Also since you seem to be pretty experienced in this field, do you have any thoughts on XM Carbon Speed vs Zen Carbon vs DFS? Im looking for a 50-60mm depth with a 24-26mm internal width (32-24 ext) I'm a pretty lightweight rider so the weight limits don't really matter for me.
Personally, with a 25 mm internal width, I would go for carbon.
The thing is, when I bought my first set of carbon-spoke wheels back in 2019, I think they had a 19 mm or 21 mm internal width, and I was running 23 mm tyres at probably 100 PSI! 😄 So while they were certainly stiffer, they were definitely harsher as well.
Nowadays, with wider internal widths, wider tyres, and lower pressures, they are much more comfortable to ride.
That said, speaking with wheel builders, steel spokes will be easier to service. Some builders I’ve spoken to have little to no experience working with carbon spokes.
There is also talk that a 20/20 build with 3.1–3.2 mm carbon spokes is as stiff as a 24/24 build with Sapim CX-Ray spokes. Personally, I don’t agree, but wheels are like saddles—everyone’s experience is different.
To answer your question about XMC, DFS, Zen, and other brands in general—what we’re seeing now is very much copy-and-paste across the market.
Everyone is doing lightweight rims with 3.1 or 3.2 mm carbon spokes, 20 spokes front and rear, and superlight ~230 g hubs.
XMC differs from DFS and Zen in that their rims are definitely their own closed mould, and the same goes for their hubs—they have them produced specifically for themselves.
DFS and Zen, like many other lesser-discussed brands such as BTLOS, Nextie, and CBK, supply open-mould rims. They all claim to do OEM work; whether that’s true or not remains to be seen. Regardless, from my experience, they—like XMC—sell a quality product.
DFS, ZEN etc they tend to use hubs from brands like H-Works (which many companies use either off-the-shelf or under private branding), possibly Goldix hubs, and some are using what people are calling H-Works “copies.” That said, I’ve been told that some of these actually come from ex–H-Works employees who have started out on their own—which isn’t uncommon in China ex employess going out and doing there own thing. Tavelo, for example, is basically made up of ex-Winspace employees if im not wrong.
I dont think you can go wrong with any of these brands myself, the last two wheelsets I have had are from DFS and Zen and thats simply down to the fact I wanted the THR Industries R2 hub. They will all have something that your are looking for spec wise so it just a case of who your most comfortable giving your money to!
