LIGHTEST disc wheelset for mtb

[Ole]

... I've re-built the wheels with Crest rims. Super stiff, and still only 1132g!

How are these wheels going? Did you re-use the extralite hubs? Spokes?

1132g is an awesome weight for a Crest wheelset. I'd love to hear more about that wheelset.

I re-used everything, but I replaced my prototype rear hub with the production model, and moved the two full ceramic bearings and two hybrid bearings over from the old hub. New HyperRear 28h then came in at 160.1g. Comes in at 170g stock.

Wheels are still doing fine, I've taken them on some hardcore rides on my 135mm/120mm race bike, and they are a heck of a lot faster than my 954g wheelset. And with the new rear hub they weigh 1117g. Maybe I need the front hub as well, to try and break 1100g limit.

[njee20]

Faster how? More reliable I can understand, but how has adding 200 grams made them faster?

Out of interest why did you change away from the Innolites? I've always liked the idea of a pair if I won the lottery, but I've not heard good things about the durability if you were actually using them regularly!

[Ole]

The Innolites were too flexy for my needs, around 70% as stiff as Race 7000. They are also too narrow and too deep, compared to NoTubes-rims. With Crest rims, I get much larger tire volume, and the huge increase in stiffness lets me attack the terrain instead of merely negotiating it. The races I do have very little smooth surface, it's all roots, rocks, sharp turns, step-ups and drops. Stiffer is definitely faster for me in those conditions.

[krzysiekmz]

Mack hubs anyone? Tops my Tune hub by over 26g!

Due to an overweight ZTR Podium MMX rim the whole front wheel weights at 525.2 grams.

[Starla]

Hi Oli,

I know your post was a while back, and sorry if you've answered this question before, but could you you:

a) List components
b) give Total Cost
c) say about Reliability. How they've been

Also, have you changed them after building or built even lighter. Best I've done is about 1250g !!

Cheers
Starla

[poorcorrespondent]

It's pretty unreal how light some of the 'boutique' wheelsets are. I have TUNE hubs (Kong on rear, Princess on front) laced up with Sapim CX-Ray spokes to Stans ZTR Podium rims. With rim strips and valves they weigh in at 1150 grams. I got them in like-new condition on flea bay for $500 flat. They're strong and true and clearly built by a great wheelmaker. Damn I feel lucky.

[bm0p700f]

what size rims though.

For a 29er The lightest wheels I can think of use LB tubular rims 330g each, Extralite hubs 234g and Sapim CX-ray spokes 240g with alloy nipples.
1134g. I need to build these as I two sets of tubulars I use in fact three. Bloody hell I have just talked my self into another set.

My current set of tubulars has 8 more spokes and heavy hub by comparison but weighs 1380g.

Another rim that has caught my eye is the light bicycle flyweight clincher at 280g each. A 24H set of these would be 1034g. Damm i have just talked my self into these as well.

[poynt]

Sub 300g carbon clincher rims there are the GrigioCarbonio Hardwheel RS-L in 29" maybe 27.5 as well? at around 275gsm, not sure if you can buy them sepearately or only in wheelsets.

[Lelandjt]

My current 29er wheelset is 1140g. I could have gone lighter with Extralight hubs but people warned me that the aluminum freehub is too sensative to dirt. If I was lighter I'd consider 24 front spokes. My setup is:
Light Bicycle Flyweight rims, 287 and 288g
28 Sapim CX-Rays straight pull, alloy nipples
Carbon-Ti straight pull boost hubs

After a post first ride retensioning they've been flawless. I'm 175lbs and ride them as hard as the 2.2" Aspen Exos allow.

[blake]

I, too, like RT99 Freezas, but still went with 16cm up front. It would be interesting to see how the new Dura Ace rotor compares - but it seems as the same technology as RT99 from 2013

[nunokas]

Any insight or review on the tune blackburner XC?
They are not the lightest but from the specs it seems they can stand some abuse...
Can't find any analisys on them and i'm torn between them and the lighter mcfk with carbon ti sp and cx-ray...

[Gullholm]

Any insight or review on the tune blackburner XC?
They are not the lightest but from the specs it seems they can stand some abuse...
Can't find any analisys on them and i'm torn between them and the lighter mcfk with carbon ti sp and cx-ray...

A friend got the MCFK/Carbon-Ti/Sapim wheelset and has been super happy with those, no issues at all.

Personally I'd stay away from Tune, had no luck with their customer service (I'm not the only one) and would rather go with the combo above.

Another option for rims would be the Duke Lucky Jack at 345g per rim and a bit cheaper than MCFK, but a little narrower. Only heard good things about those, and if you want to push the weight further they now also have a slightly more expensive 300g version called Lucky Jack SLS.

[nunokas]

Any insight or review on the tune blackburner XC?
They are not the lightest but from the specs it seems they can stand some abuse...
Can't find any analisys on them and i'm torn between them and the lighter mcfk with carbon ti sp and cx-ray...

A friend got the MCFK/Carbon-Ti/Sapim wheelset and has been super happy with those, no issues at all.

Personally I'd stay away from Tune, had no luck with their customer service (I'm not the only one) and would rather go with the combo above.

Another option for rims would be the Duke Lucky Jack at 345g per rim and a bit cheaper than MCFK, but a little narrower. Only heard good things about those, and if you want to push the weight further they now also have a slightly more expensive 300g version called Lucky Jack SLS.

Yeah, I read about your misfortune with the blackfoot cranks (by the way, your bikes are drop dead gorgeous)... I have some Tune parts on my bikes but never had a problem so I can't speak for their customer service.
Those SLS from Duke are tempting...lighter, larger and a bit cheaper than mcfk rims

[xyklisten]

Any insight or review on the tune blackburner XC?
They are not the lightest but from the specs it seems they can stand some abuse...
Can't find any analisys on them and i'm torn between them and the lighter mcfk with carbon ti sp and cx-ray...

A friend got the MCFK/Carbon-Ti/Sapim wheelset and has been super happy with those, no issues at all.

Personally I'd stay away from Tune, had no luck with their customer service (I'm not the only one) and would rather go with the combo above.

Another option for rims would be the Duke Lucky Jack at 345g per rim and a bit cheaper than MCFK, but a little narrower. Only heard good things about those, and if you want to push the weight further they now also have a slightly more expensive 300g version called Lucky Jack SLS.

Guess I´m that "friend"
Really happy with the mcfk, carbon-ti, cx ray combo. Done about 4000km on them without a single problem.
Sure there are lighter, and cheaper, options out there.... But I´m rally happy riding these wheels forboth training and marathon racing.

[UpFromOne]

When you're talking 300-330g clincher 29er rims, the tire weight becomes much more important than a few grams on the rim.