29er Wheels

S

scubasully

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Hello,
i have read several threads on here regarding 29er wheels and what to buy to upgrade my current stock wheels

the stans seem the most popular at this point with a hope hub, i am still a little confussed as what i should buy

i have 1000 bucks to spend and dont mind buying online, i am also happy to get someone to build me up a nice set and support local business

i am 70kgs or a little less, race a little bit but want a good value tubeless wheel set that are not too heavy.

i am in geelong and there is not much in stock around here a few guys could build me some and also mentioned stans as a good option

i am going to melbourne this weekend and would love some suggestions for bike shops up there to check out?

so what should wheels should i look out for? what are the best value? etc

thanks any suggestions will be appreciated
 
Hi OP,

I am yet to find an off the shelf 29er wheelset that will cut it - I am a big bastard of a man.

Hopes are popular because they are great value for money,reliable, come in different colours, adaptable and solid, Stans have been the fashion but to be honest Velocity are on par and cheaper. $1000 bucks will get you something super solid, reliable and still leave you money for tyres. I would buy the hubs off the net, and get your trusted LBS to order the rim, nipples, spokes and build them up for you. Factor in around $150 bucks for the build, $280 for Stans rims or $200 for Velocity and $130 for spokes and nipples. Not sure how much Hopes are from CRC or Wiggle but around $300 = Total - between $600 and 700.
They want be as light as say the American Classic wheels but a truckload more reliable/cheaper/adaptable/rebuildable/standard/stiffer/better engagement. Low spoke count and me personally dont mix.
Even at race weight - 70kgs- wheel stiffness is really important especial for 29ers. If you were just looking for a race wheelset then yes DT Swiss, American Classic, Stans wheelsets are great but for a bit of everything i would look at building up a custom set.
Hub wise the rear is the key - see if you can pick up a King, DT Swiss 240 or Industry 9 cheap and use a Hope for the front if you want some bling. I picked up a I9 hub for $200.
i am sure there are some good factory built wheels out there from Easton, Mavic, Havens, Sun, Stans, Bontrager, etc.
For pure bling - grab some Chinese Carbon rims (same price as Stans).
Buy a secondhand wheelset for $400 and pocket 600 for something else. Look at Futzroy Cycles and BSC while you are in Melbourne - not many custom wheelsets sitting in bike shops.
Lots of options mate
 
This guy will build you an amazing set of wheels.

http://www.twebikewheels.com.au/

Personally I have found absolutely no fault with Shimano XT 29er wheels. My set came in at 1710g without skewers and are tubeless. They are bullet proof. Don't get too carried away with weight. Light weight wheels are certainly good for climbing but heavier wheels will keep their speed better once they are rolling, especially on those long fire road sections.
 
frenshams on the money. me I'm the worlds biggest tightarse, so my new wheelset had to have value written all over it, and then also come from the cheapest supplier ;). But, given your budget, and your weight, and that you are looking for advice, i'd also say give greg a call at twe. The biggest advantage is that he will talk to you about riding style, what you are trying to achieve, your weight, THEN give advice on what wheelset build will be most beneficial to you. I dont think anyone comes more highly respected on these forums for wheelbuilding, and trustworthiness - if you want to spend $400 on a wheelset, then you choose your own, and live with what you buy, as soon as you are $600 and above TWE are now in your budget in which case you get professional build and advice - never ever underestimate the value of good advice froma professional.
 
pharmaboy said:
frenshams on the money. me I'm the worlds biggest tightarse, so my new wheelset had to have value written all over it, and then also come from the cheapest supplier ;). But, given your budget, and your weight, and that you are looking for advice, i'd also say give greg a call at twe. The biggest advantage is that he will talk to you about riding style, what you are trying to achieve, your weight, THEN give advice on what wheelset build will be most beneficial to you. I dont think anyone comes more highly respected on these forums for wheelbuilding, and trustworthiness - if you want to spend $400 on a wheelset, then you choose your own, and live with what you buy, as soon as you are $600 and above TWE are now in your budget in which case you get professional build and advice - never ever underestimate the value of good advice froma professional.
Click to expand...

I agree he builds nice wheels and invests time but what are the TWE branded hubs and the rims? I am a tight arse too but 600 buck plus for generic hubs and rims. Building a wheel is not rocket science and there are many people that can do it - advice is just a keystroke away. If you go this route then get the hubs and rims you want and get him to build them.
 
I`ll put a vote in for the American Classics and also TWE.
Picked up a set of American Classics for my wife`s Niner last year for well under $900 (never what you know but who). The only complaint is the valve stems supplied snapped off rather easily. Easy fix but very annoying.
If it wasn`t for the deal I got I would have ordered a set of TWE.
Looking at a SS specific set now. Thinking the white All Mountain version of the American Classics will be good if I can work the deal again otherwise Greg will be getting a phone call. A Chris King hub wouldn`t go astray about now though.
Cheers
MH
 
Yep, $600+ for a set of TWE wheels is up there with the premium wheels but his pre and post sales support and advice is second to none. From a performance and reliability perspective, those that have riden Greg's wheels will state and myself included that his wheels are on par or better than the leading Shimano or Mavic wheels and if there is a problem it gets sorted quicker than the time it takes for a lbs bought wheel to get back to the distributor.

If you don't need or want the above then a custom wheel build from a professional wheel builder is not for you. But in my opinion, if you aren't going to build your own and you plan on spending $600+ on a set of wheels then you won't get a better package than the one you get from Greg.
 
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