They are rad.
I don’t own a compressor (for the Stan’s setup) and really just wanted to get riding, so I stretched out some 26″ tubes the night before and used those to cheat about 100g off the pair of standard 29er tubes I had on the shelf. The wheels themselves weigh somewhere in the mid-1700s. 29″ Crossmax wheels weigh this much, so in that regard I’m already happy. The rim is 24mm wide with eyelets, and I opted for Sapim CX-Ray spokes, which are expensive and wicked awesome. I now have three pairs of wheels from Revolution (road, CX, MTB) and they all have these spokes. I figure if you’re going hand-built, why not.
The first ride was last night; about an hour and a quarter, getting tuned up for my first SS MTB race this coming Sunday. Once I had the tire pressure worked out and the fork where I wanted it (I haven’t run a suspension fork in a while), things were really good. A few times on FOMBA‘s flowy Woodpecker trail, I remember several situations that left me thinking “wow these are fast”. I would punch it and the bike would just go. This is what I was looking for.
I spent a lot of money on these wheels, but that was the idea, as I look at these as something I will have for a very long time. Also the bike has one gear and a $17 bottom bracket so it probably all works out.
Now to tackle saddle, post, bars, stem – all of which were on the bike when I bought it; just a random collection of parts. The stem weighs nearly half a pound and that has always driven me crazy.
Drivetrain is where I want it though. Old, heavy, ultra-reliable.
(Catching up? First ride, what happened, picking hubs, tires.)
