[EverRed]

I have a 12x142, 15x100 non boost wheelset that came on a used bike I recently purchased. I would like to replace this wheelset because I don't like the noisy I9 hubs.

I expect that the bike will be replaced within the next 18 months when I figure out just what geometry I want. I'll probably buy a frame and would like to build it with the wheels I get now.

My concern is that if I get a non boost wheelset now will it be obsolete by this time next year. Should I just put up with the wheels I have and wait or can I confidently get some non boost wheels now?

I use 29" wheels and don't beat them very hard so the advantages of boost are probably not relevant to me.

(FWIW my current wheels are Reynolds TR 309S with I9 hubs and I have done as much as I can to quieten them by greasing etc.)

 

[junior77]

You already know the answer. Definitely wait to buy wheels. Unless you plan on buying a used/older model bike...most frame only bikes will be boost.




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[JACKL]

Agree 100%.

My situation is completely different. I'm running a 150 / 157 wheelset (sometimes referred to as Superboost). That is the width I want to go with. But I am not going to drop big coin on a new wheelset until I absolutely need one or feel relatively certain that new Frames will be available with that width.

Boost is a pretty safe way to go on a new high $ build, but you never know.

 

[alexbn921]

Any bike you buy will be boost or god forbid super boost. Wait on wheels. Get some dumonde tech freehub grease and take out 3 of the 6 paws. There are two sets and if you remove 1 set it will give you 60 POE with half the noise. The grease will make them almost silent.

 

[rain164845]

I went to i9 to have grease added and I was surprised at the amount of grease they used. It did make them very quiet. Maybe you need more grease.

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[EverRed]

Thank you for all of your replies guys. Unfortunately I am hearing what I didn't want to hear!

Alex - is there a downside to only using three pawls?

Rain - do you mean I9 greased them for you? I've greased mine with Phil's Tenatious Oil just because its what I had available. It helps but its still noisy. I understand that Dumonde Pro Bearing Grease is the I9 recommended choice.

 

[ninjichor]

I've converted a set of Easton Haven carbon wheels I got in ~2013, from 10x135 to 12x142 and now running them on a boost bike with a spacer kit. The front's 15x100, and also running spacers for it. $13 on ebay for the kit. I can fit my wheels to old bikes, but can't do that with Boost wheels, so you give up backwards compatibility for "future proofing".

Boost is controversial tiny incremental improvement, but I'd say it is what gave alloy wheels stiffness and strength to be adequate enough for some people. Used to be that carbon was the most significant upgrade for any 29er, but now it's optional to a significant portion of the market.

Future-proofing... hah. I just look at it as trying to get decent value out of everything I "invest" in, and learning from all the mistakes. I can say that, with how quickly things are changing and getting refreshed, it's not too wise to invest in heirloom parts, unless your entire bike is heirloom quality, and you're able to disconnect from industry updates, and social interaction with those who are still connected, and settle with what you got. Can't predict the future in general for others, but I can plan out a general route/direction that I want to take near future and will just scope out the opportunities as they come.

 

[EverRed]

I've converted a set of Easton Haven carbon wheels I got in ~2013, from 10x135 to 12x142 and now running them on a boost bike with a spacer kit. The front's 15x100, and also running spacers for it. $13 on ebay for the kit. I can fit my wheels to old bikes, but can't do that with Boost wheels, so you give up backwards compatibility for "future proofing".

Boost is controversial tiny incremental improvement, but I'd say it is what gave alloy wheels stiffness and strength to be adequate enough for some people. Used to be that carbon was the most significant upgrade for any 29er, but now it's optional to a significant portion of the market.

Future-proofing... hah. I just look at it as trying to get decent value out of everything I "invest" in, and learning from all the mistakes. I can say that, with how quickly things are changing and getting refreshed, it's not too wise to invest in heirloom parts, unless your entire bike is heirloom quality, and you're able to disconnect from industry updates, and social interaction with those who are still connected, and settle with what you got. Can't predict the future in general for others, but I can plan out a general route/direction that I want to take near future and will just scope out the opportunities as they come.

Are you saying I could get non boost wheels and them use them with a spacer kit on a boost bike? I guess that means more parts and less elegance but I could do that with the back wheel if I can't get the current one quietened down.

 

[ninjichor]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cycling-Bo...pter-for-148mm-Boost-type-frame-/302668093825

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cycling-Bo...pter-for-15mm-x-110mm-Boost-Fork/302531869438

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I have experience on i9 enduro system wheels (alloy i9 spokes, alloy rims). Not only did I discover were they annoyingly noisy (and got easily noticed by others, esp those tailing me), but they transmitted a ton of feedback from the trails. I could feel the ground through the tires. That's cool for riding XC when I'm on tires that reach their traction limits on smooth hardpack, to feel for that limit when the tire's scratching for grip and drifting a little, and for riding skinnies and getting an idea where the rear wheel is. On the other hand, when riding raw unmaintained stuff with brute force, all that vibration being transmitted and the freewheeling is just plain annoying noise.

I no longer care too much about POE either, esp since I went to steel (flexier, less sporty/responsive). I discovered that 54 POE (SRAM X0 level hubs) was the most I'd probably go with again, and that 18 POE was fine as long as it didn't clang when it engaged.

 

[*OneSpeed*]

I have a 12x142, 15x100 non boost wheelset that came on a used bike I recently purchased. I would like to replace this wheelset because I don't like the noisy I9 hubs.

(FWIW my current wheels are Reynolds TR 309S with I9 hubs and I have done as much as I can to quieten them by greasing etc.)

Re-lace the rear wheel with a new hub. It's a good rim, instead of building a completely new wheelset which is nearly instantly obsolete just fix the current problem... the rear hub noise.

Are you saying I could get non boost wheels and them use them with a spacer kit on a boost bike?

Yes, there are adapter kits, but it's not ideal long term. As others have stated, wait until you figure out what new bike/frame you're interested in before you build wheels. Most likely it will be boost or super boost.

 

[ninjichor]

Not ideal:
- the little spacers can be a pain to manage when removing and installing wheel
- you're gonna want to use a crank/chainring optimized for non-boost chainline, esp with 11-12 speed

Superboost is still pretty rare. I'm wondering where the superboost ebikes are, as I figure they're the ones that would benefit most.

P.S. there's 3M 436 anti-vibration tape that should help reduce hub noise. Or 434, which is thinner... if you stamp a fancy imprint on the tape and cut them into squares, you can market them as high tech "sensors" that actively target things, like heat and vibration, that compromise performance (inside joke about that axxios system that cost $1000 to outfit a bike).

 

[Le Duke]

The Wolftooth kit is a replacement for the NDS end cap.

It won’t fall off when you take the wheel off.


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[PuddleDuck]

Thank you for all of your replies guys. Unfortunately I am hearing what I didn't want to hear!

Alex - is there a downside to only using three pawls?

Rain - do you mean I9 greased them for you? I've greased mine with Phil's Tenatious Oil just because its what I had available. It helps but its still noisy. I understand that Dumonde Pro Bearing Grease is the I9 recommended choice.

Oil is not grease. Grease quieten's louder hubs. I9 recommend and use Dumond FREEHUB grease. It's readily available. Also, I9 have great customer service, if you have and questions or doubts about e.g. how much grease to apply, give them a call.

 

[*OneSpeed*]

I'm wondering where the superboost ebikes are, as I figure they're the ones that would benefit most..

Has nothing to do with anything in this conversation.

 

[RS VR6]

I’d just wait. If you can’t...you can always sell what you got currently and get new wheels. Who knows...by that time...the frame might be 157 out back and 20x115 up front.

 

[ninjichor]

How much are you gonna speculate about the future?

If you are gonna speculate that 157 and 20x115 might be out in the future, how will they convince you to replace your wheels for it?

If they increase the bike's capability so much that it needs other parts to keep up, thanks to advances in geo (long wheelbase), suspension, and tires offering insane grip (29+ maybe?), maybe the wheels would need to beefed up proportionally. Maybe emtbs would have been repeatedly exposed so much to the public by then that they became more tolerated and represented the future...

You probably recognize that you can only future-proof as far as you can "accurately imagine/predict", but you are only 1 mind. Trying to crowd-source this prediction might reveal the harsh reality along with wild imagination, leading you to more indecision. IMO, just keep it simple and just get something adequate for your current needs and the plans/direction for your near future needs. You have a deal of control over your future, but not the future that others create. Don't stress over stuff you can't control.

I'll just say expect more incremental improvement from this industy. Heck, one of the biggest names even mentions this in their slogan.

 

[EverRed]

Oil is not grease. Grease quieten's louder hubs. I9 recommend and use Dumond FREEHUB grease. It's readily available. Also, I9 have great customer service, if you have and questions or doubts about e.g. how much grease to apply, give them a call.

PuddleDuck - you're right thank you for the correction. I was going from memory since I didn't have my notes with me.

Phil's helped but only for twenty miles or so.

 

[EverRed]

How much are you gonna speculate about the future?

If you are gonna speculate that 157 and 20x115 might be out in the future, how will they convince you to replace your wheels for it?

If they increase the bike's capability so much that it needs other parts to keep up, thanks to advances in geo (long wheelbase), suspension, and tires offering insane grip (29+ maybe?), maybe the wheels would need to beefed up proportionally. Maybe emtbs would have been repeatedly exposed so much to the public by then that they became more tolerated and represented the future...

You probably recognize that you can only future-proof as far as you can "accurately imagine/predict", but you are only 1 mind. Trying to crowd-source this prediction might reveal the harsh reality along with wild imagination, leading you to more indecision. IMO, just keep it simple and just get something adequate for your current needs and the plans/direction for your near future needs. You have a deal of control over your future, but not the future that others create. Don't stress over stuff you can't control.

I'll just say expect more incremental improvement from this industy. Heck, one of the biggest names even mentions this in their slogan.

Interesting thoughts and I agree with you. I appreciate your input.

 

[EverRed]

I've been looking into Onyx hubs and I'm told by Onyx that they can be converted to boost by changing the shell and the axle for around $150, plus the cost or re-building the wheel. Not cheap but it is a possibility.