First trail wheelset advice

H

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
Hi all!

I thought I'd start a dedicated thread to annoy you all with on advice when choosing my first proper trail wheelset for my hardtail.

I have two wheelsets on my shortlist -

Nukeproof Horizon v2 - $629 delivered
Hunt Trail Wide - $709 delivered

My criteria are:
  • 29" front and rear
  • Boost (110/148)
  • Sub-1900g
  • Minimum 29mm inner width
  • Damped rear hub (fucking hate angry bee hubs)
  • Decent engagement (3-10 degrees)
  • Maximum $750
Not sure if it's worth upgrading to 12 speed (Microspline) or stick to 10sp Deore/Advent X (HG) right now. 11sp doesn't seem to be available anywhere.

I don't do big jumps or smash through rock gardens at high speed, but I am 100kg so I would consider a rear insert!

PS. I emailed Josh at XLR8 - it looks like he plays in a higher price bracket but damn, some of his builds are mint!
 
rstim

rstim

Likes Dirt
Nukeproof horizon V2 sound pretty buzzy to me. Hopefully they improved the pawls in the V2 hub I destroyed 2 sets in about 500km on V1 Nukeproof generator hub. Bought a wheelset with hope hubs as I couldn't trust the Nukeproof one.

A set with of dt 350 hubs may be your best bet is you want to keep things quiet but would probably only fit in the budget 2nd hand.
 
Tubbsy

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
I'm a fan of my Wheelworks wheel set, would buy from them again.

Their cheaper option here is a DT build for $1320. I think that's NZD, but the change currency button the website is broken for me:

www.wheelworks.co.nz

DT Swiss Alloy Mountain Bike - Wheelworks

We love the current range of DT Swiss aluminium rims and we’ve found them to be the strongest, most durable alloy rims on the market. We still build with Stan’s, Spank, Race Face and other alloy rims but for most riders and most uses the DT Swiss range is our first suggestion. If the options […]
www.wheelworks.co.nz www.wheelworks.co.nz

All is very customisable on the site so you can get an idea of how the cost changes depending on the options you choose.

Obviously this is above your budget, but worth consideration if you change your mind.
 
The Reverend

The Reverend

Likes Bikes and Dirt
rstim said:
Nukeproof horizon V2 sound pretty buzzy to me. Hopefully they improved the pawls in the V2 hub I destroyed 2 sets in about 500km on V1 Nukeproof generator hub. Bought a wheelset with hope hubs as I couldn't trust the Nukeproof one.

A set with of dt 350 hubs may be your best bet is you want to keep things quiet but would probably only fit in the budget 2nd hand.
Click to expand...
Same with me. The Nukeproof Horizon V1 is ok and I loved the sound & engagement.

I killed two hubs. One catastrophically (replaced on warranty) and the second one ended up with a cracked drive ring and two cracked pawls. It didn't let go but couldn't have been far off.

Not sure what V2 will be like.

Replaced with Hopes Fortus 30 on Pro 4. End of problems.

A mate has Hunts and really likes them.
 
H

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
Hope's look fantastic but very weighty which is great if I was more enduro bro.

I've heard that the Horizon v2 hubs are much better but they're new so no long term reliability reports yet.

I really like the sound of the Hunts too, some say they're just Novatec hubs but others say they make them in the same way SR Suntour make DVO forks.
 
Litenbror

Litenbror

Eats Squid
In that price range I would look at second hand. I got my wheels DT 350s on Race Face arc 30 for $400 in great condition, new is nice but quality is better.
 
K

komdotkom

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I put the new Horizon v2s on my sons meta tr, nicely built but heavy AF.
Also super buzzy, so if you want a quiet hub look elsewhere
 
ForkinGreat

ForkinGreat

Knows his Brassica oleracea
HamboCairns said:
Hope's look fantastic but very weighty which is great if I was more enduro bro.

I've heard that the Horizon v2 hubs are much better but they're new so no long term reliability reports yet.

I really like the sound of the Hunts too, some say they're just Novatec hubs but others say they make them in the same way SR Suntour make DVO forks.
Click to expand...
given that you are 100kg, burly wheels are a good thing. hope fortus 30 on Hope Pro4 FTW.

Hope hubs are solid AF, and you can fit all sorts of endcaps for them, up to 20mm on the front.
 
leitch

leitch

Feelin' a bit rrranty
I think you'll struggle to find high/fast engagement and quiet on a budget. For the most part, in the cheaper hubs, high engagement = bang more pawls in there. That's not a bad thing but it'll leave you needing to fill them with grease to quieten them, and then you're risking making them draggy and sticky too.

As above, a second hand pair of DT350-based wheels that someone's selling from their stock build would be a great option. Points of engagement isn't everything and the 36t ratchet is more than adequate. It's also incredibly easy to service and they tend to come from the factory with a fair bit of grease so they're pretty quiet (lost of people open them up on day one and wipe off half the grease to make them louder).

If you're keen on new then I'd stress that serviceability and support is important. Buy the Hunts and have the benefit of a 40% crash replacement for rims/60-day ride and return etc over CRC's big box approach.
 
H

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
Great advice!

I had a listen to my friend's Hope hubs (26" wheels) I think I can live with them. Maybe I just don't like them on YouTube videos!

Aren't the Nukeproof Horizon V2's about 1,900g a set? Is that heavy as fuck? Not carbon light by any stretch but much lighter than any OEM wheelset including mine!
 
beeb

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Worth saving for something with DT or Hope hubs IMO. Like @Flow-Rider says, something easily serviceable is paramount "in these uncertain times". DTs are definitely the quieter option with a decent bit of grease in them, but Hopes aren't that bad when you're actually riding them - they just freak all your mates out who'll think you're right on their tail! :p
 
yuley95

yuley95

soft-arse Yuley is on the lifts again
I rate Hunts but the are a bit noisy. I can try and get a vid on mine if you like. Good engagement and customer service is great. I’m running enduro wide on rear and trail wide on the front
 
Cardy George

Cardy George

Piercing rural members since 1981
HamboCairns said:
PS. I emailed Josh at XLR8 - it looks like he plays in a higher price bracket but damn, some of his builds are mint!
Click to expand...
I really really implore you to not judge until you've spoken to him. Have a look at these......

xlr8wheels.com.au

Josh's No Nonsense Old School XC Update - Alexrims on Novatec

Josh emailed us looking for a new rear wheel for his trusty XC bike. We selected the Alexrims SPRK 2.1 rims as they are light, wider than his current rims, and tubeless ready. Looking for a great reliability vs cost option, Novatec is often the winner. The D032SB and D042SB are tough and light.
xlr8wheels.com.au xlr8wheels.com.au

He'll ask a heap of personal questions, all related to your riding, and then build to a budget. For reference, I held nothing back on my carbon hoops, and they were still a full $1000 cheaper than the direct replacement DT Swiss. And a better wheel too
 
gillyske

gillyske

Likes Dirt
I'll second on the hunt wheels or tbh nukeproof ones. I had some nukeproof horizon v1's in 27.5" straight pull and they were strong and never came out of true.
I've not had many rides on these hunt enduro wides but so far they are VERY similar to the nukeproof wheels but the wider rim (33mm in the enduro wide) gives a better tyre profile on 2.5's.
 
H

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
Josh is working on something for me :)

I did volunteer personal details such as weight, height, fitness, what I'm crap at, where I ride and what riding I prefer.

Those Project 321 hubs look lovely!

Im happy to save for longer if I go with the view that hubs can last for a decade or more with the right care.

Am I right that White Industries and Onyx are the very best?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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