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New wheels - help!
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
Hi All,
I had my '09 Epic serviced the other week by the guys at Wembley (thanks boys!) and they mentioned that the rear wheel is on its way out so I thought I should start investigating some options... Could I get some advise as to what to look for? I notice chainreactions has a sale on wheelsets at the moment reviews on the Mavic's look good.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?M...
Main riding as been at Kalamunda / Dell, Jarrahdale and the occasional trip to Margaret River. Keen to get back into some races and endurance stuff this year after being off last year sick.
Thanks All!
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Did the wembley boys not offer to help you out with this??
to be honest I didn't ask, I'm sure they would though.
I run those exact wheels on my all mountain bike. They are extremely light, super stiff & super strong. Ive raced on them & hucked 15 food gaps. Barely had to touch them in 3 years of solid abuse!
Australian Mountain Bike magazine rated them as pretty much the best all round wheel set you can get
Highly recommended!
You might struggle to find someone that will ship Mavic wheels to Australia, if their located inside the EU.... Something to do with global rights for dealer supplies/sales....
Of course, you do realise that CRC will not send you Mavic's dont you?
Neither will Wiggle, PBK, Jenson etc. Mavic will not let them.
At any rate, they aren't that amazing anyway. I'm not a fan of proprietary spokes that cost $15 each, nor freehubs that need servicing every year.
If it were me, at that price, I'd look at something like the very best hub you can afford (White Industries, DT240, CK, Hadley, Hope, XTR, or even XT if you are trying to save) laced 32 spoke, 3 cross (or 28 spoke if you are a super whippet) to the Stans rim of your choice, or if you have to have UST, a Mavic 819.
The result will be lighter, faster, more bling, more reliable and more repairable than that Mavic. I have 2 sets of wheels built up like this and am about to build another set. I have also had plenty of factory wheelsets, including 3 mavic wheelsets (Crossmax, Aksium, & Ksyrium), Eastons (EA90), Fulcrums (Red Metal 3), and some crazy spanish 1200g Carbon MTB wheels that I bought from Deccy, and my White industries to Stans Crest are by far the best, most reliable wheels I've ever had. They were also not the most expensive... well under $1k.
If you must have a factory wheelset, Stans and American Classic are light and relatively cheap.
Looking at a wheel upgrade ATM and I really like the look of the AC AM 26. Does anyone have any experience with these?
Go with the Stans ZTR crest...tubeless ready and what i'm getting next!
Slane cycles in Belfast nth Ireland ship mavic wheels to oz. Free postage and cheaper than CRC.
go the mavic, as for freehub problems, thats old news from 2008, people need to move on, as for tubeless, then yep they are, as for shipping to aus yes, but have a look at http://www.probikeshop.com/ they are an online shop in france and they will ship to aus, as for the mavic st, the strongest wheelset around for the weight class, ive had a set since 2009, never touched them, not once, I liked them so much i got another set last week so i can run race only contis on them, some of the other hubs listed above are just overpriced bits of rubbish, ive seen a few CK hubs that have been broken at the spoke holes, and shimano are good hubs, but im unsure if the new ones run a sealed bearing
Will be my next wheel set, light , stiff, UST , great hubs steel inserted edges on the free wheel so your cassettes don't dig in, better engagement system than Stans standard hubs. Only issue a little more pricey than a stans wheel at the moment.
I agree with Marto. People bang on about mavic hubs needing constant attention but ive had my Crossmaxt St's for 3 years & havent had to touch the hubs & they still spin beautifully. As for the 'expensive spokes' I wouldnt worry because they dont break.
I'm quite happy with my XT wheels, maybe not as light as the crossmax, but they are strong and stiff and much cheaper. I got mine for $340 from an LBS in Sydney.
Not a big-brand name by any means, but I'm very impressed with the EDGE wheelset I bought from a site called cyclingdeal. Everything I've bought from them has been top quality, at half the price you'd think you'd have to pay.
Good quality (DT Swiss Competition spokes, as an example), very light (1658gms!), and seem to be very strong. I did Oaks, Ingar, Andersons and Oaks today on my HT, and the wheels performed excellently.
Price; $199. HUH!
One test of the bearings is to give the wheels a spin and see how long they run; these are definitely very, very good. All the hallmarks of very good kit indeed.
Like I said; not a big name, but if you're looking for a good product at less than eye-watering prices; Edge Mountain Bike MTB Wheel Wheelset Disc; http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/edge-mountain-...,
Hope this helps.
I'm on the same boat looking for new wheels and if you play it right with the current discount codes (AUS20 and AUS25) you can get a set of Hope Hoops with Hope Pro2 Evo hubs and your choice of rim (several available, but I'd go Stans), stans yellow tape and a pair of valves for less than $400.
Give your local bike shop a go
Sorry but 1658grams is not light!
lol only if you suffer from that sad little disease called weight weenieness
Mate, for $199, these are ultra-light.
You'll get lighter (I know, I looked long enough, including at second-hand) but you'll pay through your teeth for the pleasure.
(XTR would save about 150gs if i recall correctly, but at about $350, second hand.)
It's the old benefit/cost curve. Haven't done the analysis, but I'll wager these are sitting very near the top!
Weight-weeniness? Nothing changes the dynamics of a bike as much as it's rotational masses. Light wheels and tyres; you can't go wrong.
Try it.
testing bearings by spinning them is by no means a great way of testing, as dry bearings will spin for ever and a day, where well packed (grease) bearings will not spin soo freely.
just my 2 cents.
pete
AdrianG we are not comparing price v weight. Fact is 1658 grams for XC wheels is not light.
My downhill wheels are only 200grams more!!! A lighter wheel with less rotational weight makes a huge difference.
Those wheels come with powerway hubs which dont get very good reviews.
You would be better of spending a little more now and get a better wheel set that will last longer and make your riding easier!
I thought I had a good deal, and now by the sounds of these comments it doesn't really sound like it. Ouch.
I'll commiserate myself by knowing they seemed a good deal at the time.
No worries. Come upgrade time (because it always does, joys!) I know to come to you fellas for good advice. Thanks! I do appreciate the input.
Hi
I've run Hope Hoops for over 10 years now and found they perform well, are reliable and can be serviced easily & cheaply.
The latest used are XC3 26ers on Stans Crest rims with the discs included. These weigh in around 1550g the pair and cost in the region of $450 depending on who's doing which deal. Using Schwalbe USTs they make a good reliable race wheelset. Bearing in mind I weigh 85kg I need reliability more than ultra light weight.
I've just ordered some new 29er wheels (Crests on Evo hubs)for my latest bike for $370 inc post. Not flash but should be a good price/strength/Performance balance.
Try Merlin & Wiggle and remember to tick the non VAT export box.
T
Hi.
Note that CRC only have a front wheel and the price is a single wheel. However I believe they do ship to Oz.
Chris
Have Stans 26er Crest for $574, which is a very good price....
Sun Ringle Black Flag and Chargers on CRC are for only $280 for the wheelsets. Not bad for that price, it is UST ready, comes with valve, and sealant.
Got mine a few months back, and have no complaints here at all.
Sun Ringle Black Flag and Chargers on CRC are for only $280 for the wheelsets. Not bad for that price, it is UST ready, comes with valve, and sealant.
Got mine a few months back, and have no complaints here at all.
Just picked up No Tube Arches 29er, DT Swiss Comp spokes laced to HopeEvo 2 hubs. (you get to pick your hub colour as well, for bike bling). $450 delievered from Merlin Cycles. Not the lightest going around, not the heaviest either for a good solid do it all race/ trail wheel set.
I recently got myself another set of Hope hubbed wheels, but my first set is still going strong after more than 10 years of riding with no maintenance whatsoever! Not the lightest, but obviously reliable in my experience, and the trails here really require bigger volume tyres anyway, so what' s the point of having the lightest XC wheels when you're riding rocky trails and heavier tyres.
thank you for everyones replies.
thinking the Crossmax is the way to go and seems to be a popular choice. I noticed that Cell Bikes has the wheelset on sale for $449.95 which seems really cheap. I 'chatted' to them and they said it was the latest model 2011/ 2012.
http://www.cellbikes.com.au/Mavic-Crossmax-ST-wh...
What else would I need to check to ensure that they fit my '09 Epic?
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.j...
Cheers
Matt
Just make sure you get the correct size front axle.
I have just bought the 2012 Crossmax ST wheelset and these don't look like those ones advertised on cellbikes.
Mine look like the middle wheel in this set of three (the others are the SLR and SX):
http://www.mavic.com/en/product/wheels/mountain-...
So... maybe the cellbike ones are an older model year?
That said, they still look like a bargain to me!
FYI the cell wheels look like they are 2009 models. I have had 2011 and now run 2012's (so i can run a 12mm rear axle) Great wheels.
Thanks guys, are there any floors with the 09 design?
When I enquired about these wheels I was told they are 2008 models.
I actually purchased a set of Mavic 29ers from Jensons last year, great price and seriously speedy delivery.
I just rechecked to see if they do still ship to AUS and seems all good.
Keep an eye on Torpedo 7 as they have specials every so often.