technical info

We've been through this more time than I can remember this year, the lure of the Stan's NoTubes ZTR Gold 29er wheelset against the American Classic hubs custom built onto Crest 29ers.

I say lure as there is something about the Golds that people 'want', the ultimate weight saving, knowing they have the lightest 29er rim - ever. It seems to override the very standard NoTubes ZTR hubs at the centre and the compromises which come with the extreme weight saving and which may be too much for some people. When 29ers came into existence we were shocked by how flexible the wheels were compared to the 26 inch size and that was before the Golds arrived on the scene.

...[ continue reading >> ]

---

Curious to see how the 3 wheels sizes, 26", 650b and 29er/700c measured up against each other in real life with and without tyres so we got the tape measure out and wrote down some numbers.

...[ continue reading >> ]

 WARNING - this page is for information only - don't worry if you don't know or don't care about your lacing pattern, we can help you out with a recommendation for the wheel build you have chosen!
Inherently related, spoke count and lacing pattern affect the ride, strength and looks of your wheel. Do bear in mind the rim you have chosen, as a strong, stiff rim can get away with less spokes than a particularly light rim where you may want to compensate for less strength with a higher spoke count.
Mountain bikes are more limited in the lacing patterns, with disk brakes placing more force through the hub, and usually 32 spokes per wheel. A three cross pattern is normally recommended, although others can sometimes be done.
Road wheels - two or three cross are still probably the best options for strength and durability of the components and the wheel as a whole, but lower spoke counts and larger flanges on the hub make other lacing patterns suitable. Not putting braking force through the wheels opens up the options for other lacing patterns as well. There is a small weight and aerodynamic advantage to be gained from using patterns which have...[ continue reading >> ]

Just a quick post about converting the popular Velocity A23 rims to run them tubeless for cyclocross or road since we've been experimenting today. The A23 has a smooth curved inside wall and converts pretty easily to tubeless with the correct products. All products mentioned below are available in our shop.
Cyclocross tyres
We fitted a Hutchinson Piranha (tubeless ready) with just the NoTubes yellow tape and a 44mm Universal valve stem. The tyre was pretty tight and needed careful use (not damaging the yellow tape) of tyre levers to get the tyre on. It inlated immediately using a standard track pump.
Then we tried a standard Maxxis Raze 700x33C. It went on very easily, too easily in fact with just the yellow tape, and burped easily. We fitted the Cyclocross rimstrip and it inflated a lot easier, either with some vigorous pumping from a normal track pump, or very easily with a compressor. In use it may need a layer of 17mm Velox tape under the rimstrip; we'll find out soon and add to this page.
Road Tubeless
To be confirmed, but since the Hutchinson cyclocross tyre inflated easily, the road tubeless tyres should too using just the yellow tape and 44mm valve stem...[ continue reading >> ]

At Just Riding Along we build mountain bike wheels with rims from Stan’s NoTubes and Enve Composites.
NoTubes rims
The NoTubes range is comprehensive, from the lightweight race only Podiums to the all mountain Flows with most rims available in either 26” or 29er versions, as well as a 650b ZTR Flow. They are light and strong with enough options to suit most types of riding.
Tubeless
We love tubeless and all our wheels are tubeless-compatible. We have been riding with tubeless tyres since they were invented and were the first in the UK to import and build with the Stan’s NoTubes rims. Tubeless tyres will help you ride faster, they’ll grip better and puncture a lot less often.

we build on:
rims
Enve
Mavic
NoTubes
Salsa
Velocity
hubs
American Classic
Cannondale
Chris King
DT Swiss
Hope
NoTubes
Powertap
Rohloff
Royce
Shimano
Surly

Custom options
Custom mountain bike wheels ensure you get the axle type and wheel size to fit your bike. We have a huge range of hubs to choose from and can advise on the best options for the riding you do.
axle types
QR
9mm through
15mm
20mm
24mm
Lefty
12mm x 135 bolt thru
10mm x 135 bolt-in
10mm x 135 bolt thru
12mm x 150 bolt thru
wheel sizes
26”
650b
29er

Custom mountain bike wheelbuilds are available in our online wheelbuilder some popular builds are held instock for quick delivery or please call...[ continue reading >> ]

Enve Composites have gone to great lengths to develop the perfect carbon fibre rims.
Aerodynamics are optimised in wind tunnels, spoke holes are moulded-in for strength and reliability, and they are tested to optimise brake heat dissipation and strength.
MTB
The XC and AM rims, both available in 26” and 29er versions, feature low weights with a strength and stiffness unmatched by aluminium rims. If you need any convincing about their toughness, the 400g AM rims have chalked up several wins on the World Cup downhill circuit under the Santa Cruz Syndicate team.  All rims are now tubeless compatible with full UST-certification either granted or pending.
XC 26” tubular/clincher 260g/350g
XC 29er tubular/clincher 280g/385g
AM 26” clincher 405g
AM 29er clincher 450g
prices from £1770 with American Classic hubs.

ROAD
The 3 Enve road rims are some of the lightest available in their classes. The tubular-only “25” is ideal for racing over mountainous courses where its 250g weight is a major advantage. The “45” is a medium depth all rounder for road racing, time trials or cyclo-cross; it’s at home on any terrain. The “65” is a deep aero rim aimed at time triallists, but its light weight and aerodynamics will give you the edge in road races too.
25 tubular...[ continue reading >> ]

Why buy a wheelbuild from Just Riding Along? build quailty and how to buy.

We often get asked what tyres fit easily onto the NoTubes rims, and there are some combinations which just won't work together. So we got together a big pile of NoTubes rims and Maxxis High Roller tyres, and spent an afternoon fitting and removing tyres.
Some of the new NoTubes rims (Crest, Alpine and Podium) have the "2nd generation bead socket" and are designed to be a tighter fit to the tyre. This improves tubeless performance but it means you'll struggle to get UST tyres on - and with the Podium, it's impossible.

The 2.35 single ply went onto Flow rims easily
 
Most tyres fitted easily to the Flow - the 14mm wide central channel easily accomodates both beads of the tyre when you're trying to fit it. Most of the other rims have an 11mm channel, while the Alpine's 10mm channel makes it just that bit harder to fit the tyre, especially as it's combined with the new bead socket design.
Anyway, here are the results. The numbers show how hard it was to fit the tyre to the rim, as judged by me, using the best technique I could muster. All are High Roller, 60 to 70A compounds.
1: easy hand fit, 2...[ continue reading >> ]