26" XC/Marathon race wheelset

[Fwinns]

Hi,

I came across a really nice Chris King hubset for cheap, and now I'd like to build a 26" race wheelset with it.
My current race/training/everyday wheels are two wheelsets of XTR m975, so I'd like something a bit different/stiffer/lighter.
FWI I weigh 57kg and I tend to ride quite cleanly so no worries with maximum weight here.

What do you suggest in terms of lightweight rims?
Lightweight 26in rims are pretty rare nowadays, here is what I found:
- used set of innolites XCC 250. Really light but will it desintegrates the first time it sees a rock?
- DT swiss XRC300 (about 320g/wheel). Old school narrow type
- Notubes Alpine/Crest (330g and 340g). Are they stiff?
- Cheap chinese carbon rims. I like the 30mm deep light-bicycle hookless rim, but its weight is around 375g, so no weightweenie at all, but it's more AM than XC so I'm not really scared about them holding up. I like that if I break one I can easily order another one without spending a month over the internet looking for one (which would be the case for the XRC/Innolite rims)

Any other suggestion? I know the CK hubs are on the heavy side, but I'm not looking for a under 1000g wheelset either. Something under 1500g would be ideal, under 1400g great, but it has to be stiff, it will go on a GT zaskar pro (carbon) and a Litespeed Sewanee (ti FS).

Thanks!

[TheRookie]

I have a pair of Alpines (320g each) on my bike, much lighter than that and you effect durability as indicated by Stans for the Podiums, although at 57Kg you won't beat on them like my 50% heavier weight would! I don't find them too stiff at all and they certainly feel a little more forgiving than my old light (ish) weight Ryde Edge 7. I built them myself and found them a delight to build as the rim is laterally nice and stiff and didn't distort unlike some other lighter rims I've built up.

My wheels are 1430g using A2Z front and Novatech 772 rear hubs, Sapim DB (2.0/1.8/2.0) spokes and alloy nipples, my hubs are 114 and 276g so with CK's you can work out the weight increase.

They go on my Litespeed (what were the chances of that!) Niota (Al) (10.2Kg, not yet setup tubeless) and where on my lightweight HT (9.6Kg) before that.

[quantum_Rider]

One option could be DT XR331 rim
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=130240

[Fwinns]

Yes I saw the XR331 rim, nice alternative to the Notubes rims.
Also there is the Ryde Trace XC that is very light (305g), with eyelets and asymmetric, or the BOR XMD333, but it's an older design. I couldn't find much reviews on both of these though, so I don't know about the reliability longterm. I don't mind having a "fragile" rim as I won't use it for training, but I wouldn't want them to break in the middle of a race or a rocky descent on a marathon course.
Thing is I found the innolites (250g) for 170€/rim which is quite a good price I think, and only around 70-80€ more than alloy wheels.

[TheRookie]

Eyelets are not better than without, just different, after all eyelets mean a bigger hole in the alloy rim.

[Fwinns]

They spread the pressure around the spoke hole (the spoke is never perfectly perpendicular to the rim bed, even with offset drillings), same way a washer does with a nut, so it's a bit better in terms of fatigue resistance, and help prevent rim cracking around the spoke drillings.

Anyway I ordered a pair or DT swiss XR331 (you can't beat their price!). They don't have eylets, but come with washer to spread the load on the rim, so that's as good as eyelets, although slightly heavier that nothing at all.

[skyfire1202]

Yes I saw the XR331 rim, nice alternative to the Notubes rims.
Also there is the Ryde Trace XC that is very light (305g), with eyelets and asymmetric, or the BOR XMD333, but it's an older design. I couldn't find much reviews on both of these though, so I don't know about the reliability longterm. I don't mind having a "fragile" rim as I won't use it for training, but I wouldn't want them to break in the middle of a race or a rocky descent on a marathon course.
Thing is I found the innolites (250g) for 170€/rim which is quite a good price I think, and only around 70-80€ more than alloy wheels.

Where did you find the Innolites for 170€/rim?

Never mind, I found it. Too bad they're 32H and shipping fee is outrageous.

[Fwinns]

RCZ bike shop.
I was looking at 32h rims as my hubs are 32, and I thought it would compensate for the lack of stiffness of the rim. But yeah shipping to Canada is 50€, so probably even higher to Japan. But that makes it 400€ for essentially a 1000€ rimset, that's still a bargain I think

[skyfire1202]

That's the shop I found. I get 129Euros from the shipping quote. They are very light. I have raced XC on a wheelset with sub 220g Innolite rims and they're great when I need instant tire swaps when the weather changes abruptly and the tires on my tubular race wheels would no longer be appropriate, but I don't know for marathons. When you do 24 hour races and are too tired to even care where and how your wheels land on, I think a more durable rim would be appropriate. If I remember correctly, someone mentioned in topic here about Innolite rims that an Innolite rim broke in half during a Pro XC race.

[TheRookie]

I repeat, eyelets are not better, they frequently are no bigger than the nipple flange, you do drop a bit of friction though, making setting spoke tension easier (that is you can get away with less prep effort), it's all about how the rim is designed and what material is used for the rim, eyelets mean a bigger hole in the rim (bad) and more weight (bad) and cost more to fit (bad) but you can offset that by using a cheaper alloy (good) and you can get away with a slightly thinner wall section (good), one is not better than the other, it's just they are designed differently.

How cheap did you get the 331's? My Alpines were €80 the pair delivered.

[Fwinns]

About 120€ delivered to Canada from Germany.
Where did you find the Alpines for 80€ shipped? I cant find anything below 100$/rim (70€/rim), and thats without shipping

[DanW]

I found Stans Podiums very durable, even weighing in at 80kg (riding in South Wales).

My American classic/ Stans Podium 26er wheels were under 1250g and super durable. No different to a Crest/ Alpine in use (and wider internally than an Alpine rim)

I have about 4 Podium rims you could have now I am on a 29er

[Fwinns]

Podium MMX have a reputation of being quite flexy. How many spoke holes do they have?

[DanW]

32. They are more than fine- absolutely no different to Alpines as I say. I think it is more that people are scared to give them a go based upon the rim weight and conservative rider weight limit. They really are great rims IMO

[Fwinns]

Well I'm waiting on my DT 331s, but that's something to keep an eye on. Too bad we can't find new Podium rims (notubes only sell them as wheelsets), but if there's not much difference between the DT and my XTR sets I'll probably try something more extreme like podium MMX or Innolite.
How much do your rims weigh? Do they have cracks around the nipple holes?