Submitted by
Matthew Vangelisti
a Cross Country Rider
from Markham, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: April 30, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Durham Forest
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Markham Cyclepath
Strengths:
Wet braking,long pad life (XTR ceramic),less noise,part of a hand built wheel.
Weaknesses:
None.
Similar Products Used:
Mavic Crossmax SL
Bike Setup:
2004 S-Works with full XTR
Bottom Line:
You should choose these rims built up with a quality hub. It is definitely the way to go. I was really disappointed that my Crossmax SL wheels would not stay true and would flex. As well, not holding air and popping tubes in the rear rim sent me over the edge. This is why I now one 2 sets of wheels built with Chris King and another with an older Mavic 601 hubset.
I highly recommend these rims to anyone who wants a quality wheel. Jorge the shop owner does an excellent job. His rims stay straight and true. If you combine the best rim with the best hubs, you will be very satisfied.
Lastly I would also look at ceramic Vs. jumping on the disc band wagon. Disc's are need for DH and serious freeride. But for X-Country I will stay with V brakes as long as I can get them. Excellent wet braking, less noise, long life with XTR ceramic pads.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wayne
a Cross Country Rider
from Lebanon, NH Date Reviewed: April 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Jiminy Peak
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$85.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat
Strengths:
Strong, light, works well wet or dry. Stayed true. Brake pad wear is not much worse than normal rims.
This was the first rim I ever laced up (using Sheldon Brown's website instructions). I rode in all sorts of Northeast dirt/water/snow/mud/rock last fall and this spring, and it has been awesome. It has stayed perfectly true from the night I built the wheel with DT 14 gauge spokes on the original LX hub that came with the bike. I must admit I'm under 140 lbs. The OSB feature is very nice, and allowed me to use the same length 265mm spokes for both the drive and non-drive sides, and reduces the difference in tension between them.
It's no match for the single-finger-tip control that disc brakes offer, but is a good alternative. I have only used normal brake cartridge brake pads. They chattered and were noisy at first, but the noise has mostly gone after they were broken into the ceramic surface. I didn't find much of an improvement in dry braking power, but wet braking power is certainly better than non-ceramic rims. Braking ability also improved slightly once the pads bedded in.
They're a bit expensive, so I'll give 4 chilis for value.
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Submitted by
jimmy
a
from maryland Date Reviewed: January 25, 2004
Favorite Trail:
gauley connector
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
braking is fantastic, light weight setup, stays true
Weaknesses:
none
Bottom Line:
I walked into a local shop about a year ago with the intention of getting a bike with disc brakes. One of the shop managers talked me out of discs and into these most excellent ceramic rims. I've never ridden discs. The first set of pads went quickly. Since then I've put over 400 miles of slimy east coast epics on the same set of pads. In the worst conditions I've had braking while XTR disc riders did not. If you're under 160 lbs, consider these rims over a disc setup.
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Submitted by
Frank Daugherty
a Cross Country Rider
from Huntington Beach Date Reviewed: October 7, 2002
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
BikeCo
Strengths:
I wrote one up for the regular non-offset Valiant. The OSB for the rear is just that much better. The spoke tension is so much more even you can really crank it up, wheel stays really stiff to offset the lighter weight.
Weaknesses:
Lt. Weight, no crazy drops or bashing or clydesdales
Similar Products Used:
Mavic 517's - the ceramic surface sucks, IMHO
Bike Setup:
Uzzi SL set up for XC
Bottom Line:
Don't use discs here in the Southwest, it's not wet and I'm not a downhiller. These offer pinpoint braking with an all XTR set-up.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Frank Daugherty
a Cross Country Rider
from Huntington Beach Date Reviewed: October 2, 2002
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$85.00
Purchased At:
BikeCo
Strengths:
Ceramic braking surface, light weight, much more even spoke tension keeps the wheel truer linger
Weaknesses:
Light weight
Similar Products Used:
Mustang Ceramic OSB's
Bike Setup:
Uzzi SL w/Z-1, but not a downhill guy, just love a bike that will go anywhere, I dress out around 180 lbs
Bottom Line:
In the Southwest, disc brakes just aren't needed unless youi're a full on downhill guy, so use these. Too bad they are getting hard to find, with XTR brakes and levers these things are stout and easy to modulate. Easy to set up and in three years, just a minor tweek to keep them running true.
$ 99.00
Overall Rating:
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