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Help Me Decide on Some Handbuilts for HT SS

786 Views 12 Replies 5 Participants Last post by AlexRandall, Jan 24, 2010

jonw9

Discussion Starter · Jan 17, 2010

So, I am looking into building a SS for the new year, and I want a good set of wheels for it. I don't want to say there is no price limit, but all things being equal, I would choose the cheaper set...probably. I want a bulletproof set that will last me a long time.

I have not bought a set of wheel since my Nuke Proof/Mavics in the 90s. Last season I rode my stock Specialized Alex 29er with Alex rims and Fastrack 120 TPI tires. I had no problems with strength or pinch flats running 28F/32R pressures. Now I am considering 2.2 Nevegal F and 2.1 SB8 rear tires, although i could probably get a good deal on some Bontrager's from my LBS, but i am not familiar with their offerings.

Now I am looking into tubeless, for no other reason than I can. However, having to reseal my Stans rims every 6 weeks because the goo dries is more work than I have had to do with my tubes.

Would I be better off getting a UST set and not deal with goo?

I would say I am pretty easy on my wheels, XC,maybe a 1 ft. drop on occasion, but the most impact would be from a flubbed attempt at crossing a log on the trail.

So, right now I am looking at Stans Arch, and Chris Kings. I could go with the 355s, but am going middle ground for some extra strength vs. weight. It looks like I could save ~$100 a set by going to Velocity Blunt or DT X470 and even more going with something like Hope hubs.

I am 6'1", 165 lbs. and dropping.

Sorry about the long winded post, but just trying to lay everything out there.

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mtnbiker72

· #2 · Jan 17, 2010

There are very few UST 29er tires, so even with UST rims your likely to use "Tubeless Ready" tires that require sealant. Latex based sealants do dry up though 6 weeks seems pretty short IME. My homebrew easily lasts all summer (3 months +). There are also some alternatives such as Slime Pro Tubeless and Bontrager SuperJuice that has been reported to last longer.

The Stans Arch/CK combo would be a solid choice, built up with some DT Supercomps. I would switch to Hope hubs to save money before switching to Velocity or DT rims as they are not specifically designed to run tires tubeless like the Arch.

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jonw9

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 17, 2010

Thanks for the info, I wasn't aware of the UST issue. As for the 6 wk.think, that was an arbitrary figure. Luckily, in the last almost 9 months, I had not needed to remove a tire from my bike.

I guess the only concession with the Hopes is the freewheel vs. the King/cog.

Right now I am looking at lacemine29, prowheelbuilder, bike29 and notubes. However, notubes doesn't carry CK.

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shiggy

· #4 · Jan 17, 2010

jonw9 said:
Thanks for the info, I wasn't aware of the UST issue. As for the 6 wk.think, that was an arbitrary figure. Luckily, in the last almost 9 months, I had not needed to remove a tire from my bike.

I guess the only concession with the Hopes is the freewheel vs. the King/cog.

Right now I am looking at lacemine29, prowheelbuilder, bike29 and notubes. However, notubes doesn't carry CK.

Hope hubs are cassette, not freewheel, just like the CK. The Pro II trials/SS hub uses a steel FH body so a wide base cog is not needed.

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jonw9

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 17, 2010 (Edited)

Again, I guess I had my information incorrect. Is it Phil Wood hubs that require the freewheel then?

In this exercise the Hope and King hubs are interchangeable then?

So, the big tradeoff between the two is engagement?

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jonw9

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 19, 2010

Looking at some of the prices, and finding the competitivecyclist.com, a set of I9s or Crank Bros Cobalt are about the same price.

I am guessing then neither of these prebuilts have SS hubs. This would be the main pitfall for these, correct?
NVM: There is an I9 SS: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/m...y-nine-single-speed-wheelset-3912.1811.0.html

Main pitfall compared to Stans becomes the tubeless-ness.

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mtnbiker72

· #7 · Jan 19, 2010

I wouldn't even consider Crank Bros wheels...low spoke count, high tension wheels are a PITA to work on and repair (I spent many years working on Rolf and Bontrager road wheels).

The I9's are nice but do use a proprietary spoke, so if you have something simple like a stick in your spokes...your likely going to need to order a new spoke vs picking one up at the LBS.

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jonw9

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 19, 2010

Cranks weren't really high on my short list. I am basically down to CK and I9, Hope II falling to 3rd.. Most prices are pretty much the same.

The I9s come with spare spokes, so that won't really be an (early) issue. I assume a LBS could true the I9s if necessary,or would a standard shop not really be equipped to do so?

Looking at the website, it appears that I9 has standard type hubs as well. MSRP of 580/set for SS. This is probably less than the pair of King hubs, and then no proprietary spoke is necessary.

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nspace

· #9 · Jan 19, 2010

I9 is definitely an option for the classic hubs. They are less common but a few people on here have built up wheels around them. Ligero has built up a few sets:

https://flic.kr/p/3617004761
I will be giving King ago on an upcoming wheel build. I considered the I9's but based on some feedback from locals I opted for Kings. You could definitely get a SS hubset of Kings for less than 580 no doubt. $565 w/ funbolts, and even less if you go QR on the rear from Aspire Velotech.

Hope is great bang for the buck. I have 2 sets. The first was less than reliable but all is fine now (must have been a bad match from 07). The second set I've been beating the hell out of 2 years and they have been awesome.

As for rim...some people shy away from the 355 in favour of the Arch. Some would even consider 355 as a race-day only type of rim. I think it mostly depends on your riding style and how graceful you are. If you plow through obstacles, 355 might not be your best bet.

That said, I weigh 145 lbs, give or take, and the 355's are my everyday wheelset. I've hit gnarly rock gardens, jumps, small drops and rough trails all on a rigid bike equipped with 355's and they are still rolling along true and free of issues. My experience is with the 29er version, but I imagine if anything, that should be a slightly weaker than a 26" built the same way.

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jonw9

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 23, 2010

Well, my LBS came up with a good price on some CKs and Stans. I have been going back and forth on which ones.

I don't want to get all "weight weenie" but I figure I mas as well save some grams where I can. I have been going over 355, Arches, or Crest. i think I am down to Arch or Crest. The Crest are 100g less each, so that would be 1/2 lb. saving almost. I was going to get white, but saw those are heavier than their black counterparts.

But I don't know what I would be giving up in terms of durability. Like I said in my first post, I have not had issues with my stock Alex rims, which are 32h rear, 28h front. These would be my everyday whells, not just racing.

Now I am thinking:
Red CK hubs (SS rear, QR)
ZTR Black 29" Crest, (maybe compromise Arch F, crest R)
DT Supercomp spokes, blk
Red alloy nipples
Schwalbe Racing Ralph (2.25 R / 2.4F)

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nspace

· #11 · Jan 24, 2010

jonw9 said:
I was going to get white, but saw those are heavier than their black counterparts.

Did you by any chance find out how much heavier the white versions were? The notubes website only lists the weight for the black version so I was just curious.

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jonw9

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 24, 2010

Not positive, but on this site I read 30g each wheel. Apparently the white is powedercoat, and black is anodized.

Here is the post which I read:http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=6271417&postcount=25

Another note, the White Powder Coat wheels are heavier, Stan's claims 30 grams, Some people have reported 50 to 60 grams per rim so a Black Anadized Flow weighs about the same as a Powder coated Arch.

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AlexRandall

· #13 · Jan 24, 2010

The stans Arch is really for people doing aggressive XC and drops, the crest is for XC, but due to its width you can mount larger tyres (which will help protect the rim).

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