Noonievut

I'm building up a Surly Cross Check, and I'm contributing all of the components (used, good condition) to the frameset although I need wheels.


I have a road bike for road riding with friends, and an allroad bike with 42mm Rene Herse slicks for paved/gravel roads, and rail trails. There are a few reasons why the allroad bike isn't doing double duty for what the Cross Check will do, but that's irrelevant to my question below.


The Cross Check will be used for two purposes:

- as my winter road bike (when the roads are safe i.e., relatively dry, no ice or snow), and

- on local mixed surface trails (crushed gravel that is sometimes a bit loose, dirt, wood chips, wooden boardwalks, touch of pavement, touch of mud). On these trails, the hills are short (50 metres), steep, and twisty. I ride these trails at least once per week for an hour from April to November. I absolutely love this trail system and it's across the road from my house.


I have two wheelset options with my LBS (who is helping with the build):

1) Factory built wheelset: Alex cx26 rims, Tiagra hubs, 32 spokes, tubeless ready

2) Handbuild: Mavic a719 rims, 105 hubs, 36 spokes (C$200 more than the Alex wheels)


I like the idea of handbuilt wheels. I had these Mavic rims on a previous bike and had zero complaints (well, maybe the weight, but with this build low weight isn't the goal). But they're heavier (about 100g per rim) and not tubeless ready. However, they have 105 hubs, are handbuilt, and a part of me is okay with not going tubeless (I can easily swap tires for the winter road riding, and the trail riding rest of the year). But I don't know how low I can go with a tube and say a 40mm tire made for dirt / loose gravel (I'm 155 pounds). I like the idea of going pretty lower with the pressure when riding the trails, but I've used both tubed and tubeless wheels on these trails over the last decade and can't say one blew away the other. Knock on wood - I've never had a flat riding these trails (no baby heads, thorns or other things that may cause flats, and no glass).


At this point I'm not looking at other wheelset options. That can be for longer term, as things evolve with my bikes and my riding. Either way, these are not expensive wheelset options (a little over C$500 for the handbuilt all-in).


Curious to know what others thing, if you've been through similar budget decisions, tubed vs. tubeless, etc. Note - my Rene Herse are tubeless, so it's not that I don't like tubeless, just not sure they outweigh some of the benefits of the handbuilt.


Right now I'm leaning towards the budget Alex wheelset that is already tubeless ready. Can upgrade later if I want...

cyclezen

not much to say...
but... I had a pr of Alex wheels which came on a Spec Roubaix (2006) I bought to use as a 'around town/shopping/errands/rain day' ride. I still have the bike and it's bullet proof, solid and components (105) are sturdy, reliable, still tight.... many years latter.
The Alex wheels? POS !!!! on 4th ride, an evening road ride, I ran over a hard rubber collar used to hold down traffic cones. COllar was about 1.5 inches thick, rounded edge. Fresh tarmac, completely black, so collar was invisible, just lying as left-over stuff, apparently after the crew broke down after finishing the road job.
The front wheel Taco'd - I didn;t go down cause I was riding about 12 mph - just did a hard stoppie, and got my shoes out fo the cleats before falling over sideways.... phew...
I know 3 others who have had Alex wheels - all with misery before buying some decent wheels.
I would buy the cheapest Chinese junk before buying another Alex wheel...
there are a bazillion other stock wheelsets, for the same price as Alex wheels, and most will certainly provide better and longer service.
Ride On
Yuri

jlaw

Ha! I had a 2007 Spec. Roubaix with Alex wheels - you are correct about the bike components being durable and those Alex wheels being JUNK! The wheels on mine stayed reasonably true - but the rims would constantly shed little shards of aluminum into the brake pads - sounded like I had gravel stuck in my brakes when I tried to slow down.

Every couple rides I actually had to take the wheels off and pick the aluminum out of the brakes using an awl. I finally gave those wheels the death penalty- but kept the hubs.

Sorry about the thread hijack, but was gratified to see I wasn't the only one who hated those evil Alex wheels!

Noonievut

All good. Though that was years ago you’re both making good arguments! Thanks

jlaw

Noonievut 36 spokes, 105 hubs, and a Mavic rim with which you have good experience - sounds like the way to go. And, I suggest that you won't miss the option of going tubeless.

Reliability and solid function is hard to beat.

msu2001la

I'd go with option 1.
The differences between Tiagra/105 hubs are negligible and I see no advantage to handbuilt on a wheelset like this. The Alex rims are lighter and tubeless ready.

FWIW, I ran that Mavic a719/105 hub setup through Pro Wheel Builder dot com and it came out at $380. Handbuilt.
$500 seems a bit steep to me, but I get that your LBS may not be as cost competitive as a big outfit like PWB.

Noonievut

I’m in Canada, our dollar and deals not as good unfortunately. Other thing is the shop is taking care of a lot of the build and has been awesome to work with, so I’m happy to support their wheelbuild. But I hear you re: hubs and tubeless.

mstateglfr 

- Tiagra hubs and 105 hubs are a wash. I have both, more generations of both. Total wash for all intents and purposes.
- Tubeless ready or not?...tubeless ready for sure. No downside.
- less expensive is always good.
- handbuilt is nicer.

I would go for the tubeless ready tiagra wheelset that costs less and pay the shop to properly tension and true the machine built wheelset. You will end up with a wheelset that costs less, is lighter, and is more versatile.

Noonievut

I went with the Alex wheels. The shop will check them thoroughly before installing, which is great. Mainly using the bike on trails and I wanted tubeless