hard because of small climbs or muddy paths, I can feel them flex however. Since my experience with other wheels is limited I find it difficult to determine the amount of chilis. My Ritcheys came with Deore LX hubs. They were heavy but ok. The rims I didn’t like at all. It was very difficult to change tires for example. The Bontrager Superstocks came on my 2000 Gary Fisher Sugar 3. I broke the frame and bought the Sugar two for a fair price and with a stronger frame (2001) With it came the Race wheels. The Superstocks were ok after a full year of use. In my opinion the rear hub held on better! A couple of times I almost bought new wheels. In Holland they sell the 2003 Crossmax Disc for only € 480 for the set! Since I’m not a racer, the wheels stay true, the combination with the HS 33 work great (not performing much lesser than discs), and when I don’t get a grip on myself I’ll stay upgrading my bikes, I’ll think I hold on to them. Perhaps I’ll change the rearhub in a couple of weeks. I’ll give them 4 chilis. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Skip Holschbach
a Cross Country Rider
from Cleveland
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | John Muir (I know its crowded, but..) | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Spec'd on bike | | Strengths: | Good Looks | | Weaknesses: | Long term durability
Customer Service | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic CrossRides | | Bike Setup: | 99 Klein Mantra Race | | Bottom Line: | The front wheel has been fine - after 4 years I've had little trouble, and the wheel has stayed true despite my 220# girth.
I've had many of the same problems as the other reviewers with the rear wheel. After 2 years, the nipples pulled through the rims, and the freehub body went to crap. I had a few friends riding the same wheels at the time, and they were experiencing the exact same problems. Multiple emails to Bontrager went completely unaknowledged - BAD customer service. However, I did get end up getting warrantee replacements when I went through the LBS. None the less, the CrossRides I bought while waiting for warrantee replacements have been far better wheels. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Darius Teter
a Weekend Warrior
from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Yak Butter Bongload | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Stock on Sugar 2 | | Strengths: | Stays true, reliable | | Weaknesses: | Prone to pinch flats no matter what the setup | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic | | Bike Setup: | Sugar 2 stock | | Bottom Line: | I guess I am damn lucky. Ran these for almost 2 years on a Sugar 2 before crunching the frame on a roof rack/tree branch clusterf*ck. Shifted the wheels to a Sugar 1 frame two months ago. Have run these on wet steep rocky technical, roots, jumps, you name it. And I weigh 240 lbs. Only had to tighten the rear hub once in all that time. Now that I ahve written this prais I fully expect them to explode on today's ride. But anyway I put a regular set of Bonty's on my Joker and have beat the crap out of those for two years as well, and they are still true. Luck or Karma? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
D Mc
a Cross Country Rider
from LHC, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Bunker Creek | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | stock wheelset | | Strengths: | Spokes | | Weaknesses: | Hubs, Rims, and non-existent customer service! | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano, Mavic | | Bike Setup: | Fisher, Sid, XT/XTR. | | Bottom Line: | Beyond the quality spokes,the entire package sucks. The hubs developed play that could not be adjusted out within months of owning the wheels. The rear freehub is both loose and loud and does not accept Shimano cassetes without considerable play. I thought the hubs were bad until the rims cracked at the eyelets. At this point I made an attempt to work it out through Bontrager. My emails were never responded to! Poor quality, poor service, and the worst possible rating. As a professional bike mechanic I will not buy or recommend Bontrager products in the future. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pelle Stridsman
a Cross Country Rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | always the next......... | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came with the bike from my LBS | | Strengths: | +Reasonable light.
+Stayed true. | | Weaknesses: | -Crap sealing on rear hub.
-Crap freehub, (2 replacements in a year)
-Hubs need frequent tightening & cleaning. | | Similar Products Used: | Various Shimano/Mavic combinations. | | Bike Setup: | KLEIN Attitude race | | Bottom Line: | If they are mounted on the bike you buy,
Ok, keep them.
If you´re about to buy an upgrade wheelset,
look for something else. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
stu
a Cross Country Rider
from monterey, CA
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light
Reliable
Durable hubs
Stylin - black spokes, rims | | Weaknesses: | None so far | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano wh-M535 (these are the 16 spoke wheels. They suck bigtime - heavy and spongy feel, weighty steering, crap LX hubs) | | Bottom Line: | I know that most people have had problems with these Bontragers, so I must have really lucked out. I use these wheels on road, off road, through mud, singletrack, water, rocks, etc and they have always held up. They are light and feel fast and stiff. I have only had to true them once, and even then the maintenance was minor. My hubs have not yet acted up and both wheels still roll as smooth as the first day I've ridden them. Overall they have held up and they still perform, which is more than I could ask. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Taylor
a Weekend Warrior
from Amherst MA
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | competitive edge | | Strengths: | look cool, pretty light | | Weaknesses: | read on | | Bike Setup: | gary fisher mt tam | | Bottom Line: | please dont buy these wheels (2000 vintage at least). they may look cool but after 3 months and 500 miles, the rear hub has needed constant tightening. needless to say, im replacing them | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
phil
a Cross Country Rider
from Golden, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Colorado Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Turin | | Weaknesses: | The front hub needs frequent adjustment.
The rear rim, with the original half-radial half-2 cross lacing, pulled six of the seven driving spokes out of the rim--this was replaced under warranty.
Then the rear hub started making popping/creaking noises, and eventually quit free-wheeling. I disassembled it to find that the inner hollow shaft of the freehub had sheared off. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano, Mavic | | Bike Setup: | Bontrager Privateer S | | Bottom Line: | The front hub needs recurrent adjustment.
The rear lacing pattern sucks. The rear freehub is sheared off inside, so the whole wheel is headed for the dumpster (especially after reading other reviews).
I love the Bontrager bike, but so far have replaced the Bontrager, seat, seatpost, and rear wheel. THe handlebar and stem seem stout, so I suppose the front wheel will be the next to go.
I also had an aftermarket Bontrager rim, asymm something or other, that split at a number of the spokes.
I would only recommend buying a frame with the Bontrager name on it, but they are no longer available--go figure. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Snwbdrhoon
a Cross Country Rider
from Bawstin, MA, USA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | haven't met one I didn't like | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$235.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Clean design, Lighter than my last pair, Holds a tire well, Fun looking! | | Weaknesses: | Would have liked to buy them for a bit cheaper. The jury's still out on durability based on other reviewers. Stickers were not placed well (hey I'm anal). | | Similar Products Used: | Similarly priced Mavics, Specialized, and Shimanos wheelsets. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized M2 with Deore XT/LX mix, Duke XC, and some other stuff | | Bottom Line: | Good wheels, good price (a bit cheaper would have been nice). Honestly, I never get a chance to properly clean my bike, and when it does get washed, it's usually with a power hose when I'm washing the car at the same time (I know it's bad). I weigh about 175 and ride my bike hard (I've got a hardtail, but I'm a downhiller at heart). After approx. 4 months of riding twice a week (weekends) on rocky, rooty, waterbar'd East Coast trails, they're still tickin' with no problems (noises, bad bearings or other formerly mentioned problems). So far, Trek CS has been nice enough (they sent me some Bontrager stickers when I inquired about the wheels).
For the price, not too bad. Check in with me after 6 months. If I got them for $200, I would have given them 5 for the value, but overall they've been killin' it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Barbara
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Cayuga Mountain Bikes | | Strengths: | +They're round and hold a tire and true | | Weaknesses: | -Wet noodles
-Horrible bearings
-Bad seals
-Not very fun to overhaul | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes/Sun disc wheelset, specialized STOUT | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn Homegrown Frame, basically XT build, SID up front | | Bottom Line: | These came on a Sugar 2. As with everything else made on the bike by Trek, these wheels have bit the dust. The front wheel bearings developed serious wobble after a month or two, and Bontrager/Trek won't help me get replacements. It doesn't help that they don't answer emails.
Ok, so here's what you'll get with these wheels. Very interesting lacing pattern, and wheels that nominally stay true. They haven't failed horribly like everything else Trek I've owned, but they are dying for sure. The braking surface is nearly worn through and the bearing races are toast and ovalized despite some fairly light riding from me (150lbs, just XC racing type of riding) and rebuilds monthly (I could see the seals were going to be a problem. You may also get those horrible QR levers. Had one snap on me. As for a riding experience, there are much better wheelsets for the money. The front wheel will pretty much do as it pleases and make you nice bike feel like a huffy special (oh wait, that's what I almost have :) in the steering department. The rear, well it works most of the time. All I can say is, I'd get this wheelset if you can get it under $100. Otherwise, the lack of sealed bearings, horrible customer service, lack of strength and bad karma associated with these wheels should steer you far, far away. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RED FOX
a Weekend Warrior
from Walnut Creek, CA
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | "Mount D" | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Sharpe Bicycle, Lafayette CA | | Strengths: | NONE | | Weaknesses: | Sidewalls and hubs | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic 221/220 and Bontrager Mustang Asym(also crap) | | Bike Setup: | Fisher supercaliber, judy sl w/englunds, XT and XTR | | Bottom Line: | These are crap, don't buy them. I wish I would have read these reviews before I wasted 400 bones. If you are a big rider, like 220+ buy a Mavic 618 or stronger. This is also the last bontrager/trek peice of crap I will ever own, and to Gary Fisher, the trek sell out, take your K-MART blue light special wheel set and learn something from your true market(the guys and girls who have to ride your crap) and start spec'n out the wheels and parts that work. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve Shackley
a Cross Country Rider
from El Cerrito, California
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Cockscomb, Sedona, AZ | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Pacific Bicycles | | Strengths: | light, looks good | | Weaknesses: | After 2 years the rear wheel came apart. Spokes began to pull out, and it was always difficult to keep true | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic 222 | | Bike Setup: | 1999 Mt. Tam, mainly stock, Velociraptor tires | | Bottom Line: | For the price, I would expect a longer lasting product and a wheel that remains true for more than a couple of rides. I've just upgraded to a Fisher Sugar 2 that has the same wheels. I think I'll buy new WTB or Mavic's for my Sugar and put the Bontrager's on my old Mt. Tam, and hope for the best. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TMike
a Cross Country Rider
from Central Mass.
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | +Light for the price | | Weaknesses: | -Construction | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized STOUT wheelset | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn Homegrown Factory, custom XT type build | | Bottom Line: | Well, these wheels were the last straw with my disappointment with the Trek line of products. These wheels came off a flawed Sugar 2. The rims are seriously worn away where the brake pads contact them, and I don't really do that much mud riding. They have about 800 miles on them and are about toast. This doesn't include the problems with the rear hub making scary metallic grinding noises and the front hub having ovalized bearings that makes the wheel flop back and forth on certain axes. This shouldn't happer for someone who doesn't do drops and weighs less than 100lbs. They have stayed true though - as if this is the only goal Bontrager had in mind. If these wheels are spec'd on your bike, see if you can swap them for something better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin Hoffman
a
from Ogden Utah
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Wild rose | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Same problem with freehub body as everyone else. Less than 3 weeks use. Came stock on a Sugar 2. Very dissapointed in Bontrager and Fisher for spec such a poor hub on this caliber of bike. E-mail to Fisher/Bontrager came back with a denial of a widespread problem instead of acknowledgement of a poor design. | | Similar Products Used: | Buletproof Shimano hubs, Rolf Propels with Hugi hubs. | | Bike Setup: | Basically stock. Added a Terry Fly seat, bar ends and a tire change. | | Bottom Line: | Wish I would have read these reviews before handing over my cash. Would have insisted on a different/better wheelset befitting this pricepoint. Being basicaly blown off by customer service didn't help instill any confidence in the Fisher/Bontrager line. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dr. Dirt
a Racer
from NJ
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Fairly light, strong enough, not flexy, reasonably priced from Jenson USA. | | Weaknesses: | No problems yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Lotsa wheels, lotsa rims, lotsa hubs. | | Bike Setup: | Airborne LS hardtail, Zoke fork. | | Bottom Line: | Guess I got lucky or something, because these wheels have held up fine for me. I used them to race the second of half of the Mid-Atlantic Cup series (cross country), and they performed well. They never went seriously out of true--just needed a little tweak now and then.
I'm no lightweight: 175#. I don't drop off loading docks, but I ride some pretty rocky trails. What can I tell ya? The wheels have done all right for me... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick
a Cross Country Rider
from Lisle, IL
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Palos Forest Preserve | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | somewhat light, good graphics, double butted, black ano spokes | | Weaknesses: | flexy, rim dings easily, horrible seals, freehub body sticks, (female dog) to overhaul | | Bike Setup: | 99` Gary Fisher Paragon w\ LX BB and front derailluer, XT cranks, cassette, shifters, rear derailluer,WTB Velociraptor tires, Rock Shox SID XC fork, bontrager evrything else | | Bottom Line: | Overall, these wheels have not held up. I only weigh 140lbs and i ride on smooth terrain, i don't do trials, and i don't jump. These wheels are ok if you are looking for a replacement wheelset until you can get a good set, but that's still a pretty expensive replacement. The nipples are easy to round and the spokes don't hold their tension well. the rear one has about 4 hops in it and 4 dings. the freehub body sticks and it is horrible with keeping out the elements.
The front wheel seems to be fine, but the rear i'm about to throw down a steep hill. After only a year of riding, they go out of true in only one ride and the hubs are coming loose. I don't know if i got a bum set, but these wheels are not a good thing.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jasper SnapT
a Cross Country Rider
from Holland
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | all over Belgium | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came on new bike | | Strengths: | Light wheels, did not go much out of shape | | Weaknesses: | Casette body difficult to remove, worn in 6 months
Very poor seals on rear hub, corroded cups as a result | | Similar Products Used: | various, nothing special | | Bike Setup: | Klein Mantra COMP | | Bottom Line: | These wheel do not belong on a serious bike, the seals are crap, dont use them in the wet! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke
a Cross Country Rider
from TN
Date Reviewed: October 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | unsure | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | friend | | Strengths: | Light, strong rims and design | | Weaknesses: | Crap cassette body. | | Similar Products Used: | many | | Bike Setup: | Jamis Dragon.Steel is real | | Bottom Line: | This is a followup to a I review I did a couple of weeks ago. Overall I loved these wheels. Strong ,light, blah blah blah...Well I have found a problem.
It seems that the cassette body doesnt hold the 12 tooth cog of an XTR cassette too well and will only catch enough splines on it to hold the 8 cogs on the body, and not the 12 tooth. While riding a flat section, I got into big chainring/little cog combo and began to really hammer.
I heard a general braking noise and I wasnt pushing anything anymore. I thought I had broken a chain, but it was the casette body that had stripped out at the end edge. this was enough to tear a sizeable chunk out of the casette body, basically screwing it.
I was able to ride out using bigger cogs, but my shifting was iffy.
I bought a new cassette body at the LBS, but I put the cassette on the body before installing it on the wheel and it seems that his new one has the same problem with the 12 tooth cog not being able to fully seat. Im not sure what to do. Its still a really nice wheelset, and I want to use them, but this is crazy. I guess if the new bodies are still warranted im OK, but its an unecessary pain in the butt.
Also, the reviewer below me commented on the drag. The Bearings, once rebuilt with good grease (the factory grease is crap) are very smooth. Feeling thae cassette body off the wheel, I suspect the drag coming from the internals of it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alfonso
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Bikeworld.com | | Strengths: | they're kind'a round and you can put tires on them | | Weaknesses: | stupid weak, rear hub is absolute crap | | Similar Products Used: | XT/517, Specialized Stumpjumper wheelset | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Superlight | | Bottom Line: | I made the horrible mistake of purchasing these wheels aftermarket. I can't believe how wimpy these wheels are... rims and rear hub in particular. One, slow but square front end crash off a 3 foot drop was good enough to whack the rim out of shape (warped the lip and sidewall). Even my cheap-o Weinmann ZAC 19s on my Specialized Rockhopper held up much better than that despite dozens of crazy hits. In addition, the rear hub has too much resistance (slow!), is poorly sealed and on top of it all is bloody noisy. I'd like to stuff these wheels up Keith Bontrager's ____. Have a good day. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke
a Cross Country Rider
from Knoxville,TN,USA
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Lock4 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | From Friend | | Strengths: | Well designed, strong, light. | | Weaknesses: | Rear rim may be hard to find a replacement for. | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic crosslinks, XTR/revolution/517 , Spinergy SPOX | | Bike Setup: | 99 Jamis Dragon | | Bottom Line: | Good wheelset all around. Not stupid light, but will noticeably lighten up your ride from a stock wheelset. The Asym design does make for a stronger wheel I think, as I have had to true the rims much lss than I have had to with other sets. This has it's drawbacks, as a replacement rim for the wheelset is hard to find unless you live next to an "authorized" bontrager dealer. A bontrager ASYM mustang rim works perfectly well though. I have to say they're a very good bang for the buck, even retail cost as they are durable as well as light, 2 features you don't ususally find in the same sentence when describing aftermarket bike parts. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Barry
a
from Toronto, Ontario
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Rigid and strong--have pretty much stayed true after a season of fairly agressive riding | | Weaknesses: | Same troubles with freehub that everyone else is talking about. | | Similar Products Used: | Matrix ceramic rims | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Klein Mantra Comp | | Bottom Line: | First the good news. These wheels have lasted an entire race season and have only gone slightly out of true, whcih is to be expected, bearing in mind that I weigh 190 and ride pretty hard. My last rims (Mavic Ceramic) were a lot more trouble in that respect.
However, I am hearing the same noises from my rear hub as everyone else. I was told by my bike store that it was my free hub, but until reading the other reviews on this site, I just put it down to wear and tear. Now it sounds like there is a real defect with the rear hub. I would have expected better quality from Bontrager, especially considering what I paid for my bike.
Therefore, although I am pretty generous with the chili's normally, I'm only giving three, on the basis that the rims are holding up so well.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Danick Archambault
a Racer
from Montreal
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Bromont World Cup Trail, Quebec | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Bike store (Stock MtTam) | | Strengths: | Good looks, strong rim for the first months, radial lacing | | Weaknesses: | Cheap hub, cheap freehub, cheap spokes, cheap rim | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic 517, XT, LX hub | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher MtTam, XTR V Brakes | | Bottom Line: | After more than a year of racing, these wheels have been good to me. But I would'nt buy them unless they are included on a stock bike.
There are too many good wheelset out there and this one is not one of them.
I had to rebuild the rear hub twice, change the freehub and the back spokes keep on getting loose. After a while they started to bend!!! Never seen that before.
As for the rim, well that's why I am writting this review: Dangerous...The side wall colapsed!!! causing the rear wheel to lock...you can imagine the rest.
Bottom line: if you have a good set of V-Brakes (such as XTR) DONT buy these wheels. I just read the reviews on the CrossLink's and hope they are good because that's what is replacing my tired Bontrager's | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
PR
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs, Co
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Captain Jacks/Chutes | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Looks | | Weaknesses: | Rear hub is complete junk!!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Sun RPM Lite Wheelset | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Sugar 2 all XTR | | Bottom Line: | I have only had this bike for about 2 months. During that time I have only around 150 miles on the bike. While climbing seated on a VERY mild grade the rear cassette body disintegrated inside. The hub just skips and jumps with hardly any pressure at all. It has been rendered completely unridable. Received a replacement body from Fisher to find out the body is practically impossible to remove. It is threaded into the hub body and not just held on by a fixing bolt like Shimano, and other assorted takeoffs. It is threaded so that as you pedal the cassette body is constantly tightening. On top of that Bontrager, in all their brilliance, uses "The strongest Locktite made" when assembling the hub. Trying to get this off I ripped in half a 12mm allen wrench and couldn't get the thing to budge. Called back Fisher and they suggested using a "heat gun" to try and loosen the Locktite and if that didn't work they would just send me a new wheel. This bike has been out of commision now for 2+ weeks and I hate to imagine how much longer it will take to receive a new wheel. Needless to say I would not recommend this wheelset to anyone because of the worthless rear hub. Good luck if you already own a set!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JB
a Cross Country Rider
from Oslo, Norway
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Weights, looks, | | Weaknesses: | Radial spokes, Strenght, | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic 220,X 138, 217 SUP gold | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Mt Tam, SID xc, XTR\XT, Avid, Hutchinson golds, Bontrager post, stem, bar | | Bottom Line: | After half a year my rear rim broke totally, Now I have Mavic 217 non radial, which is much better and stronger.
The wheels are good looking but weak with 24 apokes in front and 28 in the rear. It's light but not strong, If you are an aggresiv rider this is not the wheel for you.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light, good braking surface | | Weaknesses: | Weak, lousy freehub | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Paragon | | Bottom Line: | After 14 months the rear wheel is blown. The spokes are tearing through rim and the freehub is contaminated and full of grit (this is the reason for the grinding sound other reviewers have mentioned). The wheels have been trued a couple of times and there are a few dings in the rims, but I can handle that. What I can't handle is the fact that these rims are trashed after a year! I am 6'2", 205 and ride hard, but come on already I would expect something from Bontrager to last longer!
Not bad for a stock wheelset, but no one should buy this as an after market upgrade.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J.
a Cross Country Rider
from Cincinnati
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light weight, nice ride | | Weaknesses: | Too weak | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic 228, Mavic 517 | | Bike Setup: | G.F. Ziggurat, Judy SL, XTR and XT components | | Bottom Line: | I was very dissappointed in this wheel set. I weigh 180 lbs and the spokes started to rip out of the rear rim after a little over a year of riding. The wheels rode great, but whats the use of nice wheels if they only last 1 year. Don't waste your money if you weigh over 140 lbs. Why Gary Fisher put these wheels on an XL frame is beyond me??? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
johnny bravo
a Cross Country Rider
from bostonia, ma usa
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | treasure trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | light and strong. look slick. | | Weaknesses: | rear bearing a little noisy. | | Similar Products Used: | mavic, sun, weinman. wolber | | Bike Setup: | bontrager race (sick), marzocchi z3 flylight 100, sram esp/xt, avid, thomson post, synchros stem, ea 70 monkeyrise, etc. | | Bottom Line: | badass wheelset. super light and tough as nails. i'm 200 lbs and go hard. these rims look like new after three months of daily abuse. i blew my back tire today hauling ass down a steep and rocky descent, rode it out on the rim and it's as true as ever. mad props.
would recommend this setup to anyone who wants a high perf wheelset and doesn't have $600 to drop.
science. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christopher
a Cross Country Rider
from Cincinnati, Ohio
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | National trail, Tempe Az. | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | weight stiffness | | Weaknesses: | not enough spokes for big guys to ride any wat they like. | | Similar Products Used: | Spinergy SPOX, Mavic Crossmax | | Bike Setup: | XT/XTR | | Bottom Line: | Bottom line is these wheels agreat for all you 165 lbs moutian bike races but not us Clyedsdales and weekend warriors. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from mooresville,nc,usa
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | catawba | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | looks, weight, strength | | Weaknesses: | tensile strength | | Similar Products Used: | mavics | | Bike Setup: | 99' ziggurat, mich.'s, 00' judy race, 747's, stock | | Bottom Line: | i had a pair of mavic 138's before this, had to true every week. these wheels are wide and have a decent amount of weight swingn' 'round since they only have 24/28. been riding for almost 2 years and have yet to true. good wheel overall. decent weight and strength, 'cept for i was pulling the spokes out of the drive side. less than one year so they replaced. amazin' 'nough the wheel stayed true with at least 6 spokes on the drive side pulling through. the new wheel has been knocked out of true, but not bad. i'd rather see that the spokes pulling through, would't you. buy a set if you ride in dry, if not get ceramic. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Berkeley, CA
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | fairly light, narrow rims cause rounder tire profiles and increase number of possible widths | | Weaknesses: | not very strong | | Similar Products Used: | '94 and '96 STX wheelsets (both with 3-cross spokes throughout) | | Bike Setup: | Airborne Lucky Strike, Onza Honch/Aggro tires | | Bottom Line: | The radially laced front wheel looks sexy, but I guess I'm just too heavy for this wheelset. I weigh 200 lbs, don't ride very hard, but have knocked both wheels out of true. I also somehow put a small dent in the sidewall of the front rim, although it hasn't affected braking performance. I think the spokes are DT Revolution. One time I stomped on the pedals from a dead stop, in too high a gear, and could feel significant flex in the rear wheel. Then again, a 2-cross drive side/radial non-drive side is as light and risky as you can go when trying to save weight in the spokes. The rims are essentially Bontrager Mustangs, which are double-cavity rims, which should be plenty strong, so I can only blame the spoke lacing. The hubs have held up really well for me, with absolutely no problems. If I was going to be picky I could ask for a rear hub with more pawls for better pickup when going from coasting to pedalling, but it's a small thing.
When I was ordering my Lucky Strike, I was torn between these and a set of XTR hubs (32/32) laced to Bontrager Valiants. I made the wrong choice.
This wheelset is about to become my commuter set with 1" tires. I'm having a custom wheelset made up for serious offroad use. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a Cross Country Rider
from boston
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | wompatuck | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | lightweight & strong | | Weaknesses: | rear hub making funny noises when spinning slowly | | Similar Products Used: | mavic | | Bike Setup: | bontrager privateer s, xt/lx | | Bottom Line: | As another person mentioned, the rear hub makes funny noises. Mine sounds grainy when spinning slowy. I'm going to take it back to International Bike and have it checked. Otherwise, I like them alot. They are light and spin smooth, even the rear wheel that's making all the noise. I had to true the front wheel after a pretty nasty crash (fractured ribs as a result of crash) but that's to be expected. 4 chillis due to the noise in rear hub. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ulrich Gerland
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Lake Morena & alike | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | lightweight, stiff, nice front hub | | Weaknesses: | rear hub bearings | | Similar Products Used: | LX & White Industries hubs/Mavic rims | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Ziggurat '99 stock | | Bottom Line: | No complaints about the front wheel - it is still perfectly in true after 3 months of riding and the hub runs very smooth. I'm less happy with the rear wheel: when you spin the wheel fast, the hub makes a loud noise that sounds as if some damage is produced in the inside. I took it back to the guys at Supergo to find out that they knew about the problem (many customers complained about it) and had once rebuilt one of these hubs without being able to get rid of the noise. The rear wheel also came slightly out of true, but I think it's O.K. having to true them only every 3 months or so. Overall, I still like the wheelset. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Klein Attitude Race
a Racer
from Australia
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Any Big Air Trail will do! | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Seem to be excellent value for money and unlike some other wheels I tried they don't fold when landing. | | Weaknesses: | Strength could be increased with more spokes in the front wheel. | | Similar Products Used: | Mavics of all sorts with Xt and XTR hubs | | Bike Setup: | Klein Attitude Race, Bontrager Race and XTR components. | | Bottom Line: | Suppose these wheels will eventually succumb to my abuse, but they have lasted longer than I would have expected. Suppose no wheels are made to last when abused by 6'3 190 pound biker who loves airtime..... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wayne
a cross-country rider
from McCall
Date Reviewed: January 22, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got mine and haven't ridden them yet. The quality looks great- DT revolution spokes, Bontrager hubs w/ sealed mech. bearings (not cartridge though) Bontrager rims with rear asym. Nice and light and an excellent value- compare them to crosslinks. Plus you can fix them with regular parts from any shop. 4star rating because you can always do better. Mine had some burrs where the rim is welded. I'll update after I've ridden 'em. | | Overall Rating: |
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