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Revealing 3 Best 29er Wheelset Under 500 Bucks

best 29er wheelset under 500

If you’re in the market for the best 29’er wheelsets on a budget, today is going to be a good day because there’s 3 that really blew me away.

The other 2 aluminum alloy wheelsets are exceptionally priced that I had to include them here since it was the WHOLE package.

So yeah, there’s plenty of great aluminum alloy wheels that are going for under $500 dollars, but have you seen any carbon wheelsets that are under that mark?  And yes, there’s a carbon wheelset!  Yea.. what?!

They’re pretty rare, but I found a pair of carbons (and, yes, they are new) that I think are worth checking out.

Note: I found the following wheelsets on Amazon.  I think that Amazon remains a real competitor to online bike shops and retailers because their pricing is super hard to beat.  Couple that with the fact that Amazon has real user reviews, ratings, and a detailed product page – it’s hard to not buy from there if you’re a prime member like so many people are.  I have to admit I bought my knee pads, a replacement hydraulic disc lever and caliper, my bike stand, tools and so much more from Amazon.  I saved so much dang money it’s ridiculous.

This will be a shorter post, but it’s just regurgitated for 29’er focused riders.  I recently made a long post about Budget Wheelsets here that I think a lot of people would enjoy also.

Contents

Top 3 Best 29er Wheelset Under 500 Bucks

1. Superteam 29’er Carbon Wheelset – MTB

superteam carbon wheelsetOther than finding other brand-recognized carbon wheelsets on sale during a clearance or closeout deal, it’s exceptionally hard to find carbon wheels for any less than $600, but for the price you see here:

Superteam 29’er Carbon Wheelset MTB

That should totally blow your mind.

  • Spoke Holes: Front 28 holes + Rear 28 holes
  • Hub: Powerway M71 Thru Axle Hub
  • Spoke: Pillar 1423 Spoke Black
  • Nipple: CN Alloy External Nipple Black
  • Maximum Weight: 130kgs
  • Weight: 1740g±20g/pair
  • Warranty: 2 years under normal usage
  • 29er MTB Wheelset [yes, for a pair!]
  • Finish: UD Matte
  • Rim Depth: 25mm
  • Rim Width: 27mm
  • Rim Type: Hookless
  • O.L.D: Thru-Axle Type Front 15*100mm Rear 12*142mm
  • Cassette Body: Shimano 8/9/10/11 speed

There aren’t too many reviews on it, but there is definitely demand.  I could only find them on Amazon for that pricing.

I really think that if you’re in the market for a 29’er wheelset, you can’t go wrong with Superteams. They’re a recognized brand, it’s just they are more active in the road side of the cycling category.  So, they do have experience under their belt and aren’t just some no name off-brand – they’re just geared more towards road cycling.

Also, if you get it from Amazon you’re also backed by Amazon.  Find out how much they currently cost, real user ratings, and shipping information here: Superteam Carbon Wheelset MTB on Amazon.com

Don’t be surprised if the price goes up, so be sure to get your own set soon.

2. WTB SX19 w/Novatec Hubs Free Continental X-King Tires and Tubes

wtb sx19 29er wheelset under 500These are aluminum alloy and for the price, it INCLUDES Continental X-King tires. I had to read that a couple times – they come with continental tyres?! Yeap.

Cue the famous words…

Oh wait, but there’s more…!

Hand-Built: These wheels get some loving when they were manufactured.  The spokes are fully extended using a pushing machine by workers in the factory. After a few rides, that means the spokes will not be extended further.  This really helps with the wheels staying true – it’s an important detail that’s beneficial for all riders.

  • Rim: WTB SX19 Alloy
  • Disc Brake or Rim 29″ compatible
  • Spokes: 32. Stainless Steel
  • Hubs: Novatec Front Hub D041SB-15
  • Quick Release optional front and rear
  • 15mm Thru Axle front wheel optional; rear 12mm x 142 mm optional
  • Rear Hub D482TSBT weight 476g, 2 Sealed bearing, Quick Release, Gauge 14, O.L.D. Front-100mm Rear-135mm, Axle material S45C, 8 9 10 to 11 Speed compatible
  • FREE Tire: Continental X-King MTB Folding Tire 29″ x 2.2 pre-installed
  • Weight: 4088g/set=9.012lbs

It kind of leads me thinking, are they making any money at all from selling these? WTB SX19 Mountain Bike Bicycle Novatec Hubs & Tires Wheelset

Holy bikers batman!

I think that’s a fantastic value.  It’s also pretty impressive that you pretty much get everything you need to get back out on trail as quickly as possible.  It comes with a pair of Continental X-king MTB tires for god’s sake.  You don’t see that every day when buying new wheelsets from a bike shop.

Yea all of this is a sweet deal I would think, and an incredible value.  If you’re still not convinced, check out what other reviewers have to say on Amazon here:  WTB SX19 Mountain Bike Bicycle Novatec Hubs & Tires Wheelset For Up To 11speed.

3. Mavic/Shimano Rim XM 119 29er Mountain Bike Wheels w/Free Continental Race King Tires

mavic 27.5 wheelset for the moneyIf you thought the WTB SX19 was a great bargain value, wait until you check these Mavic/Shimano XM 119’s out:

  • Compatibility: Shimano 7, 8, 9 , 10 speed cassette
  • Hub: Shimano M47 from 6061 T6 Aluminum
  • Disc brake compatible
  • Out of the box, they are true from the get go
  • Here’s what’s shocking: Come with free Continental Race King 27.5 X 2.2mm pre-installed tires. I mention these in Bike Rider Up’s best of the best fast-rolling tires post here: 10 Best Fast Rolling MTB Tyres.
  • Rim Material: 6061 T6 Aluminum
  • Rim Type: Double Wall Clincher
  • Color: Matt Black
  • Valve Type: Presta
  • Spokes: Stainless Steel 32 count

Yes, I double checked: the Continental Race King come with Mavic’s.  See more specifications and details for yourself here: Mavic/Shimano 29’er Mountain Bike XM 119

The Continentals aren’t just some random tires thrown in as an incentive, these are serious tires that some use for racing. They are specified as: Continental Race King Performance 180TPI 29×2.2 Folding Bead Tires Top Rated Tires.  As I mentioned before… how are they making money? Take my money!

Check out more user ratings and current pricing on this wheelset here: Mavic/Shimano 29’er Mountain Bike XM 119 on Amazon.com

Why 29’er MTB Wheels?

I know it’s debatable about whether or not 29ers are faster than 27.5 inch or 26 inch wheels, but here’s a pretty good chart I found from REI.com that explains it better:

29 vs 27.5 wheels
Source Reference REI.com

I know everything from the chart might not reflect true for every rider, but it does a pretty good job at explaining the basic differences.

Personally, I totally agree that the 29er traction is better and also the attack angle [which is the ability of the wheel to roll over larger obstacles like rocks and tree roots].

I’m not a big fan of the “Fit” part of the chart simply because taller riders and shorter riders might still opt for either tire size depending on their trail riding preference.  For example, tight and twisty single track trails that are flowly .. I’m sure most would agree that a 27.5 would be able to maneuver and accelerate out of turns faster making that kind of trail super enjoyable to ride.  On a 29’er that might be fun also, but not as maneuverable and acceleration wouldn’t be the best.  Pros and cons. I think you get the idea.

The best way to think about tire sizing is this: they all have their pros and cons and you get to decide!  That’s the beauty of being unique individuals!

Why are 29er Wheels “Faster”

Here’s the truth: in terms of acceleration, 29er wheel size is not faster than the 27.5 or 26 inch!

But in terms of all out speed and efficiency, 29er has always been the one to eke it out overall on the trail in a head to head.

Essentially, 29’er wheels are just physically, and literally, BIGGER.  Bigger means more weight.  More weight means less acceleration.

BUT…

29ers are faster overall because once things are rolling you have inertia on your side – you’ll be cruising more efficiently and have the attack angles in your favor.  Traction also!

If there’s a weight issue, carbon wheels can solve the problem like the budget carbon Superteam’s here.

Here’s a great article from bicyling.com.  Tests have proven this long time debate and you can easily find out the results all over youtube.

Truth About “Flex” in 29er Wheels

Obviously any flex is frowned upon in the MTB world. It could throw off your line, or balance, or worse – cause a crash.  It just doesn’t make a trail run fun and makes a rider feel some what out of control when being IN CONTROL is safer.

Yes the diameter of a 29’er is technically larger which contributes to stress and possible flexing. But a good wheelset should fix that problem, and those 3 I recommend above do an outstanding job with the hubs, spokes, and rim quality which makes everything stiffer overall.

Older 29ers of back in the day used the same hub sizes that 26 inch bikes used.  The 26 inch wheels were stiff.  But put that same width hub on a larger 29’er and problems start to occur.

Many trials riders like Danny Macaskill learned this early on with all the insane tricks they can do on a bike:

Basically, he did all these tricks long ago on a 26 inch but the wheel flexed and the stiffness wasn’t there.. so using the same size hubs, he went down to 24″ like you see in this video to get the extra stiffness.  It’s nuts!  (By the way, the trick at 57 seconds just makes my head explode.. well, they all do, but that one just makes me wonder ponder why my life isn’t as badass).

Anyways, with all the new mountain bike technologies, a new standard called BOOST is making ground.  What it does is it increases the width of the wheel hubs allowing a wheel to be much stiffer due to a slacker spoke-bracing angle.  With that said, the stiffness gets upgraded in a massive way.   This standard does amazing things for 29’ers to decrease flex and increase stiffness and stability.  To understand more about Boost, read this article from Enduro-MTB.com

Conclusion

There’s plenty of good wheelsets out there, and most of the time going towards carbon is the next logical upgrade because it solves the problem of weight and stiffness that most seek to mitigate for their trail riding adventures.  But with the highly rated aluminum alloy wheelsets like the WTB SX19 or the Mavic XM119, they are hard to pass up for the value alone.

Plus, there are some benefits to alloy, one of them being their durability to take ‘sharp’ damage.  On a carbon wheel that could mean disaster that may result in a cracked rim from a sharp hit.  Carbon is usually a very durable and stiff material overall, so it’s still very much worth the price seen here: Superteam 29’er Carbon Wheelset.

I know these 3 wheelsets I listed are way under $500.  But for the money, I think you’ll be very surprised at how they perform compared to the ones that do run closer to that mark.

Talk soon fellow riders,

It’s a great time to be a mountain biker, RIDER UP.