Need advice choosing wheelset??!!??

[teknological]

After a good strong yet reasonably light wheelset for Freeriding, NS, DJ, street and general hacking around! Running Intense Mag 30's on DH bike, very strong but too damn heavy!!!

1st Q, what's benefits of 36H over 32H rim, worth extra weight? I'm a light guy, but not smoothest on H/tail?

2nd Q, anyone ride Dabomb Wheelset? what's quality of hubs? Are the rims any good?

3rd Q, if I didn't go for Dabomb, would custom build some wheels, don't want to spend too much money. Thinking D521 on XT rear & 20mm (Cycle solutions or Dabomb) front.

Answers to these Q's much appreciated,

Thanks, Leo

[wingy]

Trail Pimp rear and Aircorp front. The hubs you mentioned sound like a good budget option. 36 hole will be stronger and on the back of a hardtail might be a good idea. I have a Dice EFD 36 hole on the back of my HT and I can't seem to bend it. (fuck, what have I done, now I'll snap it for sure) It is a little heavy though and I will get a Trail Pimp built when I can afford it. How much travel do you have on the front?
Having said all this I have been riding Mavic rims for 10 years and never had a problem. If I could afford to go with them I probably would now.
FTR has Da Bomb wheelsets in stock and the boys are only too happy to help you out.
Good luck

[Cave Dweller]

I would steer clear of anything made by atom lab.

521 rims are a good choice for strength vs weight, either front hub sounds fine as its just a hunk of aluminum with bearings in it, not much can go wrong.

But, seeing this is going on a hardtail i would spend a little bit extra and get a nice rear hub, an XT on a hardtail being used and abused will not last long and wheel builds are expensive. If your willing to drop the money get a hadley or hugi FR rear hub. If you want to spend less i have been using a DT onyx rear hub on my hardtail for the last 4 years without a problem. 10mm bolt up is recomended as well.

The Dabomb wheels look like good value but i haven't used them or seen them so i can't comment.

-Matt

[Regan]

I'd go custom built.....

I have had some DICE EFD's with Gold aluminium DT nipples, DT Alpine III spokes and Funn QR hubs for about 6 years now. I used them for DH for about 5 years and now have them on my 4X/DJ bike.

I have NEVER had them trued and they are still as strait as the day I got them. I have hit the rim VERRRY hard numerus times and they don't have any flat spots or bent side walls...... The hubs are still in perfect condition too.

They are quite lite too

The rims cost me about $80 each.

The complete wheelset cost me about $700.

[mike&nat]

http://shop.dhdirect.com.au/store/products/item147.inetstore
get those, they are $400 including post and all. they are sick my bro got some yesterday and they are sick look sick are sick.

[wingy]

He said something about budget. Hadley and Hugis are great but don't fit into the budget category. CD, whats your aversion to Atomlab? I've heard reasonably good things about most of their stuff (excluding the DHR) and just had an Aircorp built for my trail bike. I agree though that you can't go wrong Mavic.

[jays_5000]

Does a 36 hole rim weigh more than a 32?

I thought it would have weighed less, just by the tiniest of margines because of the extra 4 holes?

[shmity]

...then add 4 spokes per wheel.

[wingy]

You fill the holes with spokes. The weight difference would be naff all between 32 and 36 hole rims. I'm sure there is a thread here somewhere that could sort out what the relative strength differences are between the two. My "evidence" is only anecdotal as to whether 36 is stronger than 32. I find it harder to ding my 36 hole rim than my 32 hole rim.

[dhd]

http://shop.dhdirect.com.au/store/products/item147.inetstore
get those, they are $400 including post and all. they are sick my bro got some yesterday and they are sick look sick are sick.


Glad you like em! You posted a link for the QR version.....20mm version is:

http://shop.dhdirect.com.au/store/products/item146.inetstore

[Cave Dweller]

CD, whats your aversion to Atomlab? I've heard reasonably good things about most of their stuff (excluding the DHR) and just had an Aircorp built for my trail bike.

My mate had a set of pedals and they feel apart three times after having having them rebuilt three times. Total of about 5 hours of use for a $250 set of pedals. Multiple stories of rims that have the strength of a tub of butter, and their hubs are crap as well. But yeh, they sure look pretty.

Atomlab have nice names for their products but it takes more than that to make something good. It is unfortunante that people get sucked into the marketing hype with these products.

Sigh.......... anyway.

I would steer clear of dice rims as well, i have bent a few of those in my time. Mavics or sun rims are all that i would use.

Don't skimp on a rear hub for a hardtail being used roughly. All the shock and load is carried by the hub, there is no suspension to absorb anything. A cheap hub will crap out, will constantly need to be fixed and you will probably end up having to get a new hub later on and have to spring another $80 for a wheel build and spokes.

-Matt

[toodles]

I would steer clear of dice rims as well, i have bent a few of those in my time. Mavics or sun rims are all that i would use.

Amen to that. Dice rims are on par with Truvativ hussefelts as being the worse combination of heavy yet weak component I have found.

I've found 321 rims to be pretty damn reliable and I'd assume the 521 is fairly similar in durability.

[scblack]

I've got Mavic 521 rims, and never had a problem. I weigh 85kgs, so not the lightest, and not the softest,smoothest rider either.

Mavic are good quality, you couldn't go too wrong I reckon.

[Red Rocket]

yes I would defenitely go with something from mavic. I have a 321 and it is imossible (for me) to bend. also make sure you have a good build quality as well, i.e. on't skimp on hubs.

[wombat]

whats your aversion to Atomlab? I've heard reasonably good things about most of their stuff (excluding the DHR) and just had an Aircorp built for my trail bike. I agree though that you can't go wrong Mavic.
Trailpimps are apparently pretty tough, but he did say reasonably light, and the weight of those rims is anything but reasonable. Pricing is hardly budget conscious on them either. I'm with Cave Dweller, I don't think you can go past 521s for rims.
Whatever choice you make though, get a good build, it'll make more difference than a slightly stronger rim ever could.

[manny24]

wombats got the idea :wink:
the atomlab stuff is great, but yeah heavy. anything dice is rubbish, as the alloy blend they use is rather soft, light tho. alot of people, including myself, have bent the side walls quite easily. ive even done it to smo's without too much trouble :?
for the same money, get mavics, atom labs or sun's. u asked about 32 or 36 hole?! id stick with 32, as its mainly the build quality that makes for the strong wheel, the soo much the spoke count :wink:

[wingy]

Whatever choice you make though, get a good build, it'll make more difference than a slightly stronger rim ever could.[/quote]

Amen to that brother.