Wheels…yes they actually make a big difference in riding!

A lot of seasoned riders will agree that depending on certain characteristics of the wheels it makes a big impact and difference in their overall riding. When the pros know how much of a difference weight or stiffness makes, especially wheels, taking note would be a good idea.

Not many beginner or intermediate riders will know the difference at first, but over time, those cheap budget bikes with heavy wheels make you slower over all.

Now don’t get me wrong, not all budget bikes are inherently “bad” bikes – they’re just manufactured with heavier ‘cheaper’ materials to bring costs down. See our recommended trailworthy budget bikes under $500 here, they all have alloy wheels that are on the heavier side.

If anything, the heavy wheelset and frame saps your energy and wears you out on the trail. Which isn’t much fun, but on the brightside: you get a hell of a workout all the time!

But there will be a time when you become an avid enthusiast and will want to upgrade your wheels – c’mon we all do! If you’re reading this you’re probably at that point. So, for the sake of this post, I’m going to narrow it down based on user reviews and ratings. The best ones only of course.

Contents

Best Budget Aluminum Alloy MTB Wheelset For The Money

These are the wheelsets getting rave reviews. If you’re planning on upgrading your factory wheels from a budget bike, you’re most likely looking for: lighter, superior, and a better balanced wheel all for a really great price. There’s two alloy MTB wheelsets that should be on your mind then (which I’ll review afterwards):

Both of these are under $200, and in terms of value it’s hard to beat because they have everything you need to just plug and play on your whip.

Here’s our quick review and rundown of these 2 types below.

Best Budget 29’er Wheelset Review

WTB SX19 Mountain Bike Wheelset W/Novatec Hubs & Continental X-King Tires

Why? Quite simply because these literally are HAND-BUILT. Yes. Elbow grease and crafted with love is still a practice that’s alive and well. Not only that, they come with free tires. What?! Look at these specifications:

Hand-Built: These wheels are built by hand and the spokes are fully extended using a pushing machine in the factory. So, this means the spokes will not be extended after a few rides. This is an important step that’s crucial to making the wheels stay true.
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

Yea that’s pretty impressive 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.

Best 27.5 Wheelset Review

XM 119 Mavic / Shimano Black Wheelset

If you ride a 27.5 wheel size, this alloy wheelset will be the best bang for your buck. The shocking thing about this wheelset? Read below..

Super reasonable in pricing and taut, also Mavic did not compromise in quality. These can definitely take some abuse.

Rim Material: 6061 T6 Aluminum
Rim Type: Double Wall Clincher
Color: Matt Black
Valve Hole: Presta
Spokes: Stainless Steel 32 count
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 (no need to spend time or money truing new wheels)
Here’s what’s shocking: Come with free Continental Race King 27.5 X 2.2mm pre-installed tires. Oh yes. These are really good tires, seriously. I even mentioned in them in our best of the best fast-rolling tires post here: 10 Best Fast Rolling MTB Tyres. So they’re not just some crap tire thrown in as an incentive, these are serious tires.

So, the tires alone are amazing, but pairing them with a wheelset that was specifically designed for them is even better. This combination of tires and wheels is getting rave reviews also, and for good reason. This would be incredibly hard to beat in terms of value. The bang for your buck is unbelievable at it’s price point.

See the price on Amazon here: XM 119 Mavic / Shimano Black Wheelset 27.5″

What’s even better? These do come in 29’er form as well! Find out how the 29’er wheels compare: 29’er Mavic Wheelset PLUS Free Continental Race King Tires and Tubes

Best Budget Carbon MTB Wheelset For The Money

Carbon is definitely a luxury, and luxury doesn’t come cheap. Carbon wheelsets will definitely be more expensive than the alloy wheelsets mentioned above, but it’s still possible to find certain off brands and models that will give you the most value.

Today we’ll look at a well-known brand for roadbike wheels that doesn’t get as much attention as they should: Superteam

They have a carbon wheelset for 29’er mountain bikes that’s priced well below most carbon wheels. Almost too good to be true in fact, so here it is:

Superteam Full Carbon Mountain Bicycle Wheelset 29″ MTB Hookless Rim

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
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

These are well under $500, FOR CARBON! That’s absolutely insane. As I mentioned before, Amazon is the place to shop just due to their sheer selection size and price competitiveness.

See reviews and the current exact price here: Superteam Full Carbon Mountain Bicycle Wheelset 29″

I’m not sure if Superteam is trying to gain entry into the mountain bike category of wheels, but if they are I’m all for it. Although I do not own these, nor a pair of carbon wheels only because the ones I have work fine for how I ride (at least for now), it would definitely be hard to pass these up. If anything, I see their prices going up from here!

There’s a few cons about these that I see: 1. Durability of carbon is not as good as aluminum especially from sharp rocks and impacts. 2. They’re not at all expensive if you compared only carbon vs carbon wheelsets, but for aluminum vs carbon they are pricy. 3. The Superteam’s wheelset does not come included with free tires.

Considering how most other “value” carbon MTB wheelsets would set you back at least $600 bucks, yeah, these Superteams are a tremendous value that cannot be overlooked. Bang for your buck? Greatest carbon wheelset for the money? Heck yes. Do it!

You can also get this wheelset with a thruaxle here: 29’er Superteam Carbon Thru-Axle on Amazon.com

Best Cross Country XC MTB Wheelset

Going lightweight is your best best if riding cross country. You want the acceleration out of turns and fast climbs and to gain an advantage on time attacks. Problem is, we’re talking about best wheelsets for the money and carbon really shouldn’t be in the running at all. However those Superteams are so nice they’re actually in the running. In fact, they might give more expensive alloy wheelsets a run for their money.

Don’t get me wrong, these are great for leisure too, though. MAybe you just want to make your daily trail ride easier and faster. The Superteams would be a good choice.

I would honestly go for carbon if you were an XC racer. If you race just for fun then the Superteam Carbon still be an excellent choice because they’ll make pedalling less of a chore in getting those wheels up to speed.

==>Superteam Full Carbon Mountain Bicycle Wheelset 29″

What to Look For in an MTB Wheelset

There’s a pretty exhausting list of details and specifications for wheels alone if you were to go and shop:

Under 200, 300, 400, 500… $1000 dollars
Carbon?
Alloy?
Axle types and hubs
Boost ready hubs
Tubeless Ready
Valve type
Width
Category: Cross Country? Trail? Enduro? Downhill? Cyclocross? Road?
Wheel size
Balancing all the above and finding the best one for your budget and riding

It’s pretty overwhelming when you think about the sheer number of combinations just trying to mix and match the right wheelset for a certain type of MTB riding, and preference too of course.

I won’t go into wheelsets for racing, only because those are actually not “best bang for your buck” – I consider those top of the line which would not fit in with our best interests financially.

If you want top of the line, just spend the money and buy the best from chainreactioncycles.com!

As for budget conscious riders…

First, where you need to find wheels are from Amazon. Reason: because they’re only the biggest online retail store in the world – but what makes them stand apart is the fact that they are very price competitive. What this means for budget buyers like you and me is that we save more money. Sure I’d like to support my local bike shops and online bike stores, but I work pretty hard for my money (I’m sure you do too!) so if I can find the same product cheaper I’m going to pull the trigger.

So, Amazon is where I would buy. Don’t believe me, just look at their selection: Amazon Selection of MTB Wheelsets

Gradually overtime when you wear out that budget bike, or any bike for that matter, you’ll start to want upgrades or replacements of componenets. Like a new wheelset!

Are Carbon Wheels Worth It?

So the carbon Superteam wheelset and alloy wheelsets that we talked earlier give you the best bang for your buck. Let’s dive into why the carbon Superteam is a contender and why it’s worth it.

Upgrading parts over time is where it can get pretty fun for a bike enthusiast but not if it breaks the bank. There’s a fine line between adding on lightweight components, durability, and costs.

It’s pretty well known that the lighter the components, the more it will cost. Which is why lightweight carbon MTB bikes absolutely save you energy, but cost a pretty penny. But will it make that much of a difference?

Actually, there’s this a super-interesting article from Wired.com that proves how any amount of weight added onto wheels magnifies the amount of work and energy a rider must perform. They say:

“..more mass means more work..”

“So yes, adding mass to the wheel is worse than adding mass to the frame..”

The best mtb wheelset for the money is most likely the one that just fits your riding style regardless of other features. Case in point: it’s all relative. Maybe you’re a downhill rider so you don’t need to accelerate, your wheelset would most likely need durability and weight might not matter as much. Maybe you do cross country races where wheel weight does matter. Maybe you’re an amateur rider who just likes to ride whatever you can get your hands on.

I am somewhere between amateur rider and racer. I want middle of the ground, bang for your buck type bikes and components.

Final Thoughts

Once you’ve grown past your budget bike and get onto a carbon or lightweight alloy bike, you’ll be cruising down the trails. But the frame isn’t going to help with the acceleration you’re looking for. It’s all in how weight of the wheels!

So if you’re a beginner, it’ hard to notice any difference, but the faster you go and the more into the sport you dive this is where you can get antsy about components.

Upgrading the wheels has been a first choice for many riders taking their hobby one step further into the game because the difference is so drastic.

Short review:

Those are the go to picks.

Ride safe out there,

until then Rider Up!

The Best Budget MTB Wheelset For The Money