Cream23

Over the summer my rear wheel had two spokes break and then two weeks later another spoke failed. The shop fixed it twice two weeks apart and told me spokes would continue to break and it was only a "bandaid" until I got a new rear wheel.

Questions:
1) My front wheel is fine, could I get away with just replacing the back wheel?
2) I'm looking for a very solid wheel, something between $200-$400 and preferably not machine made, suggestions?
3) I'm also looking for a new groupset to replace my current, any suggestions in the $300-$500 range? Looking into SRAM NX, GX or Shimano XT

Bike: 2016 Kona Precept 130 w/ stock groupset and wheels
Ride: Mostly Blues and Blacks near Golden, CO

Cory

DAME

I suggest a custom wheel build. I'd replace the rim, keep the hub.

I just got a Roscoe 8 with the SRAM NX group. It's been a blast to ride and the price is reasonable.

buffalo4life

To answer question one I think you would be fine with a new rear wheel. As to question 3 I would take the XT.

hig4s

What size wheel? For what width tire? Jensen has Race Face aEffect R30 29er Shimano freehub rear wheels for $243 right now.

GrainBrain

I looked up the bike, it's got Acera 9 speed, 11-34 now? Any thing particularly wrong with your drivetrain?

For me, I updated my hardtail from sram x5 9 speed, with the same 11-34. My biggest complaint was the cassette spacing, as the mid cassette jump from 17 to 20 wasn't desirable.

I went with full 1x11 M7000 SLX, with an XT shifter and BB. In my area I found the 34t ring and 11-40 work great, and the cassette spacing is superb. I would say if you're considering Shimano to duplicate what I did (component wise not gearing!), slx is great though maybe an XT cassette to save weight.

Interestingly enough, shifting performance is hardly noticable from my old x5's! If cassette spacing is your only issue, I'd hazard a suggestion on getting an SRAM 12-26 cassette, use that triple!

Will you be considering 1x or staying with a double? Or triple? Shimano doesn't have a dedicated 1x crank, so that's a blessing in swapping back to 2x, but also a hindrance because a 30t is as low as you can go.

If considering 1x, I would go with sram nx 1x12. And, since your getting a new rear wheel you could go with an sram XD driver. There's 12 speed cassettes on the market though that use the standard Shimano hub.

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Cream23

Definitely want to get a 1x. No matter how much I adjust the front derailleur I've had issues switching from the mid chain ring to the smallest chain ring which is a pain going uphill. I almost never use my 3rd and largest chain ring so I'm trying to simplify things. The SRAM NX 1x12 is one of my top choices right now, seems like that has a pretty large range for a 1x and it's in my price range. Do you think my hub would fit that 12-speed?

As for the wheel, I'll probably custom build one or if the rear hub works with an 11 or 12 speed cassette I may keep the hub and build around it with a new rim, spokes etc.

Pizzaiolo Americano 

Your Shimano hub won't fit the Sram 12 speed unless you swap the free-hub for an XD Driver. You have to have an XD driver for the 12 speed. There is a Shimano compatible 11 speed version but you loose the 10 tooth sprocket. Not a huge deal for me...

Cream23

It looks like the new SRAM Eagle NX Groupset can be used with any Shimano free-hub body and like you said you have 11 teeth instead of 10 on the smallest sprocket. If I go for the Eagle GX Groupset I'd have to get the XD driver increasing the price of that a bit..