UKC

I’m putting together a gravel bike and I’m looking for suggestions for a set of wheels, ideally sub £350 as I’m trying to keep costs down.

any suggestions

the hunt wheels are out of stock

also anyone got any grx 600 shifters 1x11 they want to sell 😏

Hope 20Five on either Pro4 or RS4 hubs (take you choice!) I have RS4s but also have Pro2's on another set of wheels - different rims). I've not had a single hitch out of the Pro2's in six years, which includes 4 or maybe 5  3 Peaks CX and a lot of riding in between. They've been faultless hubs and there's not a hint of any problem with them yet either. Not to everybody's taste though as the rear is quite noisy. The RS4 is MUCH quieter, though it only has 2 pawls so perhaps less durable in the long run? I think the RS4 version would likely take you over your budget, but the Pro4 version might just squeeze in for £350 (Merlin).

Has to be Hope hubs.

I swapped from Hope 20Five rims as they were just too soft the the type of X riding I like to do, dings everywhere (even with tubeless liners).

Now on Pacenti Forza Disc Asymmetrical rims - Bombproof.  700cc: 20mm ID / 24mm OD

28h Front / 32h Back

Hunt were going to be my go to. Mine have done over 7,000km without bearings or spokes needing looking at. They really are excellent. 

Big delays on hope builds at the moment

Yeah, I've had the 4season disc wheels on my gravel bike for 18 months now, probably about 5000 kms on them, including commuting through the mud and flood waters of the winter with out any issues at all. Never bought "decent" after market wheels before, but have been really happy with these.

Jethro - how long is the waiting list with Hunt? Many many months? Have you looked at Prime wheels sold by Wiggle? Don't know what their stock is like but when I was looking into it last year, lots of positive reviews of them and seemed similar to Hunt, good quality and well made Taiwanese made wheels sold sort of direct to consumer here at a competitive price - you might be able to get something there anyway!

November for the wheels from hunt, the frame (Sonder) doesn’t arrive until the end of September  so not the end of the world. 
It’s  going to be a slow paced project as I need to keep costs low so eBay and online hunting for second hand bits are going to be the way forward. I think GRX 600 levers are going to be the hard find.

I have seen a few wheel builds with Hope options I’m going to have a closer  look at hope builds but failing that and if nothing turns up on  eBay then I may just bite the bullet on the Hunts

https://www.huntbikewheels.com/collections/gravel-wheels/products/4season-g...

Are you really committed to GRX? Something like 105 (R7000) will do 99% of that job for a gravel bike and be a LOT easier to source. And cheaper.

Agree with this entirely. Much easier and really very little tangible difference.

Wheels - I would definitely go with Hope over Hunt. If that means waiting, then so be it. Sourcing Hope parts over the course of this year has been generally very easy and quick compared with anything from Shimano. If you can't get a factory built wheel (Hope), then maybe buy the hubs and rims separately and get them built up by a LBS?

I know a few folk who have had issues recently with their Hunt wheels - the bearings especially. Enough to put me off. Hope bearings are second to none.

Alternatively DT SWiss 350 hubs on some sort of DT swiss rim.

This.

Find an excellent LBS wheelbuilder and they will be better than machine/factory built.

Pete @ Colina/CyclePro builds our FS/HT/X wheels

Friend of mine has recently discovered that the carbon rims on his Hunt wheels have split. Not exactly had a hard life, either. Should be a warranty job, but shouldn't have happened.

Forgot to add - if my bike club is anything to go by, the sheer noise Hunt freehubs make would put me right off. And my Campag and Bontrager ones aren't exactly quiet.

I had some built by ryanbuildswheels.co.uk. They were in your price bracket ( before tyres etc ) have been excellent so far. ( Approx 1,000 miles including a lot of off road ). I found them very knowledgeable and helpful.

Depends which ones - my Hunt hubs (on alloy gravel wheels) are really quiet. I think the newer ones on carbon wheel are the problem (although some people seems to like noisy hubs).

Which Sonder frame have you gone for?

Don't do it, I have 105 on my gravel bike and the chain slap is atrocious.

Get something with a clutch, you won't regret it.

Was Marek not talking about the shifters being 105 rather than the rear mech? I have a rear mech with a clutch and while it is helpful and quieter compared with the ultegra mech before it, its not night and day better.... just stick it on the big chain ring (if you have 2x) and the largest sprocket at the back.

Sorry. Did it years ago. It's been fine. Not sure why we differ.

Indeed I was, but I have vanilla 105 on mine and it's fine (IMHO). As you say, there's always the option of swapping the 105 rear mech for one with a clutch, but I haven't felt the need. I've no damage to the paintwork on the chainstay (well, not that's attributable to chain slap anyway) and I've never dropped the chain either. Not sure what problem I'd be solving. Perhaps I don't thrash the bike enough!

Would 105 11speed levers work with 1x grx?

I'm happy getting some second hand 105 hydraulic brakes.

I believe so, but I'd do some proper research (i.e., not here) on pull ratios before spend my money.

https://productinfo.shimano.com/download/pdf/com/2.7/en

Page 17 suggests that 105 R7000 shifter work with RX810 rear mech.

... but IANBM (I Am Not a Bike Mechanic)

I will do a little more research, apparently shimano do aim to make everything as cross compatible as possible, I guess you’d just have a flappy left lever, I even hear there is a bodge that can get the left lever to operate a dropper post 😏

Sonder Camino Alu 

Nice.  If you get over to the Peak(s)* and fancy a ride, let me know.

[* embrace/rage-at the 's' at you see fit]

Cheers I’ll call you on the 😀🚵🏼‍♂️

Update on the bike and wheels

went for 32 spoke hope wheels with rs4 hubs (in red)

There is a 5/7 week wait for these so I’m going to try and find the remainder of my bits on eBay and start putting the bike together.

went for 105 shifters in the end as I Lund some with  brakes on eBay 

so just chain, rotors, rear cassette and 12mm through bolts and some bar tape to go