Ask any gear-obsessed rider what components most effects a bike’s ride quality and wheels will be near the top of the list. Stiff, light, and durable wheels improve handling and instill confidence. A solid set of wheels can help you ride faster, pedal further, and avoid the dreaded walk of shame back to the trailhead due to a blown free hub or taco’ed wheel.
Why should you choose our wheels?
We obsess over the details so you don’t have to. Our wheels and build kits represent thousands of hours of hands-on experience and thorough research into the parts and processes that build long-lasting wheels at price points that even those not employed as a dentist can afford.
Hand built wheels
What are the advantages and disadvantages? Bicycle wheel building has long been considered an art. The process of hand building a wheel is both time and labor intensive. For economic reasons, most modern after-market bike wheels are built by a machine. However, despite the additional costs and resources required, hand-built wheel sets are still highly sought after. Why is this? A professional wheel builder is able to manipulate the wheel in ways that machines still can’t, relieving localized tension build-up and ensuring that spokes are properly bedded. This extra time and attention results in a wheel that is better able to retain balanced spoke tension and is therefore stronger and more durable. Additionally, the extra time spent preparing the spoke and nipple interface can reduce the occurrence of corrosion and drastically improve the serviceability and extend the service life of a wheel.
Custom wheels
Yet another disadvantage of mass-market wheels is the sometimes sub-standard components used to build the wheels. Straight pull spokes are great for reducing the time it takes for a machine to build a wheel, but are not so great when spoke tension needs to be adjusted (not to mention the difficulty finding replacement spokes when they do break). Straight gauge spokes, commonly found in factory built wheels, both weigh more and are less durable than a similar butted spoke spec’d on most custom wheels. Cheap alloy spoke nipples have a tendency to corrode and seize onto the spokes, becoming frail and making the wheel unserviceable. These points may seem trivial compared to the cash saved from buying a generic set of wheels, however, in our experience the frustration of dealing with component failures down the road (or on the trail) cannot be discounted.
Benefits of a purpose built wheel
Contrary to popular belief, a wheel can be too “stiff” [radial stiffness, see definitions] for a particular use, resulting in a harsher than necessary ride quality. A custom built wheel means that components can be selected specific to the rider’s weight, style, and intended use; resulting in an ideal blend of traits that ultimately will improve ride quality.
Suggested wheel builds
XC Alloy
Our Cross-County alloy wheelset isn’t your standard weight-weenie build. We recommend WTB KOM alloy rims for their increased stiffness and durability over lighter weight options, coupled with a 23 or 25mm internal width and you have a cross country wheelset that won’t flinch when you opt to bomb down sections of the course that most others will end up walking.
XC Carbon
Want more stiffness without the weight penalty? The recommended XC carbon build is everything you need for a race-ready set of wheels that will keep you miles ahead of the competition. Carbon is the perfect material for weight conscious riders that need every last bit of lateral stiffness and overall performance. With the trend toward more technical race tracks making waves through the XC world you will be glad to know your wheels will last for seasons to come.
Trail Alloy
Trail riding can mean a lot of different things depending on your local environment: Roots, rocks, drops and epic climbs translate to wheels that need to strike a balance between weight, stiffness and riding comfort. DT swiss XM rims provide the perfect foundation for wheels that can handle practically anything your local trails can serve up.
Trail Carbon
Our carbon trail builds are based around the WTB Ci24 and Ci31 platforms. Sure, there are lighter (and more narrow) carbon rim options available, but WTB’s carbon rims are built for durability first and foremost, ensuring that your week long back country epics don’t get cut short because you wanted to save a few grams.
Enduro alloy
When a rim can survive a downhill run sans tire under one of the fastest downhill riders in the world, you know you have something special. DT EX471 and EX511 rims are practically indestructible yet surprisingly light weight. A perfect match for a discipline that revolves around pedaling trail bikes up and down courses that were, until recently, reserved for the dual crown types.
Enduro Carbon
WTB designed their Ci24 and Ci31 rims to survive the abuse of the most demanding enduro racers in the world. If you can pay the price of admission, you won’t find a better rim for your next enduro wheelset. Built from the ground up with your choice of spoke gauge and nipple, it certainly won’t be your wheels holding you back from that podium finish.
DH Alloy
Downhill, the one disciple where carbon doesn’t make practical sense. DT FR570’s are unmatched in their ability to shrug off hit after hit, keeping your momentum up and your bike wheels side down. While it may be tempting to opt for a lighter build, a bit of extra wheel mass can prove to be beneficial in gravity dominated disciplines where you can’t always choose the smoothest line.
Send us a message
Let us know if we can help. Get a custom quote for your next wheel or let us know if you have any questions by sending us a message through our contact page.
