What are lightest retro wheels for reasonable money....?

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

Araya RM 400 or RM 395, Mavic 217/517/717 rims.
DT/Sapim/Wheelsmith DB or spokes, thinner the lighter.
Alu nipples
Pick some fancy hubs, HUGI, Hope and you'll be fine.

 

[syncrosfan]

Hugi hubs on Mavic X517 with DT revolution spokes will put you in the 1450 grams range. Probably the best bang for the buck if you consider price vs. weight vs. reliability.

 

[mattr]

Most reasonably light rims from the retro period (or even just 10 years ago) are probably scrap by now. They were just too light, too bendy and too soft. Especially rim braked wheels.
Best (for a given value of best) bet is retro hubs with modern rims. Stans/ztr had some 355 rim braked rims, the latest mavics still come in rim flavour as well IIRC.
Might require some fishing around to find them tho.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

I disagree, the mavic 230s went a bit to far but they had limits and most road past and ignore the usage intent. Camlags were quite flimsy too but by 92/94ish rims had got a lot better and past the M231, Bonty, Camlags days.
Magic 217/517/717 are tough as old boots as are Araya RM 395s that why I'll mention them. I've rammed and tried hard to bend the Araya and only a hidden run of shallow ditch at high speed off Helvelin made it bend slightly, but it soon tried up and I got back and I'm still riding it now.

There where of course wider tougher rims and these rims are not designed for the likes of 2.3" tires modern era use.


Yes I would stay well away from Mavic230 unless you are light, can ride well and know what you are doing with them.

 

[mattr]

The mavic 3/5/717 were pretty much single season race use.

 

[syncrosfan]

I had a set of Hugi hubs on Mavic X517 rims with DT revo spokes and it held up just fine (zero issues, and I'm on the heavier side). Fair enough I don't race, but for regular trail usage (no hardcore downhills and jumps) those wheels did a bang-up job! Unfortunately my bike got stolen before I could ride them into the ground but they went something like 5 years without problems... racing in muddy conditions for a season could ruin them quickly but for regular trail riding they will hold up fine.