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Wheels For Mojo

5K views 43 replies 27 participants last post by  getbusyliving 
#1 ·
It is time to upgrade the wheels on my Mojo, and I'm hoping for some input and suggestions from fellow Mojo riders. I'm 165lbs and ride mostly all mountain and aggressive XC, with an very occasional XC or 24 hour race thrown in for fun. I run the Kenda Nevegal 2.1 and 2.35 tires. The cheapo Mavic Crossrides I've been running for a year held up to a surprising amount of abuse, but they're now battered and just too heavy.

I'm guessing a lot of you are running the Easton XC Ones, since they came standard on some of the standard Mojo build packages. Those have gotten pretty good reviews from fellow Mojo-ers (see http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=301332), and seem like a good bang for the buck.

But I'd also be willing to shell out more $ if there is good case to be made. I'm also considering the usual higher-end suspects: Mavic Crossmax SL or SLR, Shimano XTR. And I see that Ibis is putting Stans ZTR355 on their WTF build, so maybe I'll check those out. I'm open to other somewhat less mainstream suggestions as well. I'm budgeting in the $600-900 range for the set.

Any and all input appreciated. Pocket book locked and loaded...let the shopping commence. :D
 
#2 ·
Just received my wheels for my future Mojo. After a lot of agonizing, I went for a custom wheel set, with Hope Pro 2 hubs, DT Swiss Supercomp spokes and DT Swiss 4.2 rims.

The 4.2s seem to be a great compromise between weight and stability.

Best price in Europe I could get was about $500. Weight around 1600-1700g (not weighed yet).

CHeers,

Jever
 
#4 ·
I bit on a nice set of good 'ol Chris King hubs and DT 4.2s with the DT supercomp spokes. CKs are on the higher end but they're smooth, last forever, are easily serviceable (until you decide to pull bearing and whatnot- another discussion) and have near-instant engagement. As for the DT rims... They've held up to a surprising amount of abuse and despite my wheelbuilders plea to bring them back and have him tune them up after a few rides I'm a year into them and can't bring my self to part with them.
I like wide tires. Back in the day I used to ride those itty-bitty continental cross-country's but now 2.3's are about my minimum. That being said, I think I wish I had gone with the wider version of the DT swiss rim... The weight penalty is minimal, you can still run the skinnier tires if you want to, but the wider rim really does make a difference in the stability and footprint of the tire.. Makes 2.1's feel like 2.3s.
edit: The other HUGE oft forgotten piece of the wheelset is the wheelbuilder. A competent wheelbuilder who is skilled in the black arts can make an incredible difference in the success of the build. If your wheelbuilder starts going on about how the logo on the hub should be visible through the valve hole in the rim and the print on the tire should line up with the print on the rim it could be a sign that he/she has the kind of attention to detail you're looking for. Or they have OCD.. which in wheelbuilding might not be a bad thing.
 
#6 ·
DT Swiss centerlock hubs with DT Supercomp spokes and mavic 719 rims. A perfect mix of lightweight and strength. Plus the slightly wider rim provides a larger tire contact patch. I really like the DT hubs too. I have had them on my last three wheelsets and have never had to do any maintenance at all.
 
#7 ·
just ordered mine last week

Dave Thomas at Speed dream is lacing me up set of ZTR355 stans no tube rims and Chris King ISO hubs. Dave is great, he only takes orders after a detailed phone interview where he'll ask you all kinds of question about your weight, riding style, bike, etc.. He then will recommend a wheel set. Mine should be in this week!!

http://speeddream.com/mountain_disc.php

He has an excellent rep on these forums.. I paid $824- for the set.

I went with Red CK hubs, black spokes amd red anno nipples... Should match my new red links and seat binder real nice!!:thumbsup:

As for tires I'm leaning towards Schwalbe Fat Alberts 2.4, (east coast VT riding) mud, rocks, roots....Bigger IS better.:eekster:
 
#9 ·
VTmojo said:
Dave Thomas at Speed dream is lacing me up set of ZTR355 stans no tube rims and Chris King ISO hubs. Dave is great, he only takes orders after a detailed phone interview where he'll ask you all kinds of question about your weight, riding style, bike, etc.. He then will recommend a wheel set. Mine should be in this week!!

http://speeddream.com/mountain_disc.php

He has an excellent rep on these forums.. I paid $824- for the set.

I went with Red CK hubs, black spokes amd red anno nipples... Should match my new red links and seat binder real nice!!:thumbsup:

As for tires I'm leaning towards Schwalbe Fat Alberts 2.4, (east coast VT riding) mud, rocks, roots....Bigger IS better.:eekster:
I have the Fat Alberts and have to say I prefer the Maxxis Larsen 2.35 (on rocky / gravelly / sandy dry surface). Next, I'm planning to try the Maxxis Minion 2.35 or 2.5 front - apparently a great tire.

Cheers
Jever
 
#11 ·
blue CK's to match my blue links... supercomp spokes, blue ano nipples and ZTR arch rims. I had my wheels built by Larry at Mountain High who was great to work with.

I also have a set of 2.0 s-works captains from Christmas that look like a pretty decent tire (~575g) although I have not tried them yet.
 
#12 ·
Think global buy local - Gravy Wheels
http://www.gravyprowheels.com/

If you like larger volume tires I'd recommend 28mm wide DTSwiss 5.1d rims with Hadley or King hubs and DT's DB spokes for no compromise lighter build with great stiffness. The I9's hubs have as many near instant engagement points (72) but are reported to be LOUD if you like that. The DTSwiss 5.1d rims convert to reliable Stan's tubeless easily.

Unless going for an ultra-light build with tiny tires I don't see much point in saving 50 - 75gms per wheel with narrower rims and noticeably flexy Revolution spokes. You can get away with better traction and lower pressures with sketchier traction lighter bigger volume tires with wider stiff rims than saving a few grams with narrow rims and the higher pressures needed to avoid much side wallow.
 
#13 ·
Thanks all for your input. At first I thought I'd go for good pre-built wheels like maybe the Mavic SLR's, but all of you are recommending the custom approach. Interesting that nobody even mentioned pre-built wheels!

So I headed down to my local wheelbuilder (Gravy, sort of a local wheelbuilding legend who also recently argued in federal court to help the legal singletrack cause: http://www.marinij.com/fairfax/ci_7467627). Now I get home and read Derby's post recommending Gravy, so seems like I'm heading in the right direction.

We had a preliminary chat, and after hearing some of my needs (pretty durable, low maintenance, pretty light) he suggested we might be heading towards the Stans ZTR Flow rim and the DT Swiss 240 disc hub. Spokes TBD. I'm not a huge tubeless fan after owning them on my last bike, but nice to have the "easy convert" option---which the Stans evidently have. These specs are certainly not final...we will be talking more.

Anyone have issues with the Stans ZTR Flow and DTS 240 recommendation?
 
#14 ·
getbusyliving said:
Thanks all for your input. At first I thought I'd go for good pre-built wheels like maybe the Mavic SLR's, but all of you are recommending the custom approach. Interesting that nobody even mentioned pre-built wheels!

So I headed down to my local wheelbuilder (Gravy, sort of a local wheelbuilding legend who also recently argued in federal court to help the legal singletrack cause: http://www.marinij.com/fairfax/ci_7467627). Now I get home and read Derby's post recommending Gravy, so seems like I'm heading in the right direction.

We had a preliminary chat, and after hearing some of my needs (pretty durable, low maintenance, pretty light) he suggested we might be heading towards the Stans ZTR Flow rim and the DT Swiss 240 disc hub. Spokes TBD. I'm not a huge tubeless fan after owning them on my last bike, but nice to have the "easy convert" option---which the Stans evidently have. These specs are certainly not final...we will be talking more.

Anyone have issues with the Stans ZTR Flow and DTS 240 recommendation?
I wanted to go with the 240s - opted to go with the Pro IIs - as they are at least as reliable as the DTs and $150 cheaper. I highly recommend them (ran them on my old bike).

I chose the Arch over the Flow as the Flow is more the AM/FR rim. I would put it on a "true" 6 inch travel bike. (24mm - Arch; 28mm - Flow).
I'm not worried at all and I'm not small (6' 1" and 200lbs) nor slow...

If you don't mind spending the extra dough, yuo can go Arch + DT 240.
 
#15 ·
My Mojo is equipped with CK HD/Flow/Supercomp (rear) and XTR/Flow/Supercomp (front). Very satisfied.

I think that King is more reliable than DT 240 and only a bit more expensive.

Flow or Arch depends on your type of riding, weight and choice of tires. If you're less than 175 lbs Arch may be sufficient even if you ride aggressively and with 2.3+ tires.
 
#17 ·
getbusyliving said:
Anyone have issues with the Stans ZTR Flow and DTS 240 recommendation?
I've heard no issues with the Stans rims.

The only problem I have with the DT hubs is 18 point engagement, which is noticeably slow engaging the freewheel compared to hubs with 32 or more engagement points.

I've heard racer type riders say that quick engagement makes them faster - I could see that. But for me back pedaling to quick forward engagement makes it much easier to better time pedal clearance for rock step-ups and other awkward coasting to quick pedaling situations in the middle and especially the granny.
 
#18 ·
Kings all the way

I'm 80Kgs, riding a mixture of XC/light AM and my Mojo's riding on Chris King ISO hubs with Stans Arch rims with Supercomp spokes. Arches are perfect for my size and riding style and the wheels and stiff and strong yet light enough for XC @ ~ 1650g.

As for DT 240s, I haven't personal experience, but my LBS who sell Hope, DT and Chris King reckong overall King are the true long term winner and before you say they would say that as they make most money, the prices of the DT and Chris King were the same!

Go for Flow rims if you are a bit heavier or you ride hard, otherwise go Arch and save 100g rotational weight across the set........ Means you get up the hills that bit quicker to get back on the down hills :thumbsup:
 
#19 ·
Or split the difference and go

Flow in back and Arch in front.

I only have personal experiance with XTs, Hadleys and Kings. I really like the ISO Kings alot. I also have one HD rear with fun bolts that I like best. Pricey but I think it's a long term investment for good hubs.
 
#20 ·
Recap & More Qs

Thanks again all...this here custom wheel newbie is starting feel a little better educated for discussing this stuff with my wheel guru. It seems like the Arches may be fine for me (over the Flows) if I go the Stans rim route. I'm no weight weenie, but I guess 100g savings (50+50) never hurts, especially when it's rotational weight.

Regarding hubs, it seems like more of this group likes the Chris Kings over the DT Swiss. The "engagement points" issue that Derby brings up is intriguing. I need to know more about that. Which hubs have 32 or more engagement points that you mentioned? (I may email or call you, Derby.)

Both my wheel guru and his cohort said they really like the Chris King hubs too, but said they need more maintenance than the DTs---so that kind of turned me off (given limited time, I much prefer riding to maintaining!). Do you guys disagree with his opinion on maintainance?
 
#21 ·
I have not owned any DT hubs but my Kings have alot of miles and a few years on them. All working without fail. They have never been apart or needed service. They only needed slight adjustment once after the first few rides and never needed it again yet. They work perfectly and look like fine jewelery.

Adjustment is done simply with a allen wrench with the wheels on the bike. I ride California rocks, mud and sand and wash my bike with a high pressure hose. Pretty harsh life for a hub I'd think.

Oh ya, I forgot to say in my previous posts that I also have a set of DeeMax's. They have been a very good wheelset. I would buy Mavics again if I found another good deal on them. I don't like the Mavic Fore nipples at all because I have broken a couple and they can be a pain to replace.
 
#23 ·
Wheels

I'll just chime in also,

I went with I-9 mountain hubs with DT 4.1 rims. The rims are stronger than the 4.2's with just a 25 gm penalty) The 4.2's don't get good reviews here, but the 4.1's do. Also, one nice thing is that if I want to go with the DT 5.1's down the road the spokes will be the same and it's just a matter of switching out the rims..

Just my $.02

David
 
#24 ·
I ride Mavic XC717 disc rims on Dt Swiss 240S disc hubs and Sapim CX- Ray spokes (1552,6g both wheels, w/o skewers). Hubs are converted to 9 and 10mm Thru Axle DT Swiss RWS skewers. I have had no problems with the hubs yet. They can be easily maintained (rotor can be removed w/o tools to re-grease it, if necessary). Chris Kings are more expensive than DT in the Europe, thus not so frequently used and a bit more heavier too. I think both are great so you won't make a mistake if take either of them.
 
#26 ·
Vive a la Difference!

I ride Crossmax, because I got a pro deal on them six years ago. The best thing about them is that they are quiet. They are also quite strong... A truck hit my back wheel and knocked me about ten feet. One of the spokes was tweaked and it broke about a month later. It is a good idea to have a half dozen of any unusual spokes in your trunk.

I ride with Derby several times a month. I like his DT/hadley rear wheel. His Hope Pro II hub was 'cheese'.

The King hubs are too loud! I knew Chris King, when he was mostly making Space Shuttle parts in the 70's. I love his front hub and head set, but I can't stand the noise of his rear hub.

My next rear wheel will either be Hadley or a DT Swiss hub. I like Tubeless rims and I think Mavic's UST design works well.

Cheers,

Kane
 
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