Bicycle Mechanics - How to choose a rim for light trails

I was looking at some resources about the specs for rims, but couldnt find much.
What i was looking for are some pointers on what to look for when shopping for rims(stiffness, material, durability...).
What should i keep my eyes opened for?
Thank you.

Are you looking for rims that are compatible with rim brakes?

The better ones have welded seams and machined sidewalls...and eyelets.

You also might want to take into consideration your size and weight; your riding style -- do you just bomb your way over everything:eek: or do you finesse your way down the trail.....and what type of trails you ride - smooth or rocky.....full-suspension or hard tail......

Thank you for the answers.
You are right kramnnim (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=87311) i'm looking for v-brake rims.
Regarding the questions:
I'm about 6 feet/150 lbs.
I try to finesse my way down the trail!
The trails are mostly smooth surfaces with some rocky terrain, no jumps or anything like that, pretty light trails.
My bike is a full suspencion.
Do you have any rim recommendations that match the criteria?

Sun Rhyno Lite is a commonly recommended mountain bike rim. They are very sturdy and easy to build. They're fairly economical too. The biggest negative is they aren't the easiest rims to install tires onto.

Velocity Aero Heat is what I would pick today if I were building a mountain bike wheelset for myself. They are a bit narrower and about 100 grams lighter than the Rhyno Lites but still a very sturdy rim. They're a bit more expensive than the Rhyno Lites.

I'm liking the Sun UFO for my XC hardtail I'm 165 lbs and I've had no problems with them.

Thank you for the answers.
You are right kramnnim (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=87311) i'm looking for v-brake rims.
Regarding the questions:
I'm about 6 feet/150 lbs.
I try to finesse my way down the trail!
The trails are mostly smooth surfaces with some rocky terrain, no jumps or anything like that, pretty light trails.
My bike is a full suspencion.
Do you have any rim recommendations that match the criteria?

At your size, durability shouldn't be an issue. Probably any rim will do. Personally I like Mavic but any rim with a machined sidewall is better than a nonmachined rim (smoother). Jenson (http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/RI707A17-Sun+Ufo+Rim.aspx) has a Sun Ufo for $39 that should fit the bill nicely

Thank you for the answers.
Is the difference between a machined sidewall to a non machined only related to the brake surface?(contact between the brake pad and the rim)?

Thank you for the answers.
Is the difference between a machined sidewall to a non machined only related to the brake surface?(contact between the brake pad and the rim)?

Yes...mostly. The machined sidewall has to be welded so it could be slightly stronger than a pinned rim. However rims seldom fail at the joint. A pinned rim often has an offset at the joint that makes for an annoying bump during braking. Machined rims never have that bump...unless they are broken;)

The machined sidewall has to be welded so it could be slightly stronger than a pinned rim.

I don't think that's true. My QBP catalogue lists all of the Velocity rims as having pinned joints and most of them as having machined brake tracks.

I'll agree that the cheaper pinned rims frequently have that annoying offset at the joint but the better ones don't. Rims simply don't pull apart at the joints so any strength to be gained by welding is, to me, a non-issue.

Grant Peterson has a lot to say about rims (as he does about all things, bless his bike fanatic heart:)).

If you go to www.rivbike.com, and click on "READ" next to the Rivendell logo, then click on "Rims" under the "Components" list, Grant will give you his usual straight forward, no nonsense thoughts on bike rims.

Granted (sorry, couldn't help myself:o), he's not into the extreme high techness of cycling, but the bikes he puts together work well for their intended purpose. Whenever I want to build, repair, or add something new to my bike, I like to get as much information as I can about it.

Good Luck!

Grant Peterson has a lot to say about rims (as he does about all things, bless his bike fanatic heart:)).

If you go to www.rivbike.com, and click on "READ" next to the Rivendell logo, then click on "Rims" under the "Components" list, Grant will give you his usual straight forward, no nonsense thoughts on bike rims.

Granted (sorry, couldn't help myself:o), he's not into the extreme high techness of cycling, but the bikes he puts together work well for their intended purpose. Whenever I want to build, repair, or add something new to my bike, I like to get as much information as I can about it.

Good Luck!

As with most things Grant, you have to take his information with some small modicum of salt. I've built plenty of rims without machined walls and I'd rather have them then not. Every nonmachined rim I have used had an annoying hop at the rim joint. I have a set of Salsa Delgados now that, while good rims, still have that annoying hop at the joint. It doesn't cause any problems but I can feel the brakes pulse each time they pass the joint. Personally, I'll pay a little extra for a smooth braking surface.

Thank you RosyRambler for the resource, it discusses some points i was after.
Everyone who posted here nailed my questions on the spot!