Mountain bike wheels

[coylifut]

I'd like to get a new set of wheels built to replace a set I've thrashed over the last couple of years. I prefer hand built wheels for several reasons. Most of all, the wheel smith I use provides truing and spoke replacement for the life of any wheel he builds. So, I knock em out of true, he straightens em, no charge. These wheels will be for general cross country use with possibly a xc few races. Every year, I buy a mtb license, but after cross and road, I don’t get around to it, but I do ride the mtb once a week for fun. Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

[Ken Robb]

Shimano LX and Deore XT hubs are all I need. The Deore hub is not as smooth as these two. I've never felt like stepping up to XTR because the LX and XT's are so good. I was happy with Mavic 221 rims but my latest set is 717 rims on XT hubs. I can't fault them. I weigh 210lbs. but don'tdo any jumping except by accident. In urban cruise mode I do go up and down curbs with impunity. If you pay $200 for a set you've been had.

[dirtdigger88]

Lots of XT grade stuff floating around the net for under 2 bills. go to price point. com. They are blowing out tons o stuff.

Jason

[davids]

I just bought new MTB wheels last week: Shimano XT-765 disc hubs laced to Mavic XC 717 rims. 32 holes front and back.

I broke a spoke, and decided that was the excuse I needed to upgrade from rim to disc brakes. So, now I've got Avid mechanical disc brakes, too.

I've only been for one ride, but was very impressed with the wheels - Noticably stiffer than my old ones, which increased my high-speed tracking (and also my confidence!). Still nice and light, though. I felt faster, more stable, and strong.

And, they look great! Here's my bike (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=4945), if you want to see.

Go to eBay and type in "Mavic 717" and you'll find a few pairs for less than $250.

[coylifut]

I just bought new MTB wheels last week: Shimano XT-765 disc hubs laced to Mavic XC 717 rims. 32 holes front and back.

I broke a spoke, and decided that was the excuse I needed to upgrade from rim to disc brakes. So, now I've got Avid mechanical disc brakes, too.

I've only been for one ride, but was very impressed with the wheels - Noticably stiffer than my old ones, which increased my high-speed tracking (and also my confidence!). Still nice and light, though. I felt faster, more stable, and strong.

And, they look great! Here's my bike (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=4945), if you want to see.

Go to eBay and type in "Mavic 717" and you'll find a few pairs for less than $250.

Any comments on the Mechanical disk brakes would be appreciated. Specifically, why did you pick that brand and were they easy to install...blah, blah, blah...

[davids]

coylifut,

I've got a bit of history with brakes. I have to admit that I'd never given them a moment's though on my road bikes. But it didn't take more that a few harrowing rides down Houghton's Trail in the Blue Hills before I realized that braking performance is a bit more critical off-road.

So, the first thing I upgraded on my Adept was the brakes. I went from Shimano 420s (OEM dreck) to Avid SD-7s. The difference was pretty dramatic. I had power and the ability to modulate. They kept me happy for over a year.

But further experience lead me to realize that even the best rim brakes have problems. First, they suck in mud, snow or ice. Wet rims reduce braking power to zip. Secondly, all that dirt on the rims starts taking its toll on the equipment. Pad pick up grit, the grit digs into the rims as the brakes are applied, the rims get pitted and uneven, braking adhesion suffers... And it's a downward spiral. I found that I was replacing pads more and more frequently, and new pads made less and less difference.

So, I knew that discs were going to be a big help. I bought the Avid discs for two reasons - They have an excellent reputation for performance and ease of setup/maintenance, and they are cheap! I didn't do the installation, but adjustment is simple and straightforward. The wheels still slide right in & out of the dropouts, without any fuss. Check out www.mtbr.com for hundreds of reviews.

And performance - Wow! They are easily twice as strong as my old brakes at their best. After 15 minutes, I had so much confidence that I was flying down trails that I usually take rather slowly - I knew the brakes would be there when I needed them (the stiffer wheels helped me go faster, too - Tracking was dead-on, no matter how much loose rock I was rolling through.) I loved that I could roll through a couple of small streams, and the brakes stayed dry, although that was no big surprise. They will be a pleasure in the messy stuff.

It's way too soon to talk about durability or longevity. But the upgrade was dramatic and all to the good.