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Thread: Atomik vs Enve

  1. #1
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    Atomik vs Enve

    Are the Enve's really worth the money? I know of the Atomik, but that's all I know...that they exist. Is there another wheelset worth looking at?

  2. #2
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    If you're going to spend that kind of money, I'd most certainly look at the new Ibis 742/942 wheelsets. They come with I-9 Torch hubs and their carbon rims are probably some of the best available. I think NOBL is also worth a look in that price range.

    Of course, I think a more sensible option is to custom build a set with Light Bicycle or Derby rims... you'll save a ton. I can't imagine consciously spending $1500+ on a wheelset.

  3. #3
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    From what I've ridden and seen: Light Bicycle and Derby are cheap and more prone to failure. Enve's cost the most, but ride differently than many of the other "trail bike" carbon rim options. Reynolds, Nobl, and (maybe?) the Ibis rims seem to hold up fine, but they have less vertical compliance than the Enves, which makes them feel somewhere between stiff and harsh. On a bigger bike with more travel, that stiffer feeling is arguably a benefit (although some will say they don't maintain traction in corners as well). On shorter travel bikes, that stiffness can come across more as being harsh and unforgiving. The Enve's are much more forgiving vertically, while still being pretty stiff laterally.

    I also think a bunch of the rims are too wide to work well with a 2.35" trail bike tire. Ibis in particular - they don't make a rim in a width that I actually want.

    Personally, I'd take the Enve's if I could find them for a good deal. But they're not that much better that I'd pay full pop for them. The Nobl stuff seems like a good option for the price.

  4. #4
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    It makes perfect sense...until you think about it.

    I suspect there's logic behind the madness, but I'm too dumb to see it.

  5. #5
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    I'm waiting to hear some more reviews of WTB's rims, they seem to be in the right spot width and weight wise. Then again, just mostly curious as I picked up Flow MK3s that aren't much heavier and a huge cost savings.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by smartyiak View Post
    Buddy is on Knights and loves them. That's probably the direction I'd be heading if I were looking to buy carbon wheels.
    Remind me. We'll send him a red cap and a Speedo.

  7. #7
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    I'm still vacillating about going with an expensive wheelset because it's truly hard to justify, but my rear hub is about toast, so might as well upgrade the whole deal and shave some weight is my thinking. The Ibis is a better price range. The stock rims have held up fine...except the hub...so I'm not too concerned about destroying an upgraded rim.

    The only upgrades I've made in the past was to an aluminum crossmax and those held up fine for me. But I've been told the hubs have become shittier on those these days.

    Bike stuff is just damn expensive! This is 3 or more pair of skis!

  8. #8
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    What width rim are you looking for? 27.5 or...?

  9. #9
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    I wonder how many of these wheel companies are just private labeling the exact same overseas farsports/light-bicycle etc wheels.

  10. #10
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    Atomik vs Enve

    What size wheel and hub spacing are you looking for?
    I have some new Niner carbon trail wheels with 12/142 rear and what ever the non boost front is that I was going to put on my wife's jet9 and that project got put on hold for a little while. They are not even on the market yet and have not had tires mounted on them.
    If you have any interest please pm me for a screaming deal.

  11. #11
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    the nobl wheels also have the instant engagement hub too. I have been seeing VERY good things from that.

    overall, the stans non-carbon is VERY hard to go wrong. nice hubs, conversion kits for everything, strong rims, set up tubeless well, 32h normal J bend spokes.


  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by toast2266 View Post
    Enve's cost the most, but ride differently than many of the other "trail bike" carbon rim options. Reynolds, Nobl, and (maybe?) the Ibis rims seem to hold up fine, but they have less vertical compliance than the Enves, which makes them feel somewhere between stiff and harsh. On a bigger bike with more travel, that stiffer feeling is arguably a benefit (although some will say they don't maintain traction in corners as well). On shorter travel bikes, that stiffness can come across more as being harsh and unforgiving. The Enve's are much more forgiving vertically, while still being pretty stiff laterally.
    I find it difficult to ignore Nox Composite's explanation/argument against the concept of vertical compliance:
    www.noxcomposites.com/wheel_building

    A lot of us locally have been using Nobls with excellent results for Enduro/DH. And watch out for a new brand WE ARE ONE coming soon with one of the Nobl guys taking off to start his own thing, completely sourced and manufactured carbon rims in North America.

    If you're American the Nobls with the exchange rate should be a great price but for even cheaper I've seen discussion on CompetitiveCyclist building they're own carbon wheel sets.

  13. #13
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    This one is also a great interview as well:
    http://flowmountainbike.com/features...th-wheelworks/

  14. #14
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    I built up a set of Nextie rims on i9 hubs. The cost with me building them was about $900.
    One of the rims cracked after about a year of heavy use by my petite wife.

    I'm not saying name brand carbon wheels are a bad idea. I am saying that it's crazy that we've gotten to a point where people are routinely considering dropping well over a grand for a wheelset when the durability is certainly not time tested.
    Paying good money for a hub that will last years and years? Sure.
    Paying for a titanium frame (back in the day) that will last forever? Sure.
    Paying 2-4x over status quo for what is essentially a wear item? Doesn't add up for non-dentists.
    However many are in a shit ton.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by smartyiak View Post
    I'm on my third season on two sets of Nox carbon wheels, one MTB, one gravel/cross. Nothing but good to say about them and I qualify as a "clyde." Nice policy if you taco a wheel.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by gravitylover View Post
    What width rim are you looking for? 27.5 or...?
    Yeah, I'm going to be in Santa Cruz next month and hoping to take out a Hightower 27.5+ from their shop. The only concern I have is slightly lower bb which equals more pedal strikes. So, I'm not sure yet.

    Quote Originally Posted by danadog View Post
    What size wheel and hub spacing are you looking for?
    I have some new Niner carbon trail wheels with 12/142 rear and what ever the non boost front is that I was going to put on my wife's jet9 and that project got put on hold for a little while. They are not even on the market yet and have not had tires mounted on them.
    If you have any interest please pm me for a screaming deal.
    Yeah, thank you, but I'm not sure yet on wheel size and I believe I need boost hubs not matter what.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by jackstraw View Post
    Yeah, I'm going to be in Santa Cruz next month and hoping to take out a Hightower 27.5+ from their shop. The only concern I have is slightly lower bb which equals more pedal strikes. So, I'm not sure yet.



    Yeah, thank you, but I'm not sure yet on wheel size and I believe I need boost hubs not matter what.
    Let me know the plan. I might have a really great suggestion if you choose something that can handle a ~50mm 27.5 boost wheel.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by gravitylover View Post
    Let me know the plan. I might have a really great suggestion if you choose something that can handle a ~50mm 27.5 boost wheel.
    Right on...thanks!

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by jm2e View Post
    I built up a set of Nextie rims on i9 hubs. The cost with me building them was about $900.
    One of the rims cracked after about a year of heavy use by my petite wife.

    I'm not saying name brand carbon wheels are a bad idea. I am saying that it's crazy that we've gotten to a point where people are routinely considering dropping well over a grand for a wheelset when the durability is certainly not time tested.
    Paying good money for a hub that will last years and years? Sure.
    Paying for a titanium frame (back in the day) that will last forever? Sure.
    Paying 2-4x over status quo for what is essentially a wear item? Doesn't add up for non-dentists.
    I think mtb gear is similar to craft beer for some people. The less mainstream, the harder to get, the more expensive.. all the better.
    I've been in plenty of discussions where someone is telling me how awesome part X is and I just sit and nod and quietly wonder why they spent 6k on their bike but didn't spring for tires that don't suck.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by robnow View Post
    I find it difficult to ignore Nox Composite's explanation/argument against the concept of vertical compliance:
    www.noxcomposites.com/wheel_building
    Eeesh. If those guys can't tell the difference in vertical compliance between an aluminum rim and a carbon rim (much less different carbon rims with different layups), I'm not sure I trust their ability to figure out how to make a rim that rides well.

    They're talking about how hitting normal trail obstacles will only deflect the rim vertically around .018 inches. I have dents in all of my aluminum rims that categorically demonstrate vertical deflection that's far in excess of that number. And those dents are obviously just the portion of the vertical deflection that didn't return after the impact; the actual deflection was far greater.

    Quote Originally Posted by robnow View Post
    This one is also a great interview as well:
    http://flowmountainbike.com/features...th-wheelworks/
    They start the thing off by saying there aren't any downsides of wide rims, and that 30-40mm rims work well with a 2.2" tire. So right off the bat, they're failing.

  21. #21
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    I'm super pleased with my Nox wheels which have stayed true over 1000 miles. Easily survived trips to Sedona and Downieville and my less than precise riding style.

  22. #22
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    Wasn't there a bit in here somewhere showing that NOX pretty much sources their rims from Light Bicycle? Maybe I was high when I thought that.

    I thought this was a timely article for this discussion:https://www.pinkbike.com/news/ibis-a...-warranty.html
    Funny, on one hand I'd be more likely to buy the Ibis wheels for the 7 year warranty. On the other hand, reading through all the comments reminds me that warranty has just as much to do with the ethic of the company as it does to do with what their marketing says. Man, people fucking Hate Ibis.
    However many are in a shit ton.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by jackstraw View Post
    I'm still vacillating about going with an expensive wheelset because it's truly hard to justify, but my rear hub is about toast, so might as well upgrade the whole deal and shave some weight is my thinking. The Ibis is a better price range. The stock rims have held up fine...except the hub...so I'm not too concerned about destroying an upgraded rim.

    The only upgrades I've made in the past was to an aluminum crossmax and those held up fine for me. But I've been told the hubs have become shittier on those these days.

    Bike stuff is just damn expensive! This is 3 or more pair of skis!
    I'm about to build up some Hadley hubs on Stan's Flow MK3, mixed gauge (dt rev and comp) butted spokes, alloy nipples - total price $525. But that's with me doing the labor and saving about $100 by getting the rear hub off ebay. It's going to be a sick wheelset.

    Hadley's are some of the nicest hubs out there, pretty much Chris King quality and 100% USA made. They have zero web presence and zero advertising - they rely on their reputation and word of mouth.

    Stan's are very proven. Nuff said. They also have the Arch Mk3 which is 26mm internal width and near carbon weights.

    Hope hubs are pretty good. You can get a custom set of Hope wheels for about $500 off CRC.

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