Mountain Biking - bullet proof rear rims?

I'm new to biking and ride a Giant Warp (its a hardtail). I have not modified the bike at all. I am 6'6" tall weigh about 250lbs. I ride singletrack and am as aggresive as my skills will allow me to be. I keep "warping" my rear rim. I get it straightned at the LBS, and after just 1 or 2 rides its wobbling like hell. Well I need to know what type of rim to buy. Are the 36 spoke ones really that much stronger. What about those 3 or 4 spoked composite looking rims? I want one that will allow me to get wild on the trail and not buckle except under the most extreme drops.

Sun Rhyno lites built well can be pretty bulletproof. However the most bombproof set of wheels I have built used Ambrosio CC 24's. they are triple walled and double stainless steel eyelets. They are heavier than most but for heavy duty throw the weight issue away.

Sorry hunter. Sun's blow. I don't like and have broken all of their rims that I have tried and continuously try the Ryno lites which always end up disapointing.

Trailpimps seem to be the common BEST while I believe Mavic 321ds are up there as well. 36 holes add a world of strength. In reality at your weight you will break rear rims. If you don't mind weight the MAvic's rule. (I believe are cheaper than trailpimps) But don't expect truly bombproof. I am a similar size and keep a budget for my rear 'area' at all times.

According to MBA the Trailpimps are super tough, but the spokes are so tight that they snap sometime. Key word there is sometimes, which probably is close to never(great grammar huh?) Mavic Dee Max rims are strong too, they seem to be what most pros use.

Being such a large rider, I wouldn't use anything BUT 36 hole rims.

Originally posted by Maelstrom
Sorry hunter. Sun's blow. I don't like and have broken all of their rims that I have tried and continuously try the Ryno lites which always end up disapointing.

Trailpimps seem to be the common BEST while I believe Mavic 321ds are up there as well. 36 holes add a world of strength. In reality at your weight you will break rear rims. If you don't mind weight the MAvic's rule. (I believe are cheaper than trailpimps) But don't expect truly bombproof. I am a similar size and keep a budget for my rear 'area' at all times. As with everything, you are going to find a variety of experiences. In this case, my experiences are the exact opposite of Maelstrom. In my opinion, Sun offers the best bang for the buck, solid rims for a reasonable price, the Rhyno lite being the best option for your application. To me, Mavic rims for the rear are expensive hoops that I destroy in relatively short order. Tried a few different ones over the years, same results. I've always had a hard time understanding why people like to spend so much on their products when they don't seem to last. Other friends have had similar experiences, yet continue to buy them.

One of the most important things is the build. If you don't have the skills or a local builder with the skills, you might try someone like Gravywheels.com for a good build. I do agree w/ Maelstrom on the 36 hole route for your size. And no fancy lacing patterns, do both sides 3-cross.

Sun or Mavic are both great manufacturers. Which ever you choose will do fine. The biggest factor is a proper build. If a reputable builder does the work then you will have a good set of wheels. As for spoke count, I use 32 hole wheels and have never had a problem. Spokes these days are stronger then they used to be so 32 is capable of handling just about any thing.
For Mavics I like the 321's for Sun I run SingleTracks on my dh rig and DoubleWide on my freeride all laced with stright 14g. Also, stick with either WheelSmith or DT for spokes.

Slainte:beer:

I stand with the good build entourage too. The wheels we get on bikes from the manufactuers, and the wheels we get when we order them are all crap. They are barely true, and the rims are not centered correctly on the hub. We have a guy who is a wheel building wizz come in a fix all our wheels before we put the bikes on the floor, or sell a set of wheels.

Thanks guys!

I'll buy you folks a beer if you get this way.
:beer:

I suspect that either the wheel was not built with adequate tension or that the rim (and hence wheel) is simply not strong enough for the loads you are putting on it.

More spokes is always beneficial, but fashion has made 32 spoke wheels the standard. Fewer spokes necessitates a heavier rim and greater tension per spoke. However, with the enormous selection of 32H MTB rims, this is not a big problem in practice.

If you want 'bullit proof', check out the triple wall Supra Sigma from:

http://www.alexrims.com

Again, a good build is vital.

My 10' drop freeride buddies swear by their Atom Lab Trailpimps. or Azonic Butcher rims, (if you can find them). I'm not that brave yet! My biggest drop is about 3'0". I've never had much luck with Sun rims, and prefer Mavic products over the Sun's. I had a pair of Alex Triple wall and they were super beefy and stout, never knocked them out of true!

L8R