Bicycle Mechanics - sun ryhno lite rims.

I've been considering getting some, but I want some opinions first. A few things I'm wondering about: at places such as www.mtbreview.com , people have said that they're really strong, but you can feel the extra weight at the pedals. now I'm not too concerned about weight, riding a CroMo beast, but i don't want wheels that will feel like I'm slogging through mud the entire ride. The other thing i was wodering about is the rhyno lite XL. Is this a better rim, worse rim, or what? I can't seem to tell the difference. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I have a pair of Rhyno Lites with XT hubs that I use as my bashing-about wheels on my MTB. Thay are well-nigh idestructible, though you should bear in mind that I'm really an XCer rather than a freerider. They are noticeable heavier than my other wheels, Mavic 217s with XTR hubs. On the other hand, it doesn't bother me much. I don't sprint a lot with the MTB and the difference, though noticeable, is negligible.

Forgive me for not remembering which is which, one the more expensive rim is welded on the seam, and has machined side walls. The other is just pinned. The weight of the rim is about 10 grams heavier than standard cross country rims. They are strong!

The XL's are the welded and machined ones. They are also slightly heavier (565 vs 550 grams) and about 25% more expensive.

They are both strong rims for XC and very good for the money.

The only thing that I don't like about them is that tire changing is more difficult than on non-Sun rims, though this depends also on the tire you use.

Sounds like the XL's would be worth the extra cash required. Thanks for the help guys.