how heavy are the new graphite tuff wheels compared to regular wheels?

ALSO --

what kind of stopping power can i get with these? I mean, will a v-brake grab these tight enough so I can do something like abubacas without using a coaster brake and having the brakes slip on me under that kinda stress?

I just really love the look of these wheels but always ran chrome rims. But I don't want a heavy tank or something that won't brake really good.

pro and cons here? oh, and i weigh about 185.

thanks again fellas!

Judging from the set I had, any mag wheel is going to "ride" like they weigh more than spoked wheels. "V" Brake power is really, really good although the wheels seemed to eat pads faster than normal. That was with the first release of the modern Graphite's, so I don't know what has changed since then.

I haven't ridden any of the new ones but I had several pairs of OG graphites. They still flexed and you couldn't pump a tire past 80. V brakes will stop you. I think the new brakes shoes are just softer.

I was riding the new graphite Tuffs this summer. Braking was excellent, with either the new Skyway brake pads, or the old. Because the wheels don't stay true, I had to run my brakes a lot more open than I prefer, though (I likes 'em tight), so the brake pads wouldn't rub so bad.

They don't stay true? Wow, I thought that was a huge part of their appeal was that they're really stiff and "tuff". I also like my pads tight for that quick response.

I got one of those retro pk ripper framesets and wanted to put the mags on it just to cruise around and do some light/moderate street riding -- stairs, curb jumps, etc. -- and thought these things were kinda like a "put 'em on and don't worry about 'em" wheel.

Tuff wheels, right? Or are they "kinda-tuff wheels"?

In my opinion, 48s and 36s are WAY better than Tuffs. Tuffs flex. And crack. I'm not Joe Hardcore or anything, but I did a lot of riding BITD, and cracked my Tuffs doing a lawnmower. And I didn't weigh as much then as you do now. Add the braking and tire pressure issues into the equation, and there you have it.

But I will say, I think Tuffs look cool and may function perfectly fine for what you want to do with them. Next year, they're cominig out with a Retro T/A cruiser, and I'd like to build one. Despite their shortcomings, I'm still considering some Tuffs for it. (I certainly plan to ride it). I guess I have some time to figure it out.

You're right -- they do look VERY cool.

So if I went with some new 48s, what's a good wheelset that's strong and lightweight? Prefer if it had an RL Edge kind of hub. You know, freewheel but where the cranks don't roll back while riding backwards? They probably have a new name for that type of hub now, but I have no idea. Been out of it for years. Got sucked into mountain biking.

Thanks for the responses. I really appreciate all the help from members here.

That type of hub is called a Freecoaster. Lots of new school companies make them, Oddysey, Nankai, etc. If you want old school/mid school, you'll either need an RL Edge hub (good luck finding one, be prepared to pay), or a Peregrine, which you can get for around $30.

http://flatlandfuel.com/index.asp?PageActi...&ProdID=940

This is the best deal you will find on spoked wheels. Also, the 48 is going away. New rims have double or triple walls making them rigid and strong. The 48 is overkill. Trust me, those wheels will handle anything you throw at them. Also, flatlandfuel is the place to go for freecoaster hubs.