[montgod]

Hello,

I am trying to decide between three type of wheel sets and I am leaning towards the cheaper sets since I am not a hardcore rider. Currently these are the three I am debating between:

Mavic 221 - exact replacements for what I already have

Mavic 225 - are these better than 221's and lighter?

Mavic 517 - expensive replacements, but supposedly worth it.

What is your experience and what do you recommend?

Also, what tire would you recommend for a mixture of mountain bike riding as well as a little pavement riding (I have to get to the mountain )

Thanks!

 

[HTail]

Depends on your use

The 517's which I believe have been replaced by the 717's would be ideal. It never hurts to have less weight in your wheels for riding efficiency.

You could go with one of the cheaper rims and just get them built up with thinner spokes like DT Revolution15/17 or 14/17 which saves a significant amount of rotational weight. I've had great luck on my spare bike with 15//17 guage spokes. The 221's are only 20 grams more per wheel over the 717's, so might as well save $$$.

The Hutchinson Pythons are a great hardpack dirt tire, but the low profile knobs lend themselves to pavement as well. Look at Specialized, Intense, Michellin, etc., they all offer XC race tires for hardpack conditions using minimal tread.