Slowridr

Hi, I currently built up my surly cc and want to use it off road and on some trails. I currently have mavic aksium wheels on with thinner tires.

Looking to put on a thicker tire, maybe 35mm.

Can I use the mavic aksium? I think there rated for 28mm max. If I get new wheels I would probably look for tubless but it's hard to find with rim brakes. Any suggestions? Don't want to spend a lot and a used pair might not be so bad. Anything goof for $200-400

​​Also any tire suggestion? I was looking at something like the michelin gravel pro or conti terra but Ive read they lose air bad?

Thanks

Noonievut

I wouldn’t call them good but I use Alex rims that are 19mm inner width and tubeless, with 40mm tires. They’re the CX26 but they’re discontinued, though you may still find some (I did as recent as a month ago, but not seeing any in Canada at least). Pacenti Brevet are more expensive, but with stock hub a possibility for you.

mstateglfr 

There have been multiple versions of the Aksium wheel. If yours are 17mm internal width, they can handle a 40mm gravel tire. People have put 40mm gravel tires on 17mm or thinner rims for decades. Heck, 2.1" MTB tires were mounted to rims like that back long ago.

As for tires- depends on what you want to spend. I would buy fast rolling tires over beefy tires every chance. If you want a $25 tire, then its worthless to get suggestions that cost $50 or $75.

Slowridr

How about the Dt swiss 1600 or 1800., would they work okay?

Germany_chris

I have 32h DT Swiss TK 540's on both my Cross Checks

DorkDisk

For prebuilts, I'm really liking Campagnolo and Fulcrum options. Even the cheapest Calimas roll smooth and fast; brake tracks are nicely machined, and are very inexpensive.


CC with Sciroccos, Calimas in back

Slowridr

Yeah I love the campagnolo wheels. To bad all the lower end ones arn't tubeless. Not being tubeless isn't a deal breaker but if Im buying a new set I figure to get tubeless.

tFUnK

That DT Swiss 1600 will work fine (I had a version of this, based on what appears to be the R460 rim, anyway). There's also the Bontrager Paradigm Elites, which is what I run now. Wide, light, and tubeless. These replaced some customs laced with Kinlin XC279s.

The Aksiums, even if skinny, can still handle at least 32-35s. As mentioned above, folks were MTBing on 2.1"s and racing cross on 35s on narrow road rims back in the day.

As for tires, lots of options out there. My favorite currently are the Continental Terras (Speed or Trail depending on your riding conditions). Nicer ride feel in my opinion than Continental Cyclocross Speed, Xplor MSO, and Gravel Kings.

chas58

With aluminum hooked rims, you can almost do anything you want (in the day we put mountain bike tires on rims that width). 40mm should be fine, if not ideal.

DT Swiss 1800 are a great option for a new wheel (they used to be on sale all the time, these days nothing is). 24mm internal is awesome sauce.

Conti Terras are HORRIBLE. I love them, but they don't love me. Lasted something like 500+ miles. Anything is better than that. Schwalbe and Panaracer have just about anything you could want.