Bugs races XC, and needed some new MTB wheels to update an older ride. Having ridden carbon hoops before, he wanted to revert back to alloy, as he felt that (at least with skinnier XC tyres) alloy rims offered a more "comfortable" ride.
He'd seen a pair of wheels we built some time ago, and decided a very similar package would suit him. Novatec D811SB QR15 front hub and the XLR8 MD rear MTB hub, in 12mm thru axle guise.
The XLR8 hub is a solid choice. It's convertible back to QR and 10mm thru axle. The freehub can be converted to Shimano MTB and 11s Road (alloy and steel), Campag 11s road, and SRAM XD driver. There's plenty of flexibility for future usage of this wheelset in another ride, or as components are upgraded.
The choice of rim was based on economy, and rim weight to width ratio. At 23mm wide internally, the Alex Evo 2.3 comes up trumps as a wide XC rim, but not too wide to slow rapid forward progress. The weight is excellent at around 450g, and the rim has a welded joint and alloy eyelets.
We used Sapim Race double butted spokes and red alloy nipples to complete a smart looking, versatile, and effective XC wheelset.