Stan's No Tubes Crest MK4 Disc Brake Rim
The Stan's NoTubes Crest MK4 is the cross-country and gravel rim in Stan's range: 25mm inside, 6069 alloy, the asymmetric MK4 profile with an offset spoke bed, and the BST hookless bead that seats a tubeless tire with a floor pump. It suits everything from a 40mm gravel tire to a 2.3in cross-country tire, and it comes in 24in, 27.5in and 29in, which makes it a favorite for kids' bikes as well as race bikes.
This page covers the Stan's No Tubes Crest MK4 Disc Brake Rim in 29in, 27.5in, 26in, 24in. The Crest MK4 is not sold bare. You choose the hub and the rest of the build in the configurator, and it ships from our shop in Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
BST, Bead Socket Technology, is Stan's low, hookless bead wall: the tire bead sits in a socket rather than under a hook, which is why a tubeless tire seats so easily on a Stan's rim and stays put at low pressure. The low wall also gives the tire a larger effective volume and makes pinch flats less likely because there is no sharp hook to cut the casing. The Crest MK4 profile adds an offset spoke bed, which brings drive-side and non-drive-side tension close to equal on a Boost or gravel rear, and a reinforced spoke bed that takes high tension despite the rim's low weight.
The Crest MK4 is 6069 alloy, stronger than 6061, welded rather than sleeved, with a three-year warranty and a one-year crash-replacement program. Standard nipples, J-bend spokes, disc only.
How it rides
A Crest MK4 wheel is light and quick, and the Crest has been the cross-country racer's alloy rim since Stan's first made it. The 25mm bed keeps a 2.25in cross-country tire or a 45mm gravel tire round and fast, the BST wall makes tubeless setup easy, and the offset rear stays true through a season of racing. It is a cross-country and gravel rim, not a trail rim; for 2.4in and wider tires the Arch MK4 is the better bed.
For cross-country racing, gravel and bikepacking, the Crest MK4 is the Stan's rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in, 26in, 24in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 601 (29in), 563 (27.5in), 538 (26in), 486 (24in) |
| Inner width | 25 mm |
| Depth | 18 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 399g (700c/29in), 374g (650b/27.5in), 357g (26in), 329g (24in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 1.5 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
This listing
This is the 29in, 27.5in, 26in, 24in listing of the Crest MK4, 28h, 32h, about 399g, 25mm inside, 18mm deep, disc. Pick the size that matches your frame; the profile and construction are the same across the range.
This is the disc-brake Crest MK4: plain sidewalls, no brake track to wear, a touch lighter. It fits any disc-brake bike and it is the version most of our customers now build; the rim-brake version is a separate listing.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Stan's No Tubes Crest MK4 Disc Brake Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in, 26in, 24in and 28h, 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the Crest on DT Swiss 350, 240 and 180, Industry Nine 1/1, SOLiX and Hydra 2, Hope Pro 5 and RS4, Bitex BX 211 and BX 106 hubs, usually with Sapim Laser, D-Light or Race spokes or DT Competition and brass or alloy nipples.
Tire range on the Crest MK4 is 40mm to 2.3in with tubeless-ready tires on the BST bead. Give the configurator your bike type and weight; it picks a sensible spoke count and lacing pattern, which you can override.
Build it with us
We build this rim to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the Stans No Tubes Crest Mk4 Disc Brake Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for tandem and e-bike, mountain bike and MTB single-speed builds, and the configurator will not let you assemble a combination we would not build.
Spoke head is decided by the hub, not the rim: this rim builds equally well with J-bend or straight-pull spokes, and the configurator only offers the spokes that match the hub you pick.
What Stan's No Tubes says about testing
Stan's NoTubes of Big Flats, New York builds its rims around patented Bead Socket Technology (BST), a low-profile sidewall that secures the tire bead rather than the sidewall, which Stan's states gives an airtight seal and lighter, stronger rims. MK4 and EX3 aluminum rims are welded 6069 alloy with a reinforced spoke bed, which Stan's states is "10-15% stronger" than 6061; S2 rims are sleeved 6061 with stainless eyelets.
Testing: Pinkbike's 2016 factory tour documented carbon-rim deflection testing under a variable load measured by a load cell, a drop tower for impact testing with high-speed imaging, and electronic QC of built-wheel trueness and spoke tension. For the Flow EX3, Stan's describes "an incredibly brutal testing procedure based on impact forces we studied from the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup DH course" using a weighted wedge dropped onto an inflated tire and rim. No joule, cycle, ISO 4210 or UCI figures are published.
Published limits: max spoke tension Crest MK4 115 kgf (1130 N), Flow EX3 125 kgf (1225 N), Flow S2 130 kgf (1275 N), Crest CB7 and Valor carbon 105 kgf. Max pressure depends on tire width, for example Crest MK4 55 psi with 40 mm and 39 psi with 2.3"; Flow EX3 39 psi with 2.3" and 34 psi with 2.6"; Grail CB7 85 psi. No rider weight limit is published.
Stan's No Tubes's videos
Certifications
- Patent — Stan's states Bead Socket Technology (BST) is patented (source)
Sources on Stan's No Tubes's site:
- Bead Socket Technology (BST) - Stan's
- Warranty Information - Stan's NoTubes
- About Us - Stan's
- Crest MK4 Rim - Stan's
- Flow EX3 Rim - Stan's
Stan's No Tubes publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Stan's NoTubes makes the Crest MK4; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. We calculate Crest MK4 spoke lengths from the rim's measured ERD and offset, tension every Crest MK4 wheel in stages with a gauge within Stan's published range, stress-relieve it and true it before it ships. Stan's tape and a valve are fitted on request.
In the configurator you will only see parts that fit this drilling; combinations that are not made are struck through, and the price updates as you pick.
Warranty
Stan's No Tubes's warranty. Stan's covers aluminum rims for two years against manufacturing defects. Registered carbon wheelsets carry seven years of warranty cover plus lifetime crash replacement, and registration must be completed before a wheelset claim can be made. Crash damage, abuse and normal wear are not warranty items.
ProWheelBuilder. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Crest MK4 Disc Brake Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
25mm inside is the all-road and gravel width. Think 32 to 45mm tires: wide enough to support a gravel casing properly so it holds its shape at low pressure, narrow enough that a 30mm road tire still sits right if you swap wheels between bikes.
Is the Crest MK4 good for gravel?
Yes. The Crest MK4's 25mm bed suits 40 to 50mm gravel tires, and the BST bead seals tubeless gravel tires reliably; the Crest is one of our most common gravel rims.
Is the Crest MK4 hookless?
Yes. BST is a low hookless bead; use tubeless-ready tires and stay under the pressure printed on the rim.
What tires fit the Crest MK4?
40mm gravel tires up to 2.3in cross-country tires.
Does the Crest MK4 come in 24in?
Yes, along with 27.5in and 29in, which makes it a favorite for high-end kids' bikes.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Stan's No Tubes lists the Crest MK4 Disc Brake Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
Which spoke count should I choose?
It depends on your weight, terrain and the hub, not the rim alone. The configurator recommends a count from your bike type and rider weight, within the drillings this rim is made in.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
