Considering some new light-but-indestrucable 29er wheels. I already have hubs so I'm looking at rims.

It's hard to look past the Light Bicycle rims as I'm not on a tight timescale so delivery time wouldn't be an issue, but before I go down that route, are there any sub-£100 (alloy) rims worth considering?

I've run Crests in the past and got on ok with them as long as you don't treat them too rough (BB events they were fine). But 23mm internal seems unfashionably narrow now.

I really like the DT rims, and the XM481 30mm internal I have is especially good, but at 525g a rim I wouldn't call it lightweight.

Is something like a Stans Arch mk3 at 460g and 26mm internal maybe the sweet spot for this sort of build without going carbon and twice to three times the price?

Stans Arch Mk3 suffer from cracking at the spoke holes. I've had one changed under warranty.

I'm not tough on my wheels and they were built to exacting standards (by me ) so I'd say it's an issue with the rim rather than wheel build/usage.

If I didn't have them on 2 bikes with interchangeable front wheels (dyno swapped over as required) then I'd not have replaced it like-for-like but didn't also want to have to replace the other 3 rims to match.

Do Kinlins do mtb rims? If so I'd think about them. Were lovely to build and have taken em gravelling with my road bike and they've been lovely. I'd say they're on par with the HedBelguimPlus I built at the same time.

Hopefully they're just as good in the mtb market..

https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/products/k ... -brake-rim

There we go Dyffers. They're also Taiwan made so ticks my box of (trying to) being China-free (for the constant atrocities on the Uighers cos they're muslim).

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:38 pm https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/products/k ... -brake-rim

Not sure what benefit they have over the XM481s as they are exactly the same weight and pretty much the same price?

sean_iow wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:29 pm Stans Arch Mk3 suffer from cracking at the spoke holes. I've had one changed under warranty.

I'd forgotten about that.

I've noticed DT do an Arch-a-like XR391 rim at 25mm internal and 440g. Any one have any experience of those?

Pretty sure Halo Vapour 35 is a rebranded version of the TL-29. I had a set of the Halos, admittedly in 27.5, but they rode well on my singlespeed and took a 2.4 tyre nicely.

Velocity Blunt SS and 35 have also been good for me. The SS are a nice balance of weight (425g in 29), width (26.6mm internal) and strength, but have gone up in price in recent years. I've got one of Hope's Fortus 35 rims, which are wider still but maybe a bit weighty for you (~600g). Not put enough hours on that to form much of an opinion though.

Dyffers wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:49 pm

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:38 pm https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/products/k ... -brake-rim

Not sure what benefit they have over the XM481s as they are exactly the same weight and pretty much the same price?

I can't think of any reason of one over the other. Finishing of the DT will obvs be alot better as the Kinlins just come as plain rims.

Gonna watch the thread with interest as I'm also looking for some cost effecrive but light rims for the SC..

sean_iow wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:29 pm Stans Arch Mk3 suffer from cracking at the spoke holes. I've had one changed under warranty.

I'm not tough on my wheels and they were built to exacting standards (by me ) so I'd say it's an issue with the rim rather than wheel build/usage.

If I didn't have them on 2 bikes with interchangeable front wheels (dyno swapped over as required) then I'd not have replaced it like-for-like but didn't also want to have to replace the other 3 rims to match.

This is exactly the issue I've discovered after a post-Highland Trail inspection. Two separate cracks at different spoke holes on the rear wheel. I bought the wheelset second hand so don't think it'll be covered by warranty.

More google-fu suggests the Stans Mk3 rims are not what the mk2s (that I've had) were, but of course only the people with negative comments ever post on the internet, right?

I still have one eye on Light Bicycle, but in UK available (maybe) alloy I'm leaning towards the DT Swiss XR 391 rims as a good balance of light but not too light. Nobody ever seems to hate DT rims (me included).

Dyffers wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:16 pm ...DT Swiss XR 391 rims...

It seems I can get these from R2-bike.com at significantly lower price (including 12 1/2 euro delivery) than UK sites, and they claim to still ship to the UK post-Brexitfarce.

I think I have probably bought something from R2 years ago, but has anyone successfully obtained something from them this year since the brexitfiasco started?

Starting to think I might go for these and continue to put off the change to carbon rims.

I built a set up using dt swiss M502 rim's + a dyno front wheel. Haven't touched them in 3 years.

^^ That's at 0% VAT though, I think you'll get hit by customs (though anecdotally, it seems the UK is not doing all the customs checks it might?).

Velocity Blunt SS are good
Funn XL28 from Action sports are also good for me.

Landslide wrote: ↑Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:57 am ^^ That's at 0% VAT though, I think you'll get hit by customs (though anecdotally, it seems the UK is not doing all the customs checks it might?).

£125 vs £160...might be worth the 20% risk.

FLV wrote: ↑Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:58 am Funn XL28 from Action sports are also good for me.

These? https://www.actionsports.de/en/fun-work ... lack-31682

Wow, they are light for the width. Does Action Sports deliver to the UK at the moment?

Got a WTB i29 on the front and Velocity Blunt SS on the back of my Salsa. Not broken either yet.

https://roundthingsrolling.co.uk/produc ... 1-mtb-rim/

Extensive testing with Nino Shwartz (however it's spelt... sorry Nino). Looks like you might be onto a winner with these. Though their translation of 'wide' might be a bit dated (right?). 410g in 29er version is phenominally light... actually, carbon and Stans-light I suppose. I also doubt any of the aforementioned type manufacturers (not including Santa Cruz) would have done anywhere near as much testing as DT.

I might get em (pending me noticing that you've finding anything better locally)...

£125 vs £160...might be worth the 20% risk.

20 % Vat is £25 then the £8 PO charge so you might save £2 if you dont get charged with an import - I think the limit is £135 but not certain

you then have issues with warranty etc

Not much gain there IMHO and unless they satte VAT paid or some such i assume it will be opened

Forgot the PO charge; fair enough.

Dyffers wrote: ↑Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:08 am

FLV wrote: ↑Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:58 am Funn XL28 from Action sports are also good for me.

These? https://www.actionsports.de/en/fun-work ... lack-31682

Wow, they are light for the width. Does Action Sports deliver to the UK at the moment?

Yes and Yes. You get charged duty though (or I did at least)

I have a set of these which have done 1200km of trail riding and loaded trips on my Chameleon. Mine are on DT350 hubs and Sapim D-Light spokes
The bike is light, but I am not (97.5kg today)
No issues so far.

the XM481 30mm internal I have is especially good, but at 525g a rim I wouldn't call it lightweight.

I'd say that was light for a 30mm rim? Light enough anyway. The Kinlin TL29 and the WTB KOM I29s are also well rated, I like KOMs. Similar weights.

I'd say there's more benefit to a wider rim that's a bit heavier than a proportionally narrower and lighter rim. You say you've been ok with Crests so you might get away with a light rim spec, I'd still go for a 30mm ish rim for bikepacking and 2.3-2.5 tyres though.

FWIW I have some 8 year old Velocity P35s on my Jones. Pulled many dings out of them, no issues with loss of air/sealing. 30mm internal, 600g. If I replace them it'll be with the DT or WTB 30-32mm equivalent, Kinlins would be fine also. If ease of tubeless set up was same I would go with whichever the builder likes building with tbh, that'll make more difference in the long run.

The best advert going for DT swiss,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUoCSzVmhhQ

I've been looking around for new rims. I already own a pair of Velocity Blunt SS, they're on my singlespeed. I think they're around 7 or 8 years old now, they were easy to build and I've had no problems with them since. At a quoted 425 grams they're light, the internal with of 26.8mm seems fine with the 2.2/2.4 tyres I run.

Stans Arch MK3. I've built a pair in 2016 with the intention of using them on the Divide. I was well aware of the cracking issues but thought if I never exceeded the recommended spoke tension during the build then they should be OK. They didn't get to go to the US but they have been in regular use since then. No cracks at all.

Stans Arch MK3, the second pair. For the Divide I bought a Jones but didn't have time to build the wheels so I got someone else to do it. When they arrived I checked the spoke tension and it was higher than I would have liked but I used them anyway. By the time I reached Antelope Wells the rear was toast, every spoke hole was cracked.

I'd use Arch MK3's again if I built them, I wouldn't trust anyone else to do it.

The cracked rim was replaced with a Halo, the weight difference is noticeable. It's certainly a sturdy rim but for the riding I do I can use a lighter rim.

^ I think I've discounted the MK3 Arch's after all the comments.

Pretty much no stock (surprise!) of the DT Swiss XR391 rims in the UK.

Seriously tempted by FLV's Fun Works 28mm rims, but really like to build DT rims and have never had a failure...

21 stone rider here. riding Halo vapour 35 at present. still as straight as the day the bike arrived.
running tubeless with teravail sparwood tyres.