I have three Dt180exp hubs, and I was wondering what to make with them, so I decided to build a super lightweight wheel.
The rim is from the liengu brand on AliExpress. It's an asymmetrical rim with an internal width of 23.5mm, an external width of 31mm, a height of 50mm, and a 2.5mm offset.
Prices start at $133 for the basic model, and the lightest one costs around $190. The weight starts at 460 grams and goes down to 340 grams for the lightest option, with a maximum weight difference of 120 grams.
I used the lightest 340-gram rim and added a paintless finish for an extra $10.
Instead of painting, the rim surface is polished, so there's no coating. This means that any surface defects will be visible, but it also increases the likelihood of getting a good quality product.
Because it's a lightweight rim, the spoke hole area is bound to be thin. I used Sapim HM spoke washers to reduce localized stress during building.
I'm getting a bit more familiar with wheelbuilding now, and it takes about an hour per wheel to build one that's field-ready. The biggest advantage for someone like me who isn't a professional is the ability to allocate time as needed.
This was my first time using this rim, but I was surprised by its uniformity. Even with the spoke tension adjusted as evenly as possible, I was able to maintain lateral alignment within 0.2mm and radial alignment within 0.3mm.
The final product weighs around 550 grams for the front wheel. I've been riding it in the field, hitting curbs at speed without slowing down, and even descending some high-speed sections with rough pavement, and it feels stable.
$200 might seem expensive for a Chinese rim, but it's amazing to be able to get a usable 340-gram rim for that price.
