PoorBehavior

I did a search and did not come up with the info I need. I debated new wheels for a while and decided to hold off but after rebuilding my commuters rear hub last night I now NEED to replace, (damage to the race, gonna die soon I think).

1st Question: What is the deal with the welded rims thing? Is it better? Are the ones sold at Priceline and everywhere else for sub $150 welded or not?

2nd Question: Being in the 220lb range I was hoping to get a set of 36h rims for the added strength. Will a 36spoke rim with butted 14/15 spokes be more/less/equal in strength to a 32h rim with straight spokes? (all other things being equal)(Found some at Cambria for $129 36h 14/15)

I have an older cassette on my commuter now, it screws onto the hub it does not slide onto the freewheel, (freewheel is build into the cassette it seems). Can I just pick up an inexpensive sram 7 speed hub to replace the 7speed shimano, is there anything else I need to worry about. (A little off topic but I thought I would ask)

SpiderMike

This might have been better in the bicycle mechanics section.

As for Qeustion 2 - What is your hub drilled for? Get the rim to match your hub. Just make sure to get it laced three cross.

alcahueteria

I'm pretty sure welded is better. And I doubt the sub $150 wheel will be welded, although I noticed lately the disc specific ones sometimes were. Strength wise I couldn't tell you, but why wouldn't you just get a 32 with straight gauge spokes if you think that it has enough strength?

Killer B

Why waste your $$$$ ?

If they last 2 or 3x as long, why not buy what I have?

They're Mavic's DeeMax in case you don't know....

Big Tommy C

Pffft, Mavic isn't American!

As far as the Rhyno Lites... I ride 32h on XT hubs, never had a problem, and I have weighed up to 270 (not counting bike or gear). Only came out of true twice. Should definitely do for you unless you do some really extreme stuff on them.

Killer B

Sorry you don't know any better....

PoorBehavior

I think the Mavics match his killer B motto.
As far as my point, I was really just trying to learn something. I have heard enough good reviews of the xt rhynolite combo to trust them, but the whole point of this forumn is to learn stuff, so I was asking because I dont know.

Killer B

I don't want to mis-inform anyone.... The Sun RhinoLite's & Sub 4's are very good rims for the $$$$. I just can't get any life out of them with my riding style, and therefore chose to buy the $400+ Mavic DeeMax's. They have (so far) outlasted ANY other wheelset I've ever owned. That in itself says alot, huh?

Gorsar

Sure does. It says you don't know how to land. If you're bending Rhyno Lite's then you are definitely doing something wrong. If you claimed that they were too heavy and wanted to buy more expensive wheels for the weight reduction I'd say right on, that makes sense. But to claim they're not strong enough for your style riding? I'd recommend you either learn to ride OR learn to ride somewhere other than an all you can eat buffet.

RobbVII

My friend has Rhyno-lite's on his bike and I am thinking about getting a pair myself. They seem pretty strong to me. He rides a bit more aggressive than I do and has had no problem with them.

Raiyn

Same here on all counts. The only truing I've had to do on them was a minor touchup on the front after I took a header

Maelstrom 

Well I do love ryno lites, but to even remotely compare them to deemaxs is ridiculous. A Ryno lite will never take the same level of abuse of the deemax. One is pro level race/fr wheels. Tried and true to go HUGE consistently. Ryno lite is likely the best priced value wheel on the market. I have a set and they are great for light abuse. But once you start hitting 10 footers up and massive rock gardens I don't believe they would last. Regardless of ability they are not equal parts. That would be like comparing a Marzocchi MX to a z150 and saying they are equal. Ummmm no. they arent.

Raiyn

I never said they were. However as far as inexpensive rims that you can beat the **** out of they're hard to beat. In my opinion they are the perfect wheel for the Clydesdale interested in the type of riding that most people actually do. Granted they won't take a 260# guy doing 10ft hucks to flat but if that same guy wants to hop curbs or ride harder XC trails they work just fine.

Maelstrom 

I realize. Just wanted to clarify for those doing future services. While equal at one level they definately aren't further up the ladder as it were.

PoorBehavior

Well thanks for the help folks. I went with the 36h rhynolites on xt hubs. For $129 it is a fair price and I am staying with rim brakes for a bit, so short of getting the mavic 717's at pricepoint for 159 I think I'll be happy with the combo.
Any point of view on having them trued at as shop first, just to make sure the tension and everything is fine or should I just slap em on?

norcodirtjumper

You can spend your money any way you want, but I think spending over $400 on a pair of rims is pathetic. You could go to your LBS and have them build you a custom wheelset for alot less. For my rear wheel I got a 36h Alex DX-32, with 14 gauge spokes laced 4x, on an XT hub for about 130 with labor. This wheelset has put up with alot of abuse and hasnt budged out of true a single millimeter. I would rather spend less money for a wheelset I put together myself with my LBS owner, and trust it just as much as I would with a deemax.

Maelstrom 

Norco, I am telling you, they still won't be better than deemax. There is a reason why pro riders ride them that aren't even sponsored by the company. Whether you need them or not is your decision, but deemax have been in the top 3 wheelsets since 2001. And its 400$ for the wheels, not rims. That includes high end interchangable axle hubs. Not a shabby deal to be honest.

stapfam

Was going make a suggestion, but you have already bought. My suggestion was going to be--With your weight go 36 hole on XT hubs. I was also going to suggest that after about 100 miles, you get them trued and retensioned by a good wheelsmith.

I have a mate who is 220lbs. The only wheels he can keep for longer than 6 months without having problems are LX hubs, 36 spoke on a "Freeride quality" rim. They are built by a top grade builder, but even they have to be trued after 300miles. The last set he bought, he went to XT hubs, as this is an upgrade on LX and may save me having to rebuild the hubs every couple of months. By the way--717's may not be up to taking your weight, so the rhynolites were a good choice. The old wheels he had-The lx hubs- were completely shot, both hubs and rims, after 2 years of around 3,000 miles of Mud plugging offroad.

A case for the more expensive wheels now- I have a pair of Hope BigUn hubs, 36 hole, with mavic downhill EX729 rims. Cost a lot more than your $400 set of deemax, have done 5,000 miles on them of abusive offroading --On a Tandem that is ridden aggressively. They aren't even out of true, but are just about due for a respoke as the tension is just beginning to go on a few of the spokes. You get what you pay for, I am afraid.