Anyone know where to find a couple of these rims (32 hole)? A 36 would also work. I was thinking about switching to a rear mountain bike hub anyway since the current one needs more than just a simple overhaul. Any other similar rim offerings? Must be 700c. The sidewalls on mine are getting pretty thin..
As far as hubs go, what is the reasoning behind using a mountain hub? Is the XT a little more bombproof than the Ultegra, or just a little cheaper, or what? Is the flange spacing wider? Also, what's the real world difference between Deore, Deore LX, and Deore XT? I've heard some people say Deore hubs are great if you don't care about weight and others say they are junk. My bike has 132.5 spacing, but if there isn't any strong argument for a mountain bike hub, it would be more reasonable to stick with 130mm axles so I can use this wheel on other road bikes. Seals aren't a major concern as long as they're comparable to a modern Ultegra hub.
Use will be on a Surly Long Haul Trucker with the occasional loaded tour, but mostly just commuting, groceries, and gravel roads on 28-30mm tires. I like the T217's because they've stayed true through some nasty hits and have a medium width that works with a wide range of tires. The MA-3 is a crappy rim from what I've heard but it looks like Mavic's current touring rims are a bit overkill for my sort of use - they're either exceedingly heavy, or too much money, or both. Maybe I can find a a 36 hole MA40 or something. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
As far as hubs go, what is the reasoning behind using a mountain hub? Is the XT a little more bombproof than the Ultegra, or just a little cheaper, or what? Is the flange spacing wider? Also, what's the real world difference between Deore, Deore LX, and Deore XT? I've heard some people say Deore hubs are great if you don't care about weight and others say they are junk. My bike has 132.5 spacing, but if there isn't any strong argument for a mountain bike hub, it would be more reasonable to stick with 130mm axles so I can use this wheel on other road bikes. Seals aren't a major concern as long as they're comparable to a modern Ultegra hub.
Use will be on a Surly Long Haul Trucker with the occasional loaded tour, but mostly just commuting, groceries, and gravel roads on 28-30mm tires. I like the T217's because they've stayed true through some nasty hits and have a medium width that works with a wide range of tires. The MA-3 is a crappy rim from what I've heard but it looks like Mavic's current touring rims are a bit overkill for my sort of use - they're either exceedingly heavy, or too much money, or both. Maybe I can find a a 36 hole MA40 or something. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.