Mountain Bike - Hard tail

Unfortunately the demo plans got rained out. I'm likely going to go rent this weekend and finally get a taste. I've been drooling over websites etc for a couple days now.

 

SO much better options than Stan's out there, so don't limit yourself.

My current MTB wheelset is BHS hubs, Velocity Blunt SS upfront and KOM i25 Rear.

If you want to buy the last pair of hubs you'll ever need, get the Kings....but with everyone going to 148 rear axles widths, and the kings not being convertible, then you'll be stuck with 'old' frames. My BHS' have served me well and take the abuse of my 205lb ass, and I ain't exactly easy on them.

 

Enve is not an option for me, as I cant afford to sell my left nut....

I have a bunch of buddies running flows (some for years) and have heard nothing bad about them. Im running an Arch ex in the back, and a crest up front. Im not going to be messing with the front anytime soon, just the rear.

LBS was praising the DT hubs, so I might go that route, and it will probably be cheaper than king.

 

DT's aren't that much cheaper once you look at upgrading the ratchet to get more points of engagement. But mechanically they are pretty strong.

There's nothing wrong with Stans, they are the SV of the aftermarket wheel world. They work just fine, it's just that IMO there are better wheels for the money out there. And wheel longevity has a lot to do with the person building the wheels as well.

 

So you're spending $180 a year on chains? That still seems like a lot. More than I spend on my whole drive train in an average year. I like XT too.

 

Anyone have any experience with Crank Brothers wheels? Seems like having only one length of spoke as they do, and supposedly really easy to change, would be a nice benefit. My last two sets of wheels have been Mavics. They're strong and fast, but they don't support their products very well, as far as finding spokes for older rims is concerned.

 

Yep.....and I have never broken a chain or replaced a drive component and my rig shifts like butter....every shift on every ride. I have some Wolf rear cogs and their pricy.... I sell the chains for $15 so my net cost is $14 a copy.

 

I rode Stans for years...Bonnie still does exclusively. Since I ride 29ers I like the lateral stiffness afforded by the ENVE hoops. I also like the fact I can run lower pressures without dinging a rim.

Longevity around here seems to have a lot more to do with the person riding the rims. Some people are just bashers with no technique and some people ride much softer over the same terrain. Typically the better the rider the longer wheelsets last.

 

So only $84 a year out of pocket. Sounds like a good plan. :up:

 

my limited experience is telling me you can trade some time for $$: i clean my chains religiously and the wear rate seems to have literally gone down by 50x. so, i can stretch their time (pun intended) w/o the related wear on components.

but, i spend a fair amount of time cleaning. i'm anal, so it comes naturally. lol

i have DT 240 and 250 hubs; both have worked really well so far. and, i have one set of ENVE rims and when i did ding one, then sent me a new one....and didnt need to. they are totally and completely kick ass in the customer service dept imo.

vince

 

one of my buddies has a set of their wheels. i like most of their stuff and the wheels have worked very well for him. my only thought is that since the spoke is proprietary, it might be tough to find one on short notice in a pinch. else, i think it's a good design.

btw: their customer service is pretty excellent too imo. im a little spoiled in that i drive right by their shop regularly, so can pop in for service and stuff easily.

vince

 

Crank Bros customer service is great because they warrantied pretty much everything they ever made their first three years in business.

I have a set if their Cobalt wheels on my steel HT 29er. They have been great after we figured out that the little super thin shim in the rear hub is very important. These are original cobalts and I have trued them maybe three times in five years. GREAT point about the spoke/nipple parts. I have two of them because a bike shop wont have them.

I use CB Candy 3 and Acid 3 pedals exclusively. The extra money gets you bearings (vs bushings) and I send them into the pedal spa for a rebuild annually ($25 pro deal). What I really like about CB pedals is as cleats wear they release easier where shimano SPD's get harder on release as they wear.

 

Thanks for the info.:up: I think since all the spokes are one size, it wouldn't be too much of a problem just to keep a pack of spokes on hand. I've dealt with the proprietary problem with Mavic, but it's tougher because there are several different spoke lengths per wheelset, and this problem is compounded by them not offering great support. When I called, their advice was to "buy a new set of wheels."

 

I use candy 3's on my MTB & Eggbeater 3's on my road and cross bikes. The spa service is excellent, although I'm slightly disappointed that I've found that I need to sent them in every year for a rebuild as the springs go soft in 12-15 months. That said, the trails I ride are pretty technical and I really like the flat and the ease of getting in and out in a pinch. I switched to SPD's briefly this spring and I nearly fell over at stops a lot...

 

I can now ride my bike to far away trails to ride my bike...

 

That's should be loads of fun in some big crosswinds.

 

Dude in NC has been rocking a rig like this for years.

 

I rode 30 miles to work this am, with some decent crosswinds from a low pressure front that's moving in. It's actually not a whole lot worse than a passenger.

 

I'm sure the constant wheelies are more of an issue than crosswinds