# Bontrager "Duster" rims



## EDDIE JONES (Mar 26, 2005)

I was talking to my LBS about a possible rim upgrade over my Delgado Disc rims. I am a clyde and was looking for something a little beefier. I have considered Rhyno-lites or Kris Holm rims. The mechanic suggested Bontrager "Duster" rims....I never heard of them but he said they are 28mm and STRONG and not too heavy. Anybody heard of them or have experience with them? (Just did a search and although they are out there not much experience with them yet)


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## Nater (Jan 6, 2004)

Here's my experience...

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=371849

They're the same rim that comes in the Rhythm wheelsets. Only black and 32 hole.


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## monogod (Feb 10, 2006)

wide and beefy.

we had some apart at the shop yesterday doing a tubeless conversion and i put the calipers on them to find they were only 24mm inner to inner, so be sure about where the measurement is taken so youre on the same page. that being said, theyre still pretty frickin wide!

so wide, in fact, that the stans 29er strips were too narrow to get a good conversion. we had to do a ghetto convert with tubes. the factory tubeless rim strips are not available yet from trek for some odd reason.

imho youd have to perform an incredible act of stupidity to tear them up.


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## EDDIE JONES (Mar 26, 2005)

monogod said:


> wide and beefy.
> 
> we had some apart at the shop yesterday doing a tubeless conversion and i put the calipers on them to find they were only 24mm inner to inner, so be sure where the measurement is taken. that being said, theyre still pretty frickin wide!
> 
> ...


I have been know to be incredibly stupid at times But I am a 285lb clyde so I tend to break things. However, I haven't broke my Delgado Disc yet....I am just trying to be proactive. These will be laced to CK hubs so I am probably going to be getting them soon. Thanks for the input


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

EDDIE JONES said:


> I was talking to my LBS about a possible rim upgrade over my Delgado Disc rims. I am a clyde and was looking for something a little beefier. I have considered Rhyno-lites or Kris Holm rims. The mechanic suggested Bontrager "Duster" rims....I never heard of them but he said they are 28mm and STRONG and not too heavy. Anybody heard of them or have experience with them? (Just did a search and although they are out there not much experience with them yet)


They are a good xc rim, but (like the Delgado Discs) just because they're wide don't confuse them for an AM or FR rim. They're still only 490g per rim (same as the narrower Bontrager rims), putting them solidly in the 'xc' department.

I wouldn't say that they are significantly beefier than the DD's you're running now. Best bet to get a little more stiffness and durability without gaining too much weight is the Stans Flow. Available in 32 or 36.

MC


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## EDDIE JONES (Mar 26, 2005)

mikesee said:


> They are a good xc rim, but (like the Delgado Discs) just because they're wide don't confuse them for an AM or FR rim. They're still only 490g per rim (same as the narrower Bontrager rims), putting them solidly in the 'xc' department.
> 
> I wouldn't say that they are significantly beefier than the DD's you're running now. Best bet to get a little more stiffness and durability without gaining too much weight is the Stans Flow. Available in 32 or 36.
> 
> MC


Thanks, Mike...My LBS talked as if they were super burly and could withstand whatever I throw at them. If they aren't much more stiff than what I have...I'll go to the Stans Flow


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## monogod (Feb 10, 2006)

mikesee said:


> They are a good xc rim, but (like the Delgado Discs) just because they're wide don't confuse them for an AM or FR rim. They're still only 490g per rim (same as the narrower Bontrager rims), putting them solidly in the 'xc' department.
> 
> I wouldn't say that they are significantly beefier than the DD's you're running now. Best bet to get a little more stiffness and durability without gaining too much weight is the Stans Flow. Available in 32 or 36.
> 
> MC


ill have to disagree.

the bontrager duster rim is designed for am, clyde, and heavy duty riding. its 490g, true, but that places it about 30g more than the flow. the duster is also heavier than the narrower bontrager mustang, which is about the same weight as the flow.

that being said, im currently running a set of ck hubs laced to mustang osb hoops and have not been able to destroy them yet. and i dont ride them gently.


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## Oliver (May 18, 2005)

What about the new Sun MTX 29? They look nice. Are they out yet?


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## EDDIE JONES (Mar 26, 2005)

monogod said:


> ill have to disagree.
> 
> the bontrager duster rim is designed for am, clyde, and heavy duty riding. its 490g, true, but that places it about 30g more than the flow. the duster is also heavier than the narrower bontrager mustang, which is about the same weight as the flow.
> 
> that being said, im currently running a set of ck hubs laced to mustang osb hoops and have not been able to destroy them yet. and i dont ride them gently.


Well, actually, I have CK's laced to Delgado Disc now and other than initailly readjusting the CK hubs, these wheels have been trouble free. Haven't even needed truing...I had a good wheel builder build them for me. I was jsut concerned because I figure at my weight, I have to be stressing them and when I first got them everyone told me how weak they were going to be...that is the only reason I was thinking of changing


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## monogod (Feb 10, 2006)

then i wouldnt change the hoops until you bust the ones youre riding now.

the delgado's are hella strong.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

monogod said:


> ill have to disagree.
> 
> the bontrager duster rim is designed for am, clyde, and heavy duty riding. its 490g, true, but that places it about 30g more than the flow. the duster is also heavier than the narrower bontrager mustang, which is about the same weight as the flow.
> 
> that being said, im currently running a set of ck hubs laced to mustang osb hoops and have not been able to destroy them yet. and i dont ride them gently.


490g makes it 30g _less_ than the Flow.

Look at it this way: the Duster weighs the same as your Mustang Disc OSB, although the Duster is 4mm wider. In other words, the Duster has less material to work with, period.

I'm not suggesting that it's a bad rim in any way--I actually think it's a very good rim, it's just limited to XC use. Perhaps Bontrager markets it as an AM rim but I can tell you from personal experience that it's not up to the task.

Cheers,

MC


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## EDDIE JONES (Mar 26, 2005)

monogod said:


> then i wouldnt change the hoops until you bust the ones youre riding now.
> 
> the delgado's are hella strong.


If the Delgados are as strong as you say, then I will probably just ride em till they die. I had just read on MTBR about a catastrophic failure and within the threads were lots of negative post about them being weak...At my age and weight, hitting the ground hurts, so I though I would go a little more burly to ensure no sudden failures


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

Oliver said:


> What about the new Sun MTX 29? They look nice. Are they out yet?


Pretty sure the 29 in the model name refers to the width, not the diameter. Which is a bummer, because that would be an awesome AM/FR rim in 29".

MC


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

EDDIE JONES said:


> Well, actually, I have CK's laced to Delgado Disc now and other than initailly readjusting the CK hubs, these wheels have been trouble free. Haven't even needed truing...I had a good wheel builder build them for me. I was jsut concerned because I figure at my weight, I have to be stressing them and when I first got them everyone told me how weak they were going to be...that is the only reason I was thinking of changing


If they are working, there is no need to change them. If and when the rims fail then the Dusters would be a good choice for replacement. The offset spoke bed along with the width makes for a very solid wheel.


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## EDDIE JONES (Mar 26, 2005)

shiggy said:


> If they are working, there is no need to change them. If and when the rims fail then the Dusters would be a good choice for replacement. The offset spoke bed along with the width makes for a very solid wheel.


Thanks, Shiggy


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## Nater (Jan 6, 2004)

EDDIE JONES said:


> If the Delgados are as strong as you say, then I will probably just ride em till they die. I had just read on MTBR about a catastrophic failure and within the threads were lots of negative post about them being weak...At my age and weight, hitting the ground hurts, so I though I would go a little more burly to ensure no sudden failures


Eddie,

The catastrophic failures cited here were the lighter Delgado _Race_ Disc...not the standard DD.


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## Mattyd (Dec 21, 2005)

EddieJones, 
I understand your reasoning for wanting to change rims. I witnessed Rockcrusher's wheel failure, which to this day makes me question any rim. It's definitely a tough call. Hard to get rid of something that's fairly light and working well. I guess it's a bit of a craps shoot with any rim, but I've seen first hand the failure of a Delgado Race rim. Good luck.


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## EDDIE JONES (Mar 26, 2005)

Nater said:


> Eddie,
> 
> The catastrophic failures cited here were the lighter Delgado _Race_ Disc...not the standard DD.


Makes me feel better knowing that I have the Degado Dis, not Delgado Race...


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## monogod (Feb 10, 2006)

mikesee said:


> 490g makes it 30g _less_ than the Flow.


my bad, i was thinking of the arch.



mikesee said:


> the Duster weighs the same as your Mustang Disc OSB, although the Duster is 4mm wider. In other words, the Duster has less material to work with, period.


um... wrong. the duster is 30g heavier than the mustang. period.

and yes, the duster has less material than the flow to work with. period.

however, 30g of rim material is not in and of itself going to make an exceptionally stronger rim. if one is shopping solely on weights and who mistakenly thinks that "heavier=better" then the flow is the obvious choice.

its like being the opposite of a weight weenie who buys according to the scale! :lol:

rim construction and design has as much to do as weight does, and 30g is a paltry amount of weight to be quibbling over or to use as suggestion that because the rim is a whopping 30g lighter than one of the heaviest 29rims out there that it is only suited for light duty use.



mikesee said:


> I'm not suggesting that it's a bad rim in any way--I actually think it's a very good rim, it's just limited to XC use. Perhaps Bontrager markets it as an AM rim but I can tell you from personal experience that it's not up to the task.


so just because you had a bad experience with a set they are limited to xc use? forgive me if i dont follow that reasoning.

not trying to start a fracas here, im just wondering... since there are people who have had a bad experience with the flows in an am setting does that thereby relegate the flow to xc use only? or could it mean that sometimes things break, even when theyre being used at or below their intended usage?

imho there are too many factors to consider to simply say that because they weigh 30g less than the flow that they are only suitable for xc use. for example, who built the wheel? what kind of spokes? rider style/error? how exactly did the rim fail? see what im getting at?

truth is that the duster is not limited to xc use by any stretch of the imagination any more than the flow is. sorry they didnt work out for you in an am capacity, but honestly youre the first that ive heard that has had issue with them.


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## Mattyd (Dec 21, 2005)

EDDIE JONES said:


> Makes me feel better knowing that I have the Degado Dis, not Delgado Race...


Oh, it that case, I wouldn't replace them. I thought you had Delgado Race Disc, not Delgado Disc. The Del Disc is a strong rim, much stronger than the Race. I also ride a set and ride pretty hard on them (although I'm only about 160). Still, haven't heard much about Delg. Disc failure.


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## Guitar Ted (Jan 14, 2004)

*Comments*

First of all, I am running a set of Rhythm Comps, which as has been stated already, is the same as the Duster rim, only with _less spokes. _Rhythm= 28 hole, Duster= 32 hole. Everything seems just hunky-dory so far. I am at 240lbs, so solidly in the Clyde category, just for reference.

The Duster/Rhythm rims have an assymetrical spoke bed (good) and the inner rim well is symetrical (good). It also can be set up tubeless with Bontragers special rim strip, once they are available. (also good)

The Sun Rims new wheelset featuring 29"er rims is the Sun "Charger" in 29mm and 31mm widths. My experience with Sun Rims is that they build up average strength rims and are usually a pretty decent value. The jury is still out on these though.

If you aren't in too big of a hurry, the new Salsa rims will be available in a month or so and should be burly. Yes they will be expensive, and yes they will be heavier, but I'm betting they will be a great rim and should be up to AM use. I'm looking forward to them at any rate.


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## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

Eddie - we need to hook up one day at OM and swap wheelsets so you can check out the Flows.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

monogod said:


> my bad, i was thinking of the arch.


No worries--mistakes happen.



> um... wrong. the duster is 30g heavier than the mustang. period.


Nope. Both the Duster and the Mustang Disc OSB clock in at between 489 and 492g consistently. I've got 30+ of each out on the shelf that I can weigh to verify this, but I've weighed enough of them in the past to be confident in the numbers I've posted here.



> and yes, the duster has less material than the flow to work with. period.


Correct.



> however, 30g of rim material is not in and of itself going to make an exceptionally stronger rim. if one is shopping solely on weights and who mistakenly thinks that "heavier=better" then the flow is the obvious choice.


Weight alone is never the only factor, but often 30g more material in a rim **is** enough to make it stiffer/stronger/more durable. Lots of examples of this on the market right now, and that I build with every day.



> its like being the opposite of a weight weenie who buys according to the scale! :lol:






> rim construction and design has as much to do as weight does, and 30g is a paltry amount of weight to be quibbling over or to use as suggestion that because the rim is a whopping 30g lighter than one of the heaviest 29rims out there that it is only suited for light duty use.


Agreed that 30g is peanuts, but I wasn't aware that anyone was quibbling over the 30g?

In fact I can't remember having compared the Duster and the Flow at all--I think you drew that conclusion in your mind.

What was said was this:
-the Flow is a stiffer and more durable rim than the DD. 
-The Duster is a solid XC rim.

Which rim are you referring to as 'one of the heaviest 29" rims'? The Flow? Heaviest at ~520g? Really?!!!?

You seem to have it stuck in your head that I'm slamming the Duster, and that simply ain't so. Calling it an XC rim is simply being honest. When I made my statements above there was no attempt to discredit it--it is what it is.



> so just because you had a bad experience with a set they are limited to xc use? forgive me if i dont follow that reasoning.


You're forgiven.



> not trying to start a fracas here, im just wondering... since there are people who have had a bad experience with the flows in an am setting does that thereby relegate the flow to xc use only? or could it mean that sometimes things break, even when theyre being used at or below their intended usage?


If there were enough people killing Flows when riding them in an "AM" style, then YES! that would be plenty to downgrade them to XC use only! But that isn't happening.

There aren't nearly as many Duster's out there (at the moment) as Flows, but the Dusters that ARE out there have proven to be less durable.



> imho there are too many factors to consider to simply say that because they weigh 30g less than the flow that they are only suitable for xc use.


I never said anything of the sort. Why keep twisting my words around?



> for example, who built the wheel? what kind of spokes? rider style/error? how exactly did the rim fail? see what im getting at?


Yes, I can see that you're doing anything you can to spin the facts in such a way that it makes you look more credible.



> truth is that the duster is not limited to xc use by any stretch of the imagination any more than the flow is. sorry they didnt work out for you in an am capacity, but honestly youre the first that ive heard that has had issue with them.


Based on your emotional response to my honest assessment of this rim, it's _almost_ enough to wonder if you work for Bontrager. But a quick flip through the mental rolodex reminds me that most Bontrager folks are pretty even keeled and wouldn't mind one bit the fact that I've painted an accurate picture of their rim.

Peace,

MC


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## monogod (Feb 10, 2006)

mikesee said:


> _~drivel snipped~_


wow.... its quite impressive that you can even ride a bike with such a big stick crammed all the way up your corn chute! BRAVO!

@EDDIE JONES - you now have some varying opinions of the dusters with the general consensus being that they would make a good, strong, solid wheel that would suit your purpose should you fold your current hoops.

also, i have had great success running the delgados tubeless with geax seguaro tyres. havent run them tubeless with any other tyres, but using the seguaros with low pressure, riding aggressively, and @200+# ive had zero issues with them on the delgado rims. even have them on a fat tyre 29er fixie with delgados and nary a burp or slipped bead.

just sayin in case that thought ever crossed your mind... thats all. :thumbsup:


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

monogod said:


> wow.... its quite impressive that you can even ride a bike with such a big stick crammed all the way up your corn chute! BRAVO!


I'll make you a deal: When someone wants an emotional opinion with some twisted "facts", a negative bias, and angry undertones, I'll send them your way.

And if you hear of someone that wants _actual_ facts, and just the facts, you can send 'em to me.

Pleasure doin' bizness with ya.



MC


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*What is the list price on these?*



EDDIE JONES said:


> I was talking to my LBS about a possible rim upgrade over my Delgado Disc rims. I am a clyde and was looking for something a little beefier. I have considered Rhyno-lites or Kris Holm rims. The mechanic suggested Bontrager "Duster" rims....I never heard of them but he said they are 28mm and STRONG and not too heavy. Anybody heard of them or have experience with them? (Just did a search and although they are out there not much experience with them yet)


... I can't find any reference to them at all out there. Bontrager site has nothing. Universalcycles.com used to sell wheelsets wtih Bontragers in them, but no longer I guess.

Looks like a decent rim, and I've run Bontrager Mustangs on my 26ers for years. Great rim, those. Looking for something a tad tougher for trailbike use, but the Mustangs have not been a problem yet. I like the idea of a wider footprint. Mustangs are a tad on the narrah side.


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## EDDIE JONES (Mar 26, 2005)

> *What is the list price on these?*


My LBS quoted me about $80.00 per rim. But we know that they can be had for cheaper..I think I will call Red Barn


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## monogod (Feb 10, 2006)

*calmer than you are...*



mikesee said:


> I'll make you a deal: When someone wants an emotional opinion with some twisted "facts", a negative bias, and angry undertones, I'll send them your way.
> 
> And if you hear of someone that wants _actual_ facts, and just the facts, you can send 'em to me.
> 
> ...


chill out mike. im not sure just who it was that micturated in your oatmeal, but you can rest assured it wasnt me... ok?

so theres no need for you to keep making it personal simply because we disagree that the duster is limited to xc use only, and that the flow is better suited to am use simply because it is 30g heavier.

calmer than you are...


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## jeremyuk (Jan 9, 2008)

We have a guy called Hewitt in the UK. He now designs and sells very sweet touring bikes, famed for their ride and attention to detail.
He used to make his living building wheels. He was reckoned to be right at the top of the tree at that. He was once asked what his favourite wheel build was. It turned out to be cheap Deore hubs and a mavic rim from near the bottom of their range [they virtually own Europe]. He didn't think anyone riding would notice much difference and that the combo was so much stronger than needed that it wasn't a problem that it was weaker than some other combos.
Of course he was working with normal sized europeans and 26" wheels but his point was that it's how they're built that's important. That has awful lot to do with the final strength.


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## EDDIE JONES (Mar 26, 2005)

jeremyuk said:


> We have a guy called Hewitt in the UK. He now designs and sells very sweet touring bikes, famed for their ride and attention to detail.
> He used to make his living building wheels. He was reckoned to be right at the top of the tree at that. He was once asked what his favourite wheel build was. It turned out to be cheap Deore hubs and a mavic rim from near the bottom of their range [they virtually own Europe]. He didn't think anyone riding would notice much difference and that the combo was so much stronger than needed that it wasn't a problem that it was weaker than some other combos.
> Of course he was working with normal sized europeans and 26" wheels but his point was that it's how they're built that's important. That has awful lot to do with the final strength.


I think I will do as suggested and keep the Delgado Disc rims on until they die...then I will lace my CK hubs to whatever is the best new rim at the time...I am sure many more will be on the market by then...My wheels have given me no problem, not the slightest so I won't mess with something that isn't broken.........yet (following Shiggy and others advice is getting to be a common thing for me)


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## gregoryb02 (Nov 4, 2006)

How do the Bontrager Duster rims compare to a the DT Swiss 5.1's ?? I am kind of surprised that the 5.1's were not even proposed as an option in this thread??


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## unsub1 (Oct 17, 2005)

FWIW, all four of my Dusters came in at 480g, and my two Mustangs at 490g.



monogod said:


> um... wrong. the duster is 30g heavier than the mustang. period.


Whatever the case, my 2 i9 wheelsets with Dusters are just awesome. Even with the "wrong" rimstrip, the whole tubeless system has been flawless and a dream to work with (Bonty strip + Stans fluid). And, I'm way way Clydesdale right now (Winter fluf).


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## Nater (Jan 6, 2004)

gregoryb02 said:


> How do the Bontrager Duster rims compare to a the DT Swiss 5.1's ?? I am kind of surprised that the 5.1's were not even proposed as an option in this thread??


The DT-Swiss 5.1 isn't a 29er rim...it's 26". The TK7.1 is their 29er rim. It's a nice rim though.


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## gregoryb02 (Nov 4, 2006)

Oooops... my oversight. Thanks Nater.


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## gregoryb02 (Nov 4, 2006)

mikesee said:


> 490g makes it 30g _less_ than the Flow.
> 
> Look at it this way: the Duster weighs the same as your Mustang Disc OSB, although the Duster is 4mm wider. In other words, the Duster has less material to work with, period.
> 
> ...


Mike-

Do you know the weight of a Bonty Duster 26" rim? (rim weight only). I cannot find duster rim weights (or duster wheelsets for that matter) anywhere online. Cheers!


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

gregoryb02 said:


> Mike-
> 
> Do you know the weight of a Bonty Duster 26" rim? (rim weight only). I cannot find duster rim weights (or duster wheelsets for that matter) anywhere online. Cheers!


I have both the Duster 26 and 29 rims. Actual weights 435g and 499g.

When sold as (Bonty) wheelsets they are called Rhythm.

Bonty components are not available online.


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## Davidcopperfield (Jan 17, 2007)

Is there 36H version?


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## M_S (Nov 18, 2007)

Davidcopperfield said:


> Is there 36H version?


You can make it yourself with an adz and rubber mallet.


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## Titus Maximus (Jan 3, 2004)

All this Dust-up for a rim change that may not happen before the Rapture?


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## rojogonzo (Jan 24, 2008)

I had mikesee build me up a set of dusters with good dt spokes, nips and a dt 340 hubs.

awesome wheelset, forgiving too thank goodness


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## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

Both Stan's and Bonti OSB TLR rims have held up great for me. MC built them. I prefer the Bonti as long as you are cool with their TLR tire choices. I find the Bonti tire-rim design super easy too set up and very reliable. More so than Stan's. For that reason I prefer Bonti.

On the other hand, Stan's works well (not great IMO) with many tires so you have more tire choices with Stan's. Bonti works perfectly with Bonti tires, but only so-so with non-Bonti tires.

I've rolled and burped tires off Stan's rims with hard cornering and it wasn't pretty. That has left me just a bit biased.


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## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

Both Stan's and Bonti OSB TLR rims have held up great for me. MC built them. I prefer the Bonti as long as you are cool with their TLR tire choices. I find the Bonti tire-rim design super easy too set up and very reliable. More so than Stan's. For that reason I prefer Bonti.

On the other hand, Stan's works well (not great IMO) with many tires so you have more tire choices with Stan's. Bonti works perfectly with Bonti tires, but only so-so with non-Bonti tires.

I've rolled and burped tires off Stan's rims with hard cornering and it wasn't pretty. That has left me just a bit biased.


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## skidad (May 23, 2005)

*Bonti Duster vs Mavic 819 or other*

The wheel builder I'm gonna use suggested I either go with a Duster rim (Bonti Rhythm) or the Mavic 819 rim. He felt the Mavic 823 is overkill for my intended use (which is your typical rocky, rooty New England trail riding terrain with 3-4 foot drops max for me). He also wants to use Sapim Force spokes which he prefers over DT spokes. He said the Duster will result in a slighter lighter wheel even though it's wider.

How do these 2 rims really compare from people who might have experience with both? I was not familiar with that Bonti Duster rim until he mentioned it. What other good possibilities for tubeless rims I should look into. Freaking confusing!

Are tire choices as good for one or the other?

I would love to try to run tubeless with no sealant if possible and he said the Duster will do this with the Bonti strip. The Mavic no problem at all.

Thanks


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## Mtc (Jun 9, 2004)

Use the Duster if you want the wider profile, I'm back to Mustangs or RXL on 28hole. My current wheels are 240/Supercomp/RXL(28 holers) and XTR/Sapim/Mustangs both are are sweet.
In ten years of homeade tubeless I've never used a tubeless tire. What 29" tire are you refering to, Hutchinson?


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## ncj01 (Jan 13, 2004)

I've swapped to an exclusively used the Duster for a year now.

I regard all my riding as XC-only, but that occassionally involveds rolling some log piles, or getting as much as a foot off the ground, or flowing down/over an 18" ledge, etc. Add to that I'm well into Clyd territory most of the time.

I've had zero issues or concerns, and my MC-Built wheelset hasn't come out of true, including having going thru this years Ouachita Challenge. 

I don't know about the AM/FR thing, but I know they hold up well to aggressive XC under a 220lb rider.

---

I'm having 2 sets of wheels built right now...and Bonty was out of the Dusters, so we went with Stans Flow. I've never tried a Stans rim before, so we'll see.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

skidad said:


> The wheel builder I'm gonna use suggested I either go with a Duster rim (Bonti Rhythm) or the Mavic 819 rim. He felt the Mavic 823 is overkill for my intended use (which is your typical rocky, rooty New England trail riding terrain with 3-4 foot drops max for me). He also wants to use Sapim Force spokes which he prefers over DT spokes. He said the Duster will result in a slighter lighter wheel even though it's wider.
> 
> How do these 2 rims really compare from people who might have experience with both? I was not familiar with that Bonti Duster rim until he mentioned it. What other good possibilities for tubeless rims I should look into. Freaking confusing!
> 
> ...


I do prefer the Duster over the 819, especially for the 29er as there is no 819 (or 823) in 29"/700C (this is the 29er board).

With the TLR rim strip the Duster (26" and 29") is UST-spec and requires no sealant as long as the tire does not either. I never use sealant with 26" UST tires on them and even some of the Bony 29" TLR tires work fine without sealant.


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I agree since there is no 29er version of the 819. However, the 819 is a stronger rim and much more user-friendly (though heavier).

I wish Mavic would make a 29er 819, though I'd be fine with a sealed or non-sealed spoke bed since it would make the rim lighter. That rim is fantastic. However, I simply use the Flows for my 29er when I want a trail rim. The Dusters suffer from availability issues all too often and in the 26er version, the rim strip and rim gave me some trouble....could just be a rare occurence.


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## banks (Feb 2, 2004)

As of this time, Trek-Fisher-Bontrager is out of Stock on the 29" 32* Duster rims with no ETA. If your local dealer has 'em, great!


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## GTR-33 (Sep 25, 2008)

I had some 32 hole rhythm elites (same rim) and they were awesome. You're not going to get a stiffer wheel without going to perhaps more spokes or a real burly DH/FR rim which doesn't really exist in a 29er platform.


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## rojogonzo (Jan 24, 2008)

out of stock means popular i'd guess? The tires they're throwing out there to pair with their rims are getting some pretty good reviews here, i'm convinced on the set i've got enough to buy more enough to fit all my bikes up, sans bonty hubs


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

The constant problem is availability. If the rim is available, the rim-strip isn't. If the strip is available, the rim isn't. Better yet, neither are available. For those of us who don't get stuff for free (and pimp them, of course) it can be too much of a hassle.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

Flyer said:


> The constant problem is availability. If the rim is available, the rim-strip isn't. If the strip is available, the rim isn't. Better yet, neither are available. For those of us who don't get stuff for free (and pimp them, of course) it can be too much of a hassle.


I paid for mine, wholesale, but still cash out of my pocket. Had to wait for the rim strips, too.


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

Even worse when you have to pay retail and still wait for the rimstrips...I'm just going with the Arch again- for the SS.


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## rojogonzo (Jan 24, 2008)

shiggy said:


> I paid for mine, wholesale, but still cash out of my pocket. Had to wait for the rim strips, too.


I paid a fellow poster to build me a set ready to go, it was a big expenditure for me, They'll be passed on to another rider to enjoy at some point i imagine.


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## GTR-33 (Sep 25, 2008)

I had to wait two months for the rim strips for mine. This was in April.


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## gideon (May 24, 2007)

*a nice set on fleabay ending soon*

not mines
https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170557397649

good swordfighing in this thread


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## Skeptastic (Mar 31, 2012)

mikesee said:


> 490g makes it 30g _less_ than the Flow.
> 
> Look at it this way: the Duster weighs the same as your Mustang Disc OSB, although the Duster is 4mm wider. In other words, the Duster has less material to work with, period.
> 
> ...


Digging up a very old thread here, but I guess it's better than starting a new one, when this serves as a decent platform to ask my current question.

Do you feel that the 26" Duster is also more in the XC class? I'm 220 pounds w/o gear, and am looking for something I can do 3' drops off of and ride without concern in rooty, slick Washington state. I'd say I'll pick lines well, but I'm so new to the sport, that that would be straight up lying. I've got a lot to learn, so the issue is increased durability and weight vs lighter and less durable. I've narrowed it down to the Duster, WTB i23, and EX823.

At this point, I've personally classified them (based off of what I've been able to dig up over hours and hours and hours) as such, for my weight:

Duster: XC/Light Trail
i23: Light Trail/Light AM
EX823: AM/Freeride/Light Downhill

Any thoughts Mikesee? I know that you build wheels, so I'm really hoping to get your honest opinion.


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