WHEELSET:

Hope wheelsets offer outstanding value for money, when you compare them side by side to say the Crossmax SL’s it’s hard to see how they turn out the sets for the price. Granted they are different products, but the Hope’s get our shout for the high quality and great price. Ever the more impressive when you consider that the hubs are manufactured in the UK and the wheels built here. Support the best of British and you will be running some of the best wheels available. Hope offers a range of wheel options with different spoke numbers and rims. The popular Mavic and DT Swiss rims are both available, but we went for the lesser known Stans rims which have been performing faultlessly out on the trails.

£185.00 rear, £105.00 front
Hope Technology 01282 851 200
www.hopetech.com

MAVIC CROSSMAX SX:

When you’re paying over £600 for a pair of wheels you expect to get something a little out of the ordinary. Fortunately the Crossmax deliver on that front and you scream ‘bling’. For those of you where money is not a problem, it’s hard to knock these offerings from Mavic; stiff, strong and light at 1,520 grams for the pair. When set up tubeless, the SL’s offer a lightweight and desirable trail package or a lightweight DH set up that can deal with the hits and will give a noticeable advantage when accelerating with their low rotating mass. Plus everyone else in the car park will be jealous of your wheels; well that or the fat wallet that paid for them.

£660.00
www.mavic.com

MAVIC DEEMAX ULTIMATE WHEELSET:
The iconic Mavic Deemax is one hell of a wheelset. While it ain’t cheap they are as tough as nails and reasonably light for a pair of full–on downhill wheels (in fact they are 500 grams lighter than the older yellow Deemax). Another issue that has been addressed is the rigidity of the rims, they have been machined now to allow a certain compliance, which the older Deemax did not offer. What does this mean in the real world? Well you’re less likely to puncture tubes on the new Deemax, but when they are UST ready, for general riding, we’d go for tubeless tyres.

£850.00
www.mavic.com