wheels

Shaggz

A strong 7
as far as i can tell the only real maintnenace issue is replacing the cartridge on the rear wheel. probably seasonal depending upon how much you ride.
 
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jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
what wheelsets are you all running? i'm looking to pick up a set of mavic crossmax st and am trying to get an idea of other options.

The ST's are a great way to go.

They are lighter, cheaper and stronger than last years crossmax SL's!

j
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
You could get a pair of I9 wheels for quite a bit less than a grand. When I was looking into a new wheelset, The I9 option was only around 100 bucks more than King hubs laced to the same rims. I have to say the I9 wheels are a work of art. Nothing I've seen comes close. The 108 point engagement is nice, its instant.


wheel porn featuring some intimate pics of wobbegong's hoops:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=270503
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I dont think any of those people actually ride their bikes

the ONLY time my hoops were that blingy was when i picked them up. now they have three month old mud caked on 'em.

i have to say this: if any of you guys are looking for custom wheels, do yourself a favor and talk to john at cycle works in bryam. if his builds are good enough for guys like aaron chase and those other lunatics, it's way more than fine for me. he backs everything 100% and gives you either 12 or 18 mnths of free truing...can't remember which. i don't know if you'd get that from a mail order guy, and even if you did, i don't know that it would it be worth it to send your wheels out every time.
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
i'd imagine if you lived in the south west or socal or similar it is easier to keep the blinginess since you would not have to contend with the muck and crap we deal with on a regularly basis. i keep telling meg that we should relocate, and she says she would miss the seasons. seasons are over-rated.
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
lol - it's not. we are actually looking in other areas of the country to replicate the "formula", which certainly would make that transition a lot easier for me. family and roots on the other hand...

any-to-who: crossmax owners, has anyone had to replace the cartridge on the rear? if so, how much riding time did you get in before having to do so?
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
How about some feedback:

Mavic Crossmax ST or Mavic 819 UST laced with DT Swiss Supercomp spokes around Chris King ISO hubs
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
How about some feedback:

Mavic Crossmax ST or Mavic 819 UST laced with DT Swiss Supercomp spokes around Chris King ISO hubs

No contest.

ST

I have had both.

King hubs are a bit overkill in my book. I have owned a few sets over the years and they are really really good but not worth the $$. The angry bee rear hub gets old too.

I have been building with DT Hubs lately and while not cheap I believe they offer a better value.

To compare the feel of the 2 wheelsets.. The ST's will feel much more solid under you. They won't twist under braking load or climbing. (this will be even more apparent on the new 29er version). The alloy spokes on the St's are way stiffer than the supercomps which will translate in better acceleration and cornering.

While the Industry nines offer alloy spokes as well they do not offer a rim that is built with the rest of the wheel as a system. It is my belief that while they are pretty and unique, they are flawed as the wheel is not a true system.

The ST's and the other crossmax rims actually need no rim strip since the don't have eyelets drilled for nipples. That has to mean rim stiffness since they are drilling 32 less holes in the outer rim. (you sort of need to see this..)

I have personally rebuilt a few Crossmax wheels over the years and when you build them up you can really see the beauty of the wheel built as a system as apposed to a wheel built of random parts.

You can achieve this same sort of rim with a Mavic UST rim and supercomps but I will tell you straight up that this is among the most tedious assembly projects ever. Not hard just annoying.

I will have a set of 26" demo ST's in April that will be available for anyone to test on their own bike and trail choice. This will be my go to set of wheels this year. I don't believe you can beat them for the money spent.




j








j
 
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walter

Fourth Party
Hey J,

can the crossmax's be built up around a lefty hub? I think so, since the slr's and crosslands are. Is it possible?
 

Wobbegong

Well-Known Member
While the Industry nines offer alloy spokes as well they do not offer a rim that is built with the rest of the wheel as a system. It is my belief that while they are pretty and unique, they are flawed as the wheel is not a true system.

Jdog,

I view this as an advantage, you can have I9 build you a wheel with any rim you choose. Its nice to have the option to select any rim from any manufacturer.

P.S.
You freaked me out yesterday when you blew your horn at me, I was just sitting there minding my own business, and POW!
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
Jdog,

I view this as an advantage, you can have I9 build you a wheel with any rim you choose. Its nice to have the option to select any rim from any manufacturer.

P.S.
You freaked me out yesterday when you blew your horn at me, I was just sitting there minding my own business, and POW!

How could you not believe after dropping that kind of cash?? While I am sure that they ride nice, my concern comes when you perhaps use a stiffer spoke than the designer ever expects the rim to be paired with.

Steel spokes flex a lot, so when the spokes won't flex the rim either has to flex or crack. I am sure that this isn't a regular issue or you would have heard of it.

When Mavic uses a Aluminum spoke they build a completely different rim profile to work with the stiffer spoke. That is what has got me thinking that the use of a standard rim could get you in trouble with a I9..

...sorry to scare your wife and you too I guess.


j
 

Maurice

New Member
The I9 wheels sure look sweet. I'm pretty sure they also perform well but the price is quite steep...

I don't think they would be more failure-prone than Mavic wheels though (Mavic has built crappy things in the past...). I9 wheels look like they are usually built with more spokes so even if the rim isn't designed to flex much it's less likely to.

Only one way to find out.

My 'barely used' XT/819 wheels are going on freebay as soon as I gather enough patience to clean them up.

Maurice
 

hardtale70

She's Gone From Suck to Blow
Shop Keep
Sorry I'm late..

...I just got back from Chicago.I ride 26" ones that are round w/ black spokes and now I've got some borrowed 29" round ones that are kinda black too. I find they both work best when I ride my bike.If I just sit on my ass and talk they don't seem to do much and without me on the bike they don't even hold the bike up.That's it I'm taking all these wheels straight back to the shop,they must be freakin defective recalls or something!!
 
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