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Crank Brothers Iodine Wheelset
Looking at some new wheels for the Yeti.
Love the look of the Crank Brothers Iodine Wheelset. Anybody had some hands on experience with these wheels.
I mainly ride XC, enduro stuff , no major drops etc. For the $$$ I am expecting a top quality wheelset, both reasonably light weight, but will take some hits.
Feedback appreciated.
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you need to work less and ride more
you're getting obsessive
I believe that they are more for harder trail riding (just under the FR models).
I think one of the overseas mags had a good comparison recently (Eithe MBUK or MBAction). I remember that the Iodines certainly didn't win. I'll see if I can find the article.
Oh dear... cue up the broken record...
For the type of riding the Iodine is for (which, as someone just pointed out isn't XC/enduro) you're better off save your $$$ and get some Mavic 819s on Hope Pro II. A set with Champion spokes comes in (weights from my actual set) at 907g +1025g = 1932g total. Or you could go super comp spokes for slight weight saving.
According to the Crank Bros site the Iodine is 895g + 1008g = 1903g claimed.
I was in BA the other day talking about wheels and brought this set (well, the Cobalt) came up - the mechanic said you just cannot beat standard hub/spoke/rim system (OK, so the 819 has special nipples but everything else is standard) and though the Iodine/Cobalt/etc. were a nightmare to work on.
They do look pretty cool though, but, meh... what's in a look?
All that said - the Cobalt is more XC and 1540g claimed. It's very hard to get a proper UST rim in a wheel at that weight and for that purpose the Cobalt does look very good.
I was also looking at the xc cobalts but they don't come with the 20mm thru axle that I am aware of.
The iodines come STD with this. Any idea whether the cobalts can have a thru axle hub on the front ?
The Cobalt is a lightweight wheel for XC and long distance use. For this riding, most people don't want 20mm axle
So I doubt you can get that.
The Pro II on the other hand can be converted from QR to QR15 to 20mm with ease.
For those that want a good wheelset go with Rob's suggestion, I whole heartedly endorse it. If tubeless aint your thang then swap out the 819 for 717 or 719 and for a more enduro rim, look to 521.
For those who just don't get Hope, then choose Shimano, available in all the needed axle types but they are not convertible, so choose wisely.
Alternatively, Shimano factory wheelsets are light and tough, there is XT for xc and all mountain, a great SLX set and of course, XTR.
Then there's DT Swiss hubs and rims. High quality product. A little tougher to get tyres on and off but otherwise a great wheel will result. Their ratchet in the rear hub is bomb proof, yet relevant to the design brief of each product line.
Been hearing a lot about Hope hubs - I'd be interested to know what there is to "get" about them. Could someone explain in short, simple sentences for the dummy over here (me) what it is about them that seems to get folks excited?
Relax mate, and you are no dummy. It's not so much to get Hope hubs, the getting is really about their brakes and possibly their style/groove. It goes like this...
Many years ago Hope was making all kind of stuff, including brakes. Those brakes stopped on a threepence yet were unreliable. All these years later, the modern brakes are very reliable indeed. And powerful. And the pads survive poor weather.
A lot of people I've met seem to hesitate to spend the brass required to receive this kind of performance and would rather make do with the nonsense of Avid. And save money. Odd. Low cost = low performance.
Hope make all sorts of stuff. The hubs are cool because both front and rear ( of the Pro 2 ) are convertible to take different axle standards all whilst using the same hub shell, available in a few colours, which is nice.
Also, replacing bearings is within the scope of most folk. The correct tools are required though.
The British amongst us will be familiar with seeing Hope all over the place. Their products compete in the market with everything else so aren't necessarily considered fancy or bling, just another product choice. Here in Australia, it's less known and the unreliability issues of the long ago past haven't been forgotten. Plus, it's not to everyones taste.
I'm not one to accept simply what I'm dealt, so the oe parts on a bike often bore me. I base my bike choice on the frame as number one priority, as that's where the ride characteristic comes from. Then, I add the components that I prefer. I currently use Hope hubs exclusively, Hope brakes on one of my off- road bikes ( and Shimano on the other MTB ) plus I use a lot of bits from Hope such as seat clamps, stems and bar end plugs.
I experienced a broken rear axle on the old XC hubs after many, many kms. I've never had a brake failure and pads last for ages and do indeed survive adverse weather conditions.
Well, the Hopes are Pommie of course, built to last and easy to service I hear. Everything Hope makes is top notch.
There's a review here which seems to sum it up: http://www.mtbtrailreview.com/blog/hope-pro-2-hu...
Not the best, but awesome value at the price.
What I love about the front is that you can change it so easily - literally in seconds - to fit any kind of fork. Eg. Pratiwi's wheels are for light XC riding but I spec'd them with ProII hubs so if the need to ride the Yeti for XC racing came I could swipe them and run them on that. Her fork is QR, the Yeti has QR15 but with the Pro II not a drama.
Yeah, check this out:
I can't believe the punishment that bike (and obviously the brakes) got that weekend. Weren't Dylan and Critty sharing it as Critty's bike was borken?
So do they do a Lefty front hub?
I must admit my experiece of British product engineering and reliability in other fields (electronics) in the past hasn't been all that great, but it pays to keep an open mind.
No good? I have a 28 year old A&R Cambridge Power Amplifier (SA200) here that speaks to the contrary
And no, it's not in a box - is in constant use in the system in the lounge.
Then there's BAE systems. They make planes blow up other planes. The baddies planes. And tanks. Etc.