[mayberry32]

I'm looking to upgrade the wheels and fork on my Steel Dragon 29er hardtail. Currently, I have the stock WTB wheelset that came on the bike: WTB Speed Disc All Mountain eyeletted rims, 32H, Shimano M475 6-bolt disc hubs, WTB 14g stainless steel spokes. I'm looking for a good wheelset I can run tubeless and drop some rolling weight. I do weigh about 210, so I need something that will handle my weight adequately. I've seen quite a few of you run Stans Arch rims. Will those handle Clydes? What other suggestions?

 

[kragu]

My 240lb buddy has settled on 36 spoke Flows with Chris King hubs. He's a Clyde who rides like a beast and is really hard on his stuff. 8 months in on these wheels and he hasn't broken so much as a spoke...

 

[mayberry32]

What will those cost?

 

[mayberry32]

I'm currently in the process of starting a new build, or buying another bike, too. I know I can't cheap out on wheels...just curious.

 

[jeffj]

At 210 lbs, you can ride 32h Flows pretty hard, but they may be a little bit of overkill for most 210 lb riders on a 100mm travel hardtail. That said, TBH, on that bike, ridden as designed, the Arch EX 32h should be a fine choice for a 210 lb rider.

And, unless you run a skimpy amount of sealant, tubeless doesn't really save you very much weight. The biggest savings will come from the boat anchor heavy shimano rear hub with it's steel freehub body, and then maybe going from straight gauge spokes to butted spokes.

The Flow EX rim is considerably wider and about 15g heavier than the the WTB Speed Disc (in 19mm inner width), whereas the Arch EX is about 50g lighter (per rim) than the WTB Speed Disc, yet still about 2mm wider on the inner width measurement.

 

[Bike Whisperer]

I would give a look at the WTB Frequency TCS i23 for a good clyde XC tubeless rim as well. Handbuilt with lighter Hope, White Industries, American Classic, or DT 350 you can probably expect to pay $600 (on sites such as Pro Wheel Builder).

 

[mayberry32]

So, if I go to Arch EX and change out my hubs, what do think that will run me $ wise, and how much weight will I shave with wheels/hubs alone? It looks like only .2 lbs with the wheels alone. I think going from a Tora TK spring fork to a Reba, Fox Float 29 or a Tower Pro should shave at least 1.5 pounds on its own.

 

[Bike Whisperer]

MSRP on Stans Arch EX with Stans 3.30 hubs is $595, though you can probably find them closer to $500 if you look hard. They will probably save you closer to a pound over those stock wheels (mostly in the hubs).

 

[jeffj]

The wider inner rim width is an often overlooked bonus. Even though the i23 Frequency is pretty much the same weight as the Speed Disc (with 19mm inner width), the additional 4mm inner width makes a given tire noticeably more . . . . voluminous. It will also have a (usually) better profile. You could potentially use a narrower (and lighter) tire that would be as plump as a wider one (not to mention heavier) was on the narrower Speed Disc rims.

 

[trmn8er]

Honestly 210 is not that heavy. I rode Roval SL's when I weighed 240 and NEVER had an issue. Now I am 220 and ride Roval Control Carbon's and also never had an issue. To be clear, it does depend what you where and how you are riding, and if you are hucking it off jumps, you would need to be more careful in your selection. Again, unless you are doing serious drops, I would not be too concerned. I have only blown spokes twice on SUPER light wheels, and I was beating on them hard. The Roval Traverse are an excellent wheel-set, and are really light too.

 

[Bike Whisperer]

The wider inner rim width is an often overlooked bonus. Even though the i23 Frequency is pretty much the same weight as the Speed Disc (with 19mm inner width), the additional 4mm inner width makes a given tire noticeably more . . . . voluminous. It will also have a (usually) better profile. You could potentially use a narrower (and lighter) tire that would be as plump as a wider one (not to mention heavier) was on the narrower Speed Disc rims.

The SpeedDisc All Mountain rim is 21mm wide internal and 590g. So the Frequency i23 is not only wider but is actually about 65g lighter per rim.

 

[swildnm]

I've ridden 2 sets of Sun Ringle Charger Pros pretty hard for the last 2 years with no problems, and went from 250-215lbs on them. My latest wheelset are WTB Frequency i25's, Hope Hubs, and 32 DT Alpine III triple butted spokes. Both work very well tubeless.

If you are considering WTB frequency rims the i25 is only 27 grams heavier than the i23, I'd take the i25's for the durability every time.

 

[gregnash]

Started out almost 3yrs ago riding my steel 29er at 225# on my custom built Stans Flow with Shimy M529 hubs and standard spoke/brass nipples. I have ridden the bike hard for the last 3yrs and taken some real hard hits on my tubeles GEAX Gato/Saguaro combo. The Gato LOVES low PSI when run tubeless, I mean this tire came ALIVE at 15psi and I have hit some of the hardest Tahoe boulders with it and had no damage or the rim going out of true.

I am not at 185ish and can tell you that the Flows are great rims and will stand up to you at 210 and down.

 

[broeli]

Stans Arch. No need for Flows. Or even better would be carbon. You can get arch with hope hubs for like 475. I'm 200 with gear and I ride Arch with dt swiss 350 hubs. On my hardtail I have sun ringle black flag pro...also good

 

[santacruz99]

On the cheap, Azonic Outlaws. I weight 185 lbs and have two bikes. On my FS I’m running Stan’s Arch w/3.30 hub. On my fully ridged SS, I ended up going through a set of new cheap wheel s. They were WTB Speed Disc on Formula hubs. I think I destroyed these wheels because I was new to SS and rode it like my FS. I ended up replacing them with the Azonic Outlaws and have not changed my riding style. I love both and they suit me well. For me, it comes down to weight and cost. The Azonics are half the price of the Arches but weigh much more.

 

[pimpbot]

I'm looking to upgrade the wheels and fork on my Steel Dragon 29er hardtail. Currently, I have the stock WTB wheelset that came on the bike: WTB Speed Disc All Mountain eyeletted rims, 32H, Shimano M475 6-bolt disc hubs, WTB 14g stainless steel spokes. I'm looking for a good wheelset I can run tubeless and drop some rolling weight. I do weigh about 210, so I need something that will handle my weight adequately. I've seen quite a few of you run Stans Arch rims. Will those handle Clydes? What other suggestions?

210 isn't that heavy. It all depends on how you ride, tho. If you ride like a bag of hammers thrown down the stairs, landing jumps sideways, then worry about extra beefy rims.

Double butted spokes are more durable in the long run. They don't break at the J-Bend ends from repeated stress like straight gauge spokes do.

I'm 210 and I run Light Bicycle AM Carbon rims (see the Cheap Chinese Rim thread) with 14/15ga 32 DT Swiss spokes, brass nipples front and rear on a DT Swiss Hugi hub with a Lefty front hub. The wheelset is light, stiff, and has been flawless for the last year and a half. Hope Pro2 hubs are pretty bombproof, easy to service and not that expensive compared to Chris King or DT Swiss hubs. Not quite as nice, but not far off and basically half the price.

I'm also a fan of Sun Inferno rims. IIRC, Sun OEM makes the rims for Stan's. They're cheap, welded, stiff, and work well. I'm not a fan of tubeless, so I can't comment on how well they work there. I have some Inferno23 s on another bike.

I've run SpeedDisc XC rims, and I can tell you first hand, they are not that stiff, and weigh like 510g each. Most other XC kinda rims are around the 460g mark. I've also run DT Swiss X470s which are flexy as heck and not very strong... plus they are pinned, not welded. For recycled beer can rims, my opinion is that the Sun Inferno 23 is the best deal. If you have budget, go LB AM 29er carpet fiber rims. They run like $360 a pair for the hoops landed at your door. They come in under 400g each, they're wider and stiffer than XC alloy rims.

 

[Rogue426]

If your willing to wait a couple of weeks for delivery

I bought these and have been happy with them. I'm 220 lbs so I went with the Flow Ex's instead of the Arch.
Hope Hoops Pro2 Evo 29er Flow Ex Wheelset | Wheels MTB | - Cycle Sports UK

I don't think I've seen them cheaper.

 

[Axe]

I would give a look at the WTB Frequency TCS i23 for a good clyde XC tubeless rim as well. Handbuilt with lighter Hope, White Industries, American Classic, or DT 350 you can probably expect to pay $600 (on sites such as Pro Wheel Builder).

This. i23 is it.

Better tubeless with more tires than Stan's (it is a UST compatible shape, but does require thin tape). And it is as solid as Flow. My builder told me that directional spoke drilling makes for an easy and solid build.