Cheapo carbon MTB wheels?
Discussion
Ive seen threads about cheap Chinese carbon road wheels before, but has anyone bought their MTB wheels from our Far East friends?
I have a 650b Boardman Pro Carbon hardtail that's 11kg with c/f cranks & handlebar, and XTR pedals. I want the bike even lighter, and I want to go faster!
Currently feel the wheels are the weak point - basic Mavic XM319 rims with unbranded (heavy) hubs.
Been looking at this website: http://www.light-bicycle.com/carbon-mtb-650b-wheel...
With Hope hubs and shipment to the UK, it comes in at $907, or £564 (duty to pay on top I guess). I think ENVE rims are around £2000, and this morning I went into my LBS who have started importing Chinese rims, but once built up they quoted me £1000 a set.
Bike is used around Swinley forest, and in the past year have started doing XC races in the local area, so the wheels don't need to withstand huge jumps or particularly extreme terrain. Im just hoping they will improve acceleration/reduce strava times.
Anyone got any experiences with Chinese carbon MTB wheels? Where did you buy them from? Noticed a performance difference vs your previous wheels?
I have a 650b Boardman Pro Carbon hardtail that's 11kg with c/f cranks & handlebar, and XTR pedals. I want the bike even lighter, and I want to go faster!
Currently feel the wheels are the weak point - basic Mavic XM319 rims with unbranded (heavy) hubs.
Been looking at this website: http://www.light-bicycle.com/carbon-mtb-650b-wheel...
With Hope hubs and shipment to the UK, it comes in at $907, or £564 (duty to pay on top I guess). I think ENVE rims are around £2000, and this morning I went into my LBS who have started importing Chinese rims, but once built up they quoted me £1000 a set.
Bike is used around Swinley forest, and in the past year have started doing XC races in the local area, so the wheels don't need to withstand huge jumps or particularly extreme terrain. Im just hoping they will improve acceleration/reduce strava times.
Anyone got any experiences with Chinese carbon MTB wheels? Where did you buy them from? Noticed a performance difference vs your previous wheels?
These seem the best/lightest ally wheels I can see, though its still another couple of hundred bucks:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mavic-crossmax-...
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mavic-crossmax-...
I've got crossmax slr's and crossrides, and on a blind ride I personally would find it impossible to say which was which, where as the difference in different tyres from just compound to compound with same tread pattern is usually light and day. I don't personally get the whole everything must be carbon, it's a great material, but there is still plenty of life and technology left in good aluminium products.
vwsurfbum said:
I run Light-Bicycle AM wheels, they are light, fast and stiff. Had them close to two years now, they've done everything from DH to coast to coast.
I have them in 29er flavour with 3k finish and blue nipples and Novatech hubs. so much better hubs that the hope options.
Good to hear you are pleased with them. The Novatec hubs are way cheaper, but [noob question alert] when i tick that option, it implies they only suit Shimano 11-speed (im 10 speed) - so no good for me?I have them in 29er flavour with 3k finish and blue nipples and Novatech hubs. so much better hubs that the hope options.
Herman Toothrot said:
Unrelated to wheels but have you gone 1x10 yet that'll loose you some weight.
No, and i just got myself some sexy new double cranks recently, so wont be changing for a while! I do like the sound of the simplicity of 1X10/11, though sometimes i am glad of my granny ring - it gets used twice in the forest, on the big climb before Deerstalker, and then on Labyrinth just because its so technical and has those slow steep hairpins.
^^^ They do look sexy 
Update from me - ive just ordered some from Superstar Components. Price was £600 on the nose, delivered, which would likely be the same (or less) than the LBC ones once customs charges etc are accounted for, and at least this way any potential warranty claims are going to be less hassle. Weight is basically the same, and Superstar have swapped the standard black hubs to blingy gold ones free of charge for me, which will match my black/yellow colour scheme!
http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/am-carbon-wh...
(a cheaper £450 wheelset is available but with lesser hubs)
Have also bought the bits and bobs to go tubeless, so hopefully will have a decent weight saving. Will probably end up only shaving 5 seconds off my Swinley lap time...
Update from me - ive just ordered some from Superstar Components. Price was £600 on the nose, delivered, which would likely be the same (or less) than the LBC ones once customs charges etc are accounted for, and at least this way any potential warranty claims are going to be less hassle. Weight is basically the same, and Superstar have swapped the standard black hubs to blingy gold ones free of charge for me, which will match my black/yellow colour scheme!
http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/am-carbon-wh...
(a cheaper £450 wheelset is available but with lesser hubs)
Have also bought the bits and bobs to go tubeless, so hopefully will have a decent weight saving. Will probably end up only shaving 5 seconds off my Swinley lap time...
Good luck with the SS wheels. They've been getting a few decent write-ups recently.
I have been running LB 35mm wide 29er carbon rims for the past 16 months and they have been great. Mine are bang on 1700g with tubeless tape and valves fitted on 32h Hope Pro2 Evo hubs with DT Comp spokes and brass nipples. Not the lightest of builds but I wanted strength, stiffness and reliability over weight savings as wheels take a proper beating around here, however the Flows they replaced were close to 2kg so still a useful saving.
The LB warranty is pretty good too. A mate trashed a rear rim a couple of years ago and LB replaced it FOC even though it was outside of the warranty period.
I have been running LB 35mm wide 29er carbon rims for the past 16 months and they have been great. Mine are bang on 1700g with tubeless tape and valves fitted on 32h Hope Pro2 Evo hubs with DT Comp spokes and brass nipples. Not the lightest of builds but I wanted strength, stiffness and reliability over weight savings as wheels take a proper beating around here, however the Flows they replaced were close to 2kg so still a useful saving.
The LB warranty is pretty good too. A mate trashed a rear rim a couple of years ago and LB replaced it FOC even though it was outside of the warranty period.
Pablo16v said:
The LB warranty is pretty good too. A mate trashed a rear rim a couple of years ago and LB replaced it FOC even though it was outside of the warranty period.
yeah, i heard they did offer a warranty and were good to deal with, but the hassle element is more about having to post them back to china (and at your cost).All the chinese faves are tubeless ready, as are just about any rim and tyre combo these days with Stans jizz, valves and tapes. UST is pointlessly heavy and not necessary. I wholeheartedly recommend the Airshot bead seater which connected to your existing track pump makes for totally hassle free tubeless inflation.
A good time to mention then that, imho, much more important than fancy wheels, are the right tyres set up tubeless and low pressure for oodles of grip, and no more punctures
A good time to mention then that, imho, much more important than fancy wheels, are the right tyres set up tubeless and low pressure for oodles of grip, and no more punctures
Edited by richardxjr on Wednesday 5th August 17:19
Not 100% true, some new tubeless ready rims are gash, I had to resort to ghetto to get one of a pair of rims to inflate tubeless and that was with a proper compressor. One went up fine rim tape and stans valve + fluid the other now way, had to hit a 24" inner tube. Its still not a standard.
Gotta disagree with this - In my experience UST is much better than the ghetto systems and 'tubeless ready' - I've been using the UST tubeless system for over ten years and had 3 punctures in that time... A lot of people dont believe I dont run sealant (especially on my DH bike) but it's not required for UST tyres/rims as the standard requires the system works without it. also, UST tyres can be fitted by hand and the seal easily with any reasonable trackpump.
More details about the differences here:
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/To-The-Point-UST-Rims...
More details about the differences here:
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/To-The-Point-UST-Rims...
richardxjr said:
UST is pointlessly heavy and not necessary. I wholeheartedly recommend the Airshot bead seater which connected to your existing track pump makes for totally hassle free tubeless inflation.
A good time to mention then that, imho, much more important than fancy wheels, are the right tyres set up tubeless and low pressure for oodles of grip, and no more punctures
A good time to mention then that, imho, much more important than fancy wheels, are the right tyres set up tubeless and low pressure for oodles of grip, and no more punctures
Edited by richardxjr on Wednesday 5th August 17:19
Got my new wheels set up tubeless by a LBS yesterday. When i picked them up they were moaning about how tough they were so glad i didnt have a go - £20 well spent i reckon!
With the leftover tape and fluid i might have a go at doing my 26" MTB myself.
Anyway, bike is now a shade over 10kg. Havent ridden it yet because its still pissing down. Rear hub is LOOOOUUUUD.... really hope that doesnt get annoying on the trails.
With the leftover tape and fluid i might have a go at doing my 26" MTB myself.
Anyway, bike is now a shade over 10kg. Havent ridden it yet because its still pissing down. Rear hub is LOOOOUUUUD.... really hope that doesnt get annoying on the trails.
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