What actually matters in a wheelset?
Hi folks, I’ve been scouring forums and YouTube and articles to understand wheels and what makes a good mtb wheel and, honestly, it all feels arbitrary lol. There always seems to be one opinion countering another.
So, I figured a thoughtful community of meat powered cyclers with a diverse array of bike types could offer some personal experience that might actually match how I ride.
I’m not doing park laps, nor gapping down rock slabs. Angry M is probably the hardest trail in Squamish that I can nearly clean. Otherwise I quite enjoy Nelson’s, psuedos, mad hatter, Fred’s, meet yer maker, and such.
I’ve been riding the same hardtail I learned on for 6-7 years until buying my 1st squish bike last year. It’s a fine bike but I miss the 27.5” wheels of the hardtail. Luckily the squish bike can be setup with Mx wheels.
So I’m looking for a Mx wheelset.
Other than that, I’m not sure what to prioritize. Weight? Carbon? Hub engagement? Is pedal kickback a thing? I’ve never ridden inserts so doubt i need the burliest wheels. Is lateral stiffness of carbon real? Do you feel it on the trail? What’s a good range for hub engagement?
Like are the new oneup wheels good enough? Is there really any reason to spend more for carbon or “better” hubs? Would I feel the difference between a 1700g set vs 2100g?
Appreciate any insights anyone can share 🙏