04 May 2014

Wheel #00017 - Sun XCD Randonneur rim and high flange rear hub

Today was my GW weekend rest day, so I am at home getting some work done and taking care of domestic chores ... but I did find time to build up the first of 3 new wide-rim rear wheels.  I love the high flange hub, which weighs no more than my low flange ones and looks appropriate for use in Brevets ... or even L'Eroica.

Wheel #00017

Nice high flange hubs!  Drive side DT Swiss Competition (2.0/1.8), Non-Drive side Revolution (2.0, 1.5)

Upon closer inspection, the SunXCD rim is ... really an Alexrim.  A common brand in Japan.
Built with spoke head washers and set with a spoke head press.

Wear indicator and slightly scored braking surface -- good for a long distance, long lasting rim.
The SUN XCD label and rim joint (visible under the middle of the label) are not directly opposite the valve hole, but one spoke off.  Never seen that before and it seems like an obvious QC miss.  Plus the label looks cheap and pasted on.  A bit disappointing for what is otherwise a very nice looking rim.

Also, this wheel needed significantly more truing in its first weeks than the H Plus Son rim built up with my Chris King Class hub.  Maybe a result of the high flange on both sides ... and thus very different tensions between drive/non-drive side to get the dish right?  In any event, it seems to have settled in nicely after a number of rides.

4 comments:

Garry said...

Hello There
I'm interested in buying a pair of Sun xcd hubs and wondered what you thought of them in terms of quality and performance. I'm looking for something 'classy' to go with the new Bob Jackson frame I have ordered, and couldn't find much info about them.

kind regards

David Litt said...

Hi Garry:

I have not had any problems with the Sun XCD hub so far ... reasonably priced basic item.

But the Sun XCD rim is a bit heavier, bit narrower and bit more expensive than the H Plus Son one, so I have not been using this wheel much.

The rim is just a re-dressed "Alexrim" product (and presumably the hub also is just an OEM rebadged from someone else) ... but so far works as advertised.

A bit more on hub and rim here:

http://positivo-espresso.blogspot.jp/2014/04/review-of-wide-rims-to-come-velocity.html

Garry said...

Thanks David
I had figured that tey may have been badged up, I think maybe plan b.. Son Archytpe . I have bought the sun derailleurs and they seem to be good quality but for the price could be a little better finished

Cheers

Garry

Anonymous said...

Hi ... I'm using them on my bike, a 26" ti dbr converted to 650b for gravel riding. They're holding up finely even if I'm also using them for some mtb rides (when I meet riders I know I can't resist joining in). Turned them to tubeless rims using Shimano rim strips and they hold aie without problems. Also, the eim joint is opposite the valve, differently from uour set. Only one truing after 700 km. Leces to low flange dt240s rims, using dt 2-1.8 spokes