Hello,

Looking to build up a cx wheelset. Can anyone give me some suggestions for both tubular and clincher rims that aren't too expensive? I'm leaning toward clinchers just for ease of use...but not positive.

Thanks!

Oh...the ones I've heard of are the Velocity A23 for clincher....or Mavic Reflex or Velocity Escape for tubies...various Kinlin rims...and the HED C2 Belgian...and Stan's ZTR Alpha's. But I've also read that those Stan's rim have trouble maintain spoke tension.

Any opinions/thoughts/suggestions? Thank!

I think any of those you mentioned would be fine - though I don't know so much about the Stans.

The ones I've personally heard the most good about in terms of 'bang for your buck are the Velocity's, although normally people talk about the Major Tom tubies.

+1 for the Mavic Reflex rims. I had a set built with 105 hubs for about $290. I doubt you'd go wrong with any of the ones you mentioned.

I've got 2 sets built with Escapes. I'd do it again, and again...

If you've got the dosh, the Taiwanese carbon rims seem to be doing OK. Teammate of mine has a set (not built up) that look pretty good.

While the wider rims thing sounds good, make sure ALL the wheels you're going to use on the bike are the same. I have one pair of A23s that are hanging till spring cause its a PITA to adjust the cantis on the bike they go on back and forth between wide and narrow rims.

M

I've got 3 sets with with A23's and Shimano hubs. Can't imagine a better rim for CX in this price range.

This is really good advise but if it turns into an issue get some brakes that have a barrel adjuster built into the canti arm.

I have a set of mud tires that are clincher that I run on A23's with 105 hubs and I run Velocity Major Tom rims with tubular dry weather tires for normal racing. This way, I don't have to adjust the brakes when swapping wheels since they're both 23mm wide. Besides, my mud tires are also my spare set in the wheel pit so I want them to be swappable on the fly.

They're both on identical 32h builds and cassettes.

Check out www.psimet.com for cross tubulars - he posts on BF, so you can PM him along with trying to contact via the website (do both).

I have a set of road clinchers from Psimet that I really like. Will pick up some of his cross tubular wheels next summer.

My season has just ended and I'm probably selling my spare set of tubies for cheap since I never used them. PM me for details.

I have a couple sets of wheels built on IRO Cold Fusion rims. Best as I can tell, they're an unbadged Velocity Fusion (based on dimensions and weight, and the fact that mine arrived factory packed in a Velocity box.) Some people say they've received theirs in a Kinlin box, and they measured up for the specs of the Kinlin equivalent rim.

Either way, they're strong enough to have lasted a season of training and racing under my 200+ pounds and they only cost $30/pair.

I also have a Coldfusion wheelset. I built mine to a LX hubset (respaced the rear to 130mm). They are bombproof.

THIS!!!!

I am ditching my escapes and going with 2 or 3 sets of MT's next year and a A23 for training... nice to not worry about brakes

For tubular I've used kinlin TB25s w/good results & velocity major toms. I like the velocity rims; the tires glue up really well on the wide rim.