Looking for a wheelset for my vintage Bianchi osprey. I’m a newbie when it comes to building bikes. But I’m wanting to go through the whole bike with nice parts. New headset, bottom bracket etc. looking for wheels that would be suitable for bike packing. Without breaking the bank! Was planning on sourcing vintage wheels, unless there’s a company that makes nice wheels for 26inch mountain bikes? I want quality though since it’s a Bianchi.
by ElioRae
5 Comments
Have your local bike shop build some for you with quality hubs and rims. I’d opt for 36h for bikepacking for the added strength. I like to run rhynolite rims with nicer shimano hubs, personally.
Velocity Cliffhangers are pretty bullet proof
Quality Wheels makes a Cliffhanger wheelset that MSRPs for like $250 USD
If you are so inclined, you could probably fit 27.5″ in there. This is my vintage conversion with 27.5×2.25.
It’s worth test-fitting some wheels first, if you can. And the brakes get a little tricky: v-brakes should be fine, but with cantis you need a set with enough height adjustment (these are tektro cr510s).
Can’t go wrong with Velo Orange for the wheels.
I needed a new wheelset a few years ago, and figured that I might as well just take the 27.5 plunge.
https://preview.redd.it/ursqp5d1xc7f1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a3c8f8f7b3d7e4e3b458dc50015814df5b5c33b
I found a set of “vintage” mavic x221 on marketplace for my 26″ build, already laced to Deore XT hubs. If you like the look of the rims on the bike you could just get them rebuilt with new spokes and the hubs you want – if they aren’t like bent or anything. Hubs (and getting the right driver depending on if you are upgrading the groupset) are really more important in terms of an upgrade IMO.
> Was planning on sourcing vintage wheels
In 2025 the ~~only~~ best way to source decent 26″ wheels is to ask. If someone has listed nice 26″ wheels they’re looking for $$$$, especially on national sites like eBay or Pinkbike. If you ride with the shop boys and girls THEY are who you need to be talking to about a set of sweet wheels gathering dust in a corner. If you don’t, then you need to look for LOCAL BST groups and start asking around there.