# A question of bling....?



## Cubist (18 Oct 2012)

Right. I've been toying with the idea of a new wheelset, but am still in love with my Superstar Superleggera hubs. So far I've had them on my Cube, but now that's gone they're on the Cotic. Red ano hubs on black SS Vapour rims. Good solid whels, with a combined weight of 1944 grammes with plain gauge SS spokes and brass nipples. 

I Treated the Canyon to a pair of Hope Pro 2 Evo hubs on Stans Arch EX rims, as a good aggressive XC wheelset to run tubeless. I put 2.4" Nobby Nics on them, which I reckon were about as big as those rims will take. 

So, with a a bit of money burning a hole as you do, I decided to see what was out there. I kept drifting back to Superstars Stans FLow or Crest on their Switch hubs, bargains at £200, but knowing I'd have to sell teh Superleggeras. 

Then I found a custom wheelbuilder who will lace Stans Flows to my Superleggera hubs, using DB spokes..... for an astonishing £140. 

Now the dilemma. I have decided to use the Hope Pro II on the Cotic with 2.25 tyres, so no issues there. But, the Canyon is matte black Anodised with white forks, so I thought I'd be a bit of a tart and put white rims on. (they're also cheaper than black in the deal. ) The hubs are red Ano , and having seen a pair of white rims laced onto a red hub with white spokes I have decided I ought to use black spokes. But what about the nipples? I have shied away from white spokes, but do I choose red anodised nipples or plain black? Alloy nipples worry me, as I once had some fail and they are apparently prone to seizing. DO I just go plain black as a conservative build, red to be a bit of a tart , despite not being altogether comfy with alloy nipples?


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## VamP (18 Oct 2012)

Erm, on the basis that you're likely to reject my colour sense (quite wisely) go full tart. Yeah, you know, any of those choices will work. 

How you getting on with tubeless?


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## Cubist (18 Oct 2012)

VamP said:


> Erm, on the basis that you're likely to reject my colour sense (quite wisely) go full tart. Yeah, you know, any of those choices will work.
> 
> How you getting on with tubeless?


I bet you just got as far as the white forks and hit the like button. .....

Tubeless is everything they promised. Insane amounts of grip with low low pressures, and using proper Stans rims with their valves tape and fluid plus tubeless ready tyres they were a piece of the proverbial.


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## Cubist (22 Oct 2012)

Collected them today. .Demi-pimp.


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## Cubist (22 Oct 2012)

Bargainous tyres from the Fatherland on their way , tubeless ready Nobby Nic Snakeskin 2.25s to go on the Cotic, and these will have the 2.4s that are on the Canyon for AM duties. 

Big shout out for Cycle-Fast.co.uk who built these, absolute bargains:
My hubs, Stans Flow rims £42 each, spokes £14 per wheel, £10 nipples, build £30, so a total of £152. 

Cycle-Fast is a great little operation, building custom MTB wheels in Halifax. Great build prices, competes with Hope Hoops, but will do coloured hubs (not an option with Hope Hoops). He can source any rim or hub combo, not just Hope.... I spotted some Superstar and CK in his workshop: have a browse of his gallery. http://www.cycle-fast.co.uk/gallery.html

Before anyone asks, I have made sure he is nothing to do with Fastpartsforbikes or Dave Hinde.....


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## VamP (23 Oct 2012)

That's kind of pornographic. I am visiting my mum at the moment, and keep minimizing to stop her catching a glimpse....




Great price BTW, thanks for the heads up.


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## Drago (23 Oct 2012)

When it cones to MTBs one can never be too bling whereas road bikes should be discretely flash. Think of a Hummer compared to a Maserati.

My trance X is XT'd, Hope'd, FSA'd and Mavic'd to the nines but my Pinnacle roadies is quiet about its 105 and Integra upgrades.


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## GrumpyGregry (23 Oct 2012)

Nice nipples. Until you need to true the wheel that is, so best to just pringle it completely and save yourself the bother!

But I'm only jealous. I've never had any luck with alloy nipples.


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## Cubist (23 Oct 2012)

GregCollins said:


> Nice nipples. Until you need to true the wheel that is, so best to just pringle it completely and save yourself the bother!
> 
> But I'm only jealous. I've never had any luck with alloy nipples.


I'm assured as long as you use a proper key they'll be fine, and he tells me I can take them back to him for truing and tensioning anyway.


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## Cubist (23 Oct 2012)

Fun hour or so putting the tyres, rotors and cassette on, so here is the result, the Canyon Pimp styleeeeee


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## GrumpyGregry (24 Oct 2012)

Your valve alignments don't match front and rear 

Looks great.


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## Cubist (24 Oct 2012)

GregCollins said:


> Your valve alignments don't match front and rear
> 
> Looks great.


Annoyingly, the rim labels are on the piss, so I decided to use the Pace/Trail Stars as reference point, then realised that that put the ZTR label upside down, and not aligned with the Schwalbe logo. 

I barely slept last night because of it.


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## GrumpyGregry (24 Oct 2012)

Cubist said:


> Annoyingly, the rim labels are on the ****, so I decided to use the Pace/Trail Stars as reference point, then realised that that put the ZTR label upside down, and not aligned with the Schwalbe logo.
> 
> *I barely slept last night because of it*.


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## VamP (25 Oct 2012)

You need to align with the A in Schwalbe. 

Also you need to switch forks with Soul.

I love OCD 

Looking great!


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## Cubist (25 Oct 2012)

VamP said:


> You need to align with the A in Schwalbe.
> 
> Also you need to switch forks with Soul.
> 
> ...


But if I do that the Nobby Nic bit will be upside down, and the ZTR label won't be on the right part of the wheel. 

My 2.25s have arrived, and are going on the Hope Pro2 Evo /Arch Ex wheels this afternoon. Oh, and let me make this perfectly clear:

The Soul is Red and Black. 
The Canyon is Black Red White.
No more mixing.  
(I have a feeling I've probably broken some of The Rules already. )


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## VamP (25 Oct 2012)

Cubist said:


> But if I do that the Nobby Nic bit will be upside down, and the ZTR label won't be on the right part of the wheel.
> 
> My 2.25s have arrived, and are going on the Hope Pro2 Evo /Arch Ex wheels this afternoon. Oh, and let me make this perfectly clear:
> 
> ...


 
 I might be having a mental meltdown ( I often do) but if you align with Schwalbe, both Schwalbe and Nobby Nic still right way up, ZTR label will be right way up , and the valves will be upside down 


As for the rest... you're right, of course.


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## Cubist (25 Oct 2012)

I've checked again, and it looks better from the other side, so even the tyre logos are out of synch. Bloody Germans. Here's some soothing pics of my Soul to make up for it all.


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