[mtbykr]

If this has been a previous thread, then i appologize as i did not see anything,

I am in the process of specing (spelling?) a new ride. (intense 5.5) i have always ridden crossmax wheels (sl) and that is what i was going to use again. my lbs would rather i have them build a wheelset with king hubs and mavic rim. their reasoning is that they have trouble working on crossmax wheels and that the king wheels would be easier to true/fix broken spoke/ect... and they feel that they would be better wheels in general (plus a little less $$$, which is always good)

any opinions?

 

[J_B]

Kings before the Crossmaxs. I have had my Kings for three years now with no problems. I had them serviced last week. They have held together for three years without any service.

As for Crossmaxs, I haven't had any experience with them but my riding buddy has had to rebuild his rear XL hub twice and front hub once and it hasn't been a year yet. The SL's might be differant.

 

[Homebrew]

Soooo, the choices are...

Mavic
Pros:
Look cool?

Cons:
Machine built
Parts spec from Mavic marketing dept
Cost more
Parts cost more
Harder to work on
Not sealed as well
Weak freehub
Slower engagement
Shorter warranty period

King
Pros:
Hand built to your spec
Cost less
Easily replaced off the shelf parts
Easier to work on
Outstanding seals
Stronger freehub
Faster engagement
Longer warranty

Cons:
???

So what was the question again?

 

[uofabill]

Go with the Kings!

I have two sets of CrossMax non-disc wheels. On both rear wheels they have cracked at numerous nipples. A friend of mines have done the same. If you read the reviews this is a common problem. On one of my rear wheels three nipples jerked out of the rim on a climb.
On both rear wheels the freehub started screeching. They only have two pawls in the freehub.
I have ditched them and have gone to Rhynolites and Hadley hubs.
For what Crossmax cost they don't hold up well at all. I talking about hard xc, not hucking or freeride.
I have never owned King hubs but have never heard or read a complaint about them. They seem to pretty much be the gold standard of hubs. Seems like you by 'em, ride 'em and forget 'em.

 

[mtbykr]

ok, what wheel

now that is settled What rim should i build up with the king hubs?

 

[Homebrew]

now that is settled What rim should i build up with the king hubs?

Ahhh, this is the hard part. If you want to stick with the UST theme, Mavic XM819s or Bontrager Mustang OSB Disc are a couple of the relatively few choices. The Mavics are completely sealed but have special (heavy) nipple lockers that hold the spokes from the outside. The Bontragers have rim strips to seal them. For non-UST, the DT XR4.1d are rock solid winners in the lighter/narrow category. There is a pretty big gap in terms of weight if you want to go with something bigger/wider. The Bontrager Mustang OSB disc is about the only mid-400g 19mm bead width rim. We'll have to see what comes out this fall. If nothing else is competive, I'm going with the Bontragers when I rebuild.

 

[jkittlesen]

Velocity has some nice rims,I like the VXCs.

 

[fiveohhh]

I should have my king/velocity synergy/supercomp here in a few day ordered it from oddsandendos. Was supposed to be 9-10 days, but ended up being a month anyway If all goes well I'll have it by the end of the week.

 

[ADDICT]

King all the way! You might want to check out Salsa rims I' v had very good luck with my Salsa delgado, King combo.

 

[paddlefoot64]

Garcia said he'd been waiting for a shipment from CK. Evidently there were some supply problems there. I'm waiting for my rear WTB/VXC to arrive this week from him. Couldn't be more satisfied with his work so far.

 

[Bortis Yelltzen]

Funny you should ask.....

I just finished building my 5.5 with a lot of King parts.

I actually ordered a set of Crossmax XL's when I ordered the frame, frame showed up, no wheels. I called (123bikes) and they said the Crossmax XL's were on backorder for several weeks. They offered to build a set of King ISO disc hubs on Mavic UST 819's with double butted spokes. I was reluctant to pass on the XL's but did.

Best decision I have ever made!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know other people with the XL's and they are not big fans. Broken spokes are not easy to fix, lots of rear hub issues, and they are really nothing special. My kings rule! I put them on the bike, rode about 20 minutes, checked and tightened the hubs up (as directed in the instructions), there was a little play, after about 50 miles I checked and retightened again, and that is it. I have never had to look at them in the last 100 miles and they are oh so smooth. Also, the 5.5 has a little bit low BB, so in the rock gardens it is very nice to have the quick engagement of the kings so I can kick pedal through stuff, lots of others on lesser hubs can't do that without smacking their pedals on everything. I also really like the Mavic 819's, maybe not the lightest, but not the heaviest either, and rock solid. I love these wheels! Tubeless rules as well, I am running Conti Vertical Pro 2.3's with a couple scoops of Stans sealant in each wheel and I never have to look at them either. They ride smoother, faster, and with lower pressure get unreal traction. No flat issues at all with 35psi rear and 25 psi front.

Go King, there are so many advantages, and no disadvantages. No excuses. If you have a King headset and have forgot it is even there you know what to expect.

Peace and Phil Wood grease!

 

[TC3]

King!!

Another vote for King / 819 combo.
I built my 5.5 a few months ago with King ISO hubs in pewter with 819 rims.
Been riding twice a week and I'm extremely happy with this combo so far.
King hubs will take a while to break in (well... depends how often you ride) ,
but they will only get smoother and smoother (and quieter as well...).
I have tried Fire XC UST, Schwalbe Albert Light 2.25, and Racing Ralph 2.1 on.
Finally lock down on Albert Light 2.25 Front / Racing Ralph 2.1 Rear, and loving it.

 

[fiveohhh]

Yeah I figured he was waiting on the hubs, I just assumed he would have called to tell me about the hold up.