I've got a pair of Circus Monkey hubs laced to OP's, but the front rim has developed a click I cannot live with, so I pulled the trigger yesterday on some new rims & spokes, to build up a set of light but strong wheels. I'm now 200# and the wheels will be 32 spoke, 3X.

Rims - Stans ZTR 340 - 356g x 2
Spokes - DT Rev - 32 for 157g est X 2
Nipples - alloy - 32 for 10g X 2
Front Hub - 78g
Rear - 215g

grand total 601 + 738 = 1,339g.

With the discount and free shipping to Canada at Chain Reaction, I'm getting Rims, Spokes & nips for $267.

Hubs were (and still are) about $120 with shipping.

So, total cost incl shipping - $387.

When bits arrive I'll weigh, build & report.

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I'd love to here a long term report after you get some miles on those wheels. Normally, I'd say those rims are too light for your use. Also, a heavier gauge spoke for the drive side would be wise.

-Eric

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www.ergottwheels.com

We'll see. I'm a "light" 200# if you know what I mean. Have ridden Campy Neutrons, Zipp 303's with no problems. And that's on roads and MUT's that are pretty beaten up.

These will be more than 100g lighter than my Neutrons at half the cost - so I'm going to be interested too.

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One thing about Cyldes and light wheels and bikes. We don't have to worry about the bike gaining 10 pounds in the off season, in fact some bikes lose weight in the winter.

Good luck with the build thats a great price .i weigh just under 13 stone and ride a set of clinchers i had made for me that weigh 1182grms .20f .24r ,Jon at just riding along [sheffield uk] built them ,they are superb ,stans tubeless ,american classic hubs and revolution spokes ,the front weighs 502grms ,rear 680grms ,i could def go lighter maybe a set of dash hubs that would be nice
artray

Rims & spokes just arrived.

Pleasant surprise on the rim weight.

One was 336g the other 342g - below what i'd seen quoted.

(and that's with the 6 fugly stickers on each one that have to go)

Spokes were dead on.

My Christmas project.

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Got the front built - went nicely. Got to use my new Park tension meter too.

I decided to use DT threadlok brass nipples which offset the lower than expected rim weights.

Had to take off the garish stickers, which also clash with the orange theme of my Merckx AX. Sorry Stan.

So, with all this. still pleased to have a 32 spoke 3X front come in under 600g.

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Off for my third ride today - new front only so far.

I've got the knack of mounting the tire now and it's become quite easy.

I took some emery paper to the joint - it was raised enough that the brake pads were noticing it.

Even with clinchers at only 85# I'm seeing a big dropoff in spoke tension. I just retensioned with the tire in place.

I have some Stan's tape on order - using a strip of ductape in the meantime.

Ride is nice and wheel is quiet.

Stan's website seems to have nothing at all about using tubed clinchers on these rims. If there was more choice in tubeless I might give it a try - over on RBR there's a long thread and it's mixed. And weight would seem to be greater.

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Nice thread, couple of questions:

Are these rims also known as the Alpha rim? Or is that another road rim from Stans?

Why did the front wheel spoke tension drop off? Was it the first ride and the spokes were bedding into the hubs?

600grams for a 32 front wheel is amazing, I think I need to rethink my CX wheelset...

Yes this is the link where I bought the rims & spokes:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=57511

On other threads discussing these rims, the subject of spoke de-tensioning always comes up. I'll check them later to see how well they held up on this morning's ride - but they have already been adjusted twice. If they have settled down I'm going to build up the rear.

Yes I'm happy with the weight - and that's with brass nipples. And the ride's nice too.



edit. just checked spoke tension & seems better than before, so I think I'm good to go now.

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thanks for the update. let us know more on your extended testing.

Rear wheel is just built - 741g, making the wheelset 1,339g total. Full testing may have to wait for the weather which just turned for the worse.



As with the front, the build came together OK. This rim has an out of round hop at the point of the joint however. Not fixable. Not unrideable either, but not a sign of great quality. If I was close to the seller I'd be taking it back, but seeing as how we are an ocean apart I wont bother.

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What size bearings do the monkeys use? A lot of the cheaper lowish weight hubs use smaller axles and bearings that won't be as durable for a clyde wheel set.

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info here

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/wheels-tires/circus-monkey-hubs-219444.html

the fact that I've been using them for 2 years and am happy to rebuilt wheels using them should say something.

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Rear wheel took a lot of effort to build straight, but it's done now. Just had a quick sprint up & down the street - so far so good. Nice & smooth.



longer ride will happen when the weather warms up a little.

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