I was thinking of buying a 700/29" wheelset with the Mavic XC 621 rims (21/24mm) for gravel riding. Since these rims are actually MTB rims, is this a good idea?
TidyDinosaur wrote:I was thinking of buying a 700/29" wheelset with the Mavic XC 621 rims (21/24mm) for gravel riding. Since these rims are actually MTB rims, is this a good idea?
Rims much like that worked fine on the child's bike we just sold and they're similar to one of our bikes. Having mounted 48 and 55 mm tires on different rims I'd say for a new purchase and wide tires I'd want wide rims. For 35 - 45 mm tires I'd not be worried and I consider 40 mm tires super capable for gravel.
There are always compromises and what most of your riding is should influence your purchase. I ride drop bars on MTB trails too and on road. If "gravel" is off road touring, single track and extremes you might want wider rims. If it's mostly gravel roads that have a packed base, rail trails, and roads you'll probably appreciate less weight and less bulk to spin around.
I used 21 mm rims for a few years and found them fine with tires up to 40 mm. Tires wider than 40 mm could get a little floppy on pavement, depending on the tire and the pressure. I find 25 mm rims to be more versatile, I've used tires from 32 to 48 mm on those with no issues.
Nothing wrong with MTB rims unless you want a deep section for better aerodynamics. But that won't help with wide tires and won't give you a noticeable improvement until your speed is way up there.
