aidan.ie

Thinking about getting the above, only problem is i'll have to get the shimano XTR centre lock rotor and apparently it makes weird noises when coupled with the XTR wheels. I was thinking I could get around this by using the XT rotors. Any suggestions?

a2psyklnut

Mavic Cross Max's. A better wheelset all around in my opinion!

Or a set of Chris King hubs laced to the rim of your choice.

I really don't like the Shimano wheelsets.

aidan.ie

yeah, I've picked up the XT wheelset and had a look at it, seems a bit flimsey or something. Not enough spokes! basically, I saw a good deal on the XTR's and am thinking about them, the rolling weight on them is supposed to be very good etc. but I'm not at the stage where it would matter to me too much. I have undished my front wheel a few of times now (admittedly crappy wheelset, rigida ZAC 2000) and want something stronger and lighter. plus, one of my mates reakons the best upgrade for my bike at present would be the wheels. perhaps mavic might serve better

a2psyklnut

I think Shimano has adopted an ideaology in design similar to Cannondale. Innovate for the sake of innovation.

They are producing solutions to non-problems for the sake of being different.

Their lacing patteren is beyond screwy. Everything you know about truing a wheel is bass-ackwards when dealing with a Shimano wheelset. Plus, the whole "low spoke count" wheels just don't make practical sense on a mtn bike. Think about it. In order to make the wheel as strong as a traditionally laced wheel when building a low spoke count wheel, you have to reinforce the rim. The LAST place you want to add weight to a wheel is the furthermost point from the axis.

I've ridden a lot of Mavic wheelsets and they are strong, light (not the lightest) and for me a SEXY set of wheels. I'd love to have a set for aesthetic reasons alone.

The bladed Zircal spokes are incredibly strong and although it requires a special tool, similar to true/lace/build.

If I had my druthers, I'd stick with a traditionally built wheel. They are light, strong and replacement parts are readily available. A good set of hubs will last through many sets of rims/rebuilds. I prefer Mavic rims for the build and DT Swiss or WHeelsmith spokes.

My build of choice would be a set of Chris King ISO hubs, laced to a set of Mavic EX721 rims.

cryogenic

I'd have to agree on the King/Mavic combo. You won't find a stronger and longer lasting set around. One of the guys at my local shop has had his set for about 2 years and rides pretty much daily and has never had to true the wheel (so he says). Granted he may mean that he has to make sure spokes are always tight and such but hasn't had to actually true the wheel because it was bent. At any rate, my dream wheelset would be King ISO disc hubs on XC717's. I don't need the extra strength of the 721's.

a2psyklnut

I'm a clydesdale, I need the 721's!

I've got a set of Profile Racing hubs laced to some Mavic D321's. They are about 4 years old now. There are my beater wheels. I throw these on when I want to get abusive. I've not had to put a spoke wrench on them after initial truing and set in period. Expensive? Yes, the hubs alone are worth almost $400.

Worth it? Absolutely!

cryogenic

If you get 4 years out of a set of $500 wheels with no truing, that's a perfectly good deal in my book. I'm probably going to end up getting a set of WTB laserdisc hubs + Mavic XC717 rims with DT revo spokes. They're on sale on Colorado Cyclist and I figure they're a great deal for something that should give me a decent amount of improvement over my cheapie joy-tech + Ditch Witch wheelset